Within the framework of the 2025 Journalism Forum, the third session with the theme "Conquering Gen Z Readers: Decoding the Formula for Success" took place on the afternoon of June 19, evoking many ideas and approaches to attract and retain the young generation of readers with journalism in the digital age.
At the discussion session, Tien Phong Newspaper Editor-in-Chief Phung Cong Suong said that Gen Z includes people born from 1996 to 2012 - a generation that grew up in a digital environment, with the internet and smartphones developing strongly, associated with the birth of a series of social networks.
This is a typical group of fast news consumers, spending most of their time on short video platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels and YouTube Shorts, because they especially prefer creative, highly entertaining content.
Mr. Phung Cong Suong emphasized the importance of Gen Z, as they have become the largest generation, accounting for 32% of the population. It is estimated that by 2032, Gen Z will be the largest demographic group that every company and organization - including the media - needs to target.
According to Mr. Phung Cong Suong, the young generation, especially Gen Z now, does not dislike reading newspapers, it is just that they have a different and diverse way of "loading" news, creating challenges for all news agencies.
From there, the question is not only how to attract this group of people, but also how to retain them long-term on media platforms.
Sharing his experience at the forum, Director of the Center for Media Development of Nhan Dan Newspaper Ngo Viet Anh said that technology combined with creative ideas will attract readers, especially young people, to traditional journalism.
Citing evidence from the special information campaign to celebrate the Liberation Day of the South on April 30, Nhan Dan Newspaper launched the electronic page "Unification of the Country" recreating the entire 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising with seven main columns.
At the same time, a 120-page Nhan Dan Newspaper publication and an 8-page special supplement with augmented reality effects about the Ho Chi Minh Campaign model were also launched, with more than 500,000 copies widely distributed.
In addition, the interactive exhibition recreates a model of a field tent and displays 3D Mapping technology on the supplement, vividly simulating important battles, ending with a scene of a tank crashing into the gate of the Independence Palace... bringing a visual and emotional historical experience to readers, especially the younger generation.
“The long lines of young people lining up to receive the Dien Bien Phu supplement, the Ho Chi Minh Campaign supplement, and the supplement on President Ho Chi Minh’s birthday clearly demonstrate that if we combine creativity with technology and data, we can absolutely attract young people to traditional newspapers,” Mr. Ngo Viet Anh emphasized.
Sharing at the forum, Colonel Nguyen Hong Hai, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the People's Army Newspaper, emphasized the importance of developing press and media products suitable to the needs and tastes of Gen Z, especially in the military environment.
Colonel Nguyen Hong Hai said that as the main press agency in the Army, the People's Army Newspaper has shown significant efforts in keeping up with trends and attracting young readers.
The People's Army Newspaper's online version has developed into a multimedia, multilingual newspaper to expand its readership. The newspaper also actively has a strong presence on social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook Fanpage and YouTube channel, with a steady growth in followers.
Colonel Nguyen Hong Hai affirmed that Gen Z is not only the target audience, but also the companions and partners of the newspaper in the digital age. This requires the People's Army Newspaper to constantly transform itself to become a trusted companion of this generation.
The forum also listened to the sharing of journalist Bui Thu Thuy, Head of Entertainment Program Production Department (VTV3) on innovation to maintain attraction with Gen Z audience.
Dr. Ngo Bich Ngoc, Head of the Faculty of Communication and Journalism, Swinburne University of Technology Vietnam, pointed out that Gen Z is a generation of conscious consumers, who value authenticity in brands, services, and experiences. They also have a high sense of nationalism and patriotism.
Therefore, building a newsroom brand image with core values, especially promoting national identity, ethnicity, personality and authenticity, will easily create sympathy and trust with Gen Z. When Gen Z has sympathy, they tend to trust and consume the newsroom's products...
At the forum, many young people of the Gen Z generation had open and frank dialogues with the speakers, revolving around information reception habits, expectations about press content, as well as concerns about the role of mainstream media in the digital age.
With practical and useful discussions and opinions, the discussion session gave the public a more comprehensive view, while also evoking many ideas and effective approaches to attract and retain the young generation of readers with journalism in the digital age./.
Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/hoi-bao-toan-quoc-2025-bao-chi-doi-moi-sang-tao-de-chinh-phuc-doc-gia-gen-z-post1045272.vnp
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