Gen Z extends revolutionary pen on the "digital front"

(Dan Tri) - The 2025 National Press Festival marks the 100th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, and at the same time becomes a "digital rendezvous" for Gen Z amid the flow of information in the technology age.

Enter the “vibrant world of journalism” at the 2025 National Press Festival

Arriving at the 2025 National Press Conference early in the morning, Linh Chi, a first-year student at the Diplomatic Academy, spent hours walking through the unique press exhibition booths.

The young girl could not hide her excitement when she first experienced multi-platform journalism products: from AI applications, 3D modeling, holofan to virtual reality technology...

“The first time I attended the Press Conference, I was really excited. I didn’t expect the event to be so elaborately and impressively organized. I was overwhelmed by the number of newspapers and magazines from all fields.

Linh Chi, a first-year student at the Diplomatic Academy, spent hours walking through the unique press exhibition booths (Photo: Do ​​Ngoc Luu).

Just by going around, you can participate in games, try interacting with robots, and receive souvenirs. Each booth has its own attraction, it feels like entering a lively and intimate world of journalism," Linh Chi excitedly recounted.

Not only Linh Chi but many other Gen Z youths participated in the Press Festival on the opening day of June 19. They were not just visitors but actually spent time exploring , chatting with journalists and taking check-in photos at creative booths.

This year's event marks 100 years of Vietnamese Revolutionary Journalism, bringing together more than 80 press units with more than 130 booths and a thematic exhibition area commemorating a century of journalism history.

Doan Thuy (22 years old), a final year student of Journalism at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, was attentively exploring the space of the Digital Journalism Museum. Although she had been to the Press Festival before, she still could not hide her surprise at the scale and organization of this year.

Although she has attended before, Thu Thuy was still surprised by the scale of this year's National Press Festival (Photo: Do ​​Ngoc Luu).

“I had the opportunity to participate in the Press Conference twice during my student years, but this year really surprised me. Everything is much larger, more modern and more attractive.

I especially like the space of the Digital Journalism Museum, it feels like stepping back in time, reliving the milestones of more than 100 years of revolutionary journalism. Not only watching, but also interacting directly", Thuy shared.

Not only journalism students like Thuy, but also young people from many other majors have shown interest in the news profession.

In the midst of the journalism technology exhibition space, Pham Yen Vi, a first-year student majoring in International Communication at the Diplomatic Academy, expressed her candid view: “Many people often say that Gen Z is no longer interested in journalism, but I think that is not true.

Many of my friends and I still read and follow the news every day, just in a different way: through social networks, short videos, podcasts... This year's Press Festival shows that the press is making great efforts to get closer to young people."

Pham Yen Vi is guiding an elderly reader around the exhibition booth (Photo: Do ​​Ngoc Luu).

The press "catches the trend" to avoid slipping out of GenZ's hands

The excitement of Linh Chi, Thu Thuy and Yen Vi at the 2025 National Press Conference shows that Gen Z is not turning their backs on journalism as many people mistakenly believe.

They are still interested, still read and receive information every day but in their own way, through new platforms and formats that are faster and more interactive. This fact was pointed out by journalist Phung Cong Suong, Editor-in-Chief of Tien Phong Newspaper, at the Forum "Conquering Gen Z Readers".

Talking about her news reading habits, Le Ngoc Ha (19 years old), a first-year student majoring in Communications at the Diplomatic Academy, said: “I still read newspapers every day, mainly on electronic newspapers.

Sections such as technology, lifestyle, education, and international are updated quite quickly and clearly. In the digital age, I still believe in mainstream journalism because of the accuracy and verification of content.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Chinh Nghia (21 years old), a third-year student majoring in Communications, said that social media is the channel he regularly uses to update news. For Gen Z like Nghia, speed is the top factor in receiving information.

“Nowadays, newspapers are almost racing each other in terms of speed of reporting news. But compared to social networks, they are still a beat slower, because hot news spreads almost instantly. As a young person, I have the habit of updating information through social networks or electronic news sites. Hot news often spreads very quickly, sometimes it only takes a few dozen seconds to grasp the basic content.”

Nguyen Chinh Nghia recorded images at the National Press Conference to serve digital content production (Photo: Do ​​Ngoc Luu).

However, Nghia also clearly recognizes the negative aspects that come with it:

“Not all content on the internet is accurate. Sometimes I come across fake news, unverified information, and sensational headlines that cause confusion. For important or sensitive news, I always check with official news sites to be sure.”

The sharing of Ngoc Ha or Chinh Nghia is not only personal, but also partly reflects the way that many Gen Zs are approaching news every day.

Accounting for 32% of Vietnam's population, Gen Z is not only the largest group of readers today, but also the force shaping information consumption habits in the digital age.

That also poses a big problem for newsrooms: how to maintain the accuracy and depth of mainstream journalism while keeping up with the speed, form and taste of content that is changing every day?

Not staying out of the game, many press agencies have proactively "transformed" to adapt to the new playing field.

Dan Tri Newspaper is one of the pioneers in reaching Gen Z on digital platforms. With nearly 4 million followers on TikTok, Dan Tri not only reports news, but also transforms information into short, concise, easy-to-understand clips that are timely and have the ability to spread strongly on social networks.

Dan Tri's official TikTok channel attracts nearly 4 million followers and more than 100 million likes (Screenshot).

Recently, Nhan Dan newspaper has also made its mark by constantly innovating its presentation form. From the panorama of Dien Bien Phu Campaign, to the supplement integrating virtual reality (AR) technology simulating the Ho Chi Minh campaign, or interactive exhibitions using light and digital graphics...

In addition, a series of other press agencies such as VTV, ZNews, Tuoi Tre, Tien Phong... have also been expanding their presence on platforms such as TikTok, Facebook Reels, YouTube Shorts - where GenZ "lives online" for hours every day.

Digital Front

One hundred years ago, revolutionary journalism was born in the midst of fire and smoke, a sharp propaganda weapon in the hands of soldiers. Today, in the digital age, journalism is still a front, but a front of information, belief and courage.

Today, in the digital age, journalism is still a front, but it is a front of information, trust and courage.

Not only press agencies, but also journalists themselves – “soldiers on the information front in peacetime”, are facing many challenges.

Journalism today is no longer a one-way job, but a simultaneous race between speed, reliability and influence with social networks in the digital age.

As a photo contributor at the Electronic Magazine Tri Thuc (Znews), Dinh Viet Ha (a 4th-year student majoring in journalism at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) has witnessed many times fake photos created by AI, spreading rapidly on social networks.

"Many photos look very real, with perfect angles, beautiful lighting, and even full of information like official press products. But in fact, they only take a few seconds for AI to create," Ha shared.

Meanwhile, each photo Ha brings back from the field is worth many hours of waiting, finding angles, adjusting the light, and following the event from start to finish.

Dinh Viet Ha sticks to the scene after Typhoon Yagi, recording the moment between the rain, wind and fallen trees (Photo: Character provided)

It is the ease with which AI can generate images that has enabled increasingly sophisticated fake news.

Faced with the chaotic flow of information, according to Ha, young collaborators are forced to train themselves to have an "information immune system" right from the start of their careers.

Ha explained: "Reporting news quickly but incorrectly is more dangerous than reporting news slowly. An untrue article now not only affects the reputation of the editorial office but can also easily be dissected and attacked by the online community."

The more you write in the midst of difficulties, the sharper your pen becomes. It is in the midst of challenges that journalists, especially young people, have the opportunity to enter the profession early, not only learning how to report news, but also learning how to stick with the profession, maintain their heart, and forge their fortitude in the face of modern pressures.

It is also an opportunity for the press to expand its reach to readers, renew its expression, and increase the vitality of its content with GenZ's flexible and creative thinking.

Although today's press front has shifted from the trenches of resistance to the digital information front, the journalistic ideal remains intact.

As President Ho Chi Minh once advised revolutionary journalists to have "clear eyes, pure hearts, and sharp pens", today, that advice is still a guiding principle in the midst of a technological era full of changes and challenges.

Dan Tri Newspaper won the C prize for "Impressive events and activities" at the National Press Festival.

After three exciting days with many unique activities, on the afternoon of June 21, the closing ceremony of the 2025 National Press Festival was held at the National Convention Center (Hanoi).

This year's Press Festival is organized with the theme "Vietnamese Press - Loyal, creative, courageous, innovative for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland".

Dan Tri Newspaper was honored to win the C prize in the category of Impressive Events and Activities within the framework of the press conference.

Photo: Do ​​Ngoc Luu

Video: Hai Yen, Doan Thuy

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/gen-z-noi-dai-ngoi-but-cach-mang-tren-mat-tran-so-20250620220606832.htm