The 'second breath' of journalism

(PLVN) - Faced with the unpredictable changes of the new era, Vietnamese journalism is asking the question: What is the second breath? Is it a return to quality journalism, credibility, truth-discovery, and public opinion shaping?

Delegates attending the Vietnam Journalism in the New Era forum. (Photo: Hoang Giang)

At the discussion session "Vietnamese Journalism in the New Era: A Vision for Creating a Development Space," many experts shared the view that Vietnamese journalism no longer plays only the role of visual information dissemination, but also acts as a creator and leader of society in the context of digital transformation and the rise of AI.

Finding credibility again in a 'chaotic marketplace'

Dr. Tran Dang Tuan, former Deputy General Director of Vietnam Television, stated that the press is struggling to create a space on social media. Although the press has tried to "venture into all platforms," ​​from building apps and websites to social networks, the overall picture remains quite bleak. Many major newspapers have experienced a sharp decline in both readership and circulation.

He argued that journalism cannot compete with social media in terms of speed, as the public is guided by algorithmic recommendations instead of actively seeking out information. Instead, journalism must embrace a fresh perspective. The current solution is not multi-platform journalism, but rather journalism under a different name – multi-method journalism. This means journalism must have multiple methods of reaching the public, methods of packaging, business strategies, and so on.

"Now is the time for Vietnamese journalism to stop struggling to find 'sales points' for its journalistic products on various platforms. Instead, it needs to return to the core issue: improving product quality. Journalism has only one path: to attract readers because it is the most credible and highest-quality source, helping people understand the root of the issue. Journalism should be groundbreaking, analytical, and shape the thinking of readers and the public. The second essential element is quality journalism," this expert stated.

Citing examples of highly sought-after journalistic publications in recent times, Mr. Hoang Nam Tien, Vice Chairman of theFPT University Council, argued that some media outlets have succeeded because they have addressed what all segments of the population want to hear.

"I have personally witnessed thousands of Gen Z readers opening newspapers, scanning QR codes, and reading with great enthusiasm. Here, we need to return to the old values: All readers want reliable, authoritative sources of information. Journalists themselves need to truly be journalists, truly consider journalism a revolutionary weapon. The more pressure we face from social media and AI, the more necessary these requirements become," Mr. Tien said.

Mr. Hoang Nam Tien also predicted that within the next six months, AI will completely change the way the public searches for and processes information. However, he frankly admitted that AI can do many things except for three.

"AI lacks curiosity, it imitates creativity very well but doesn't know how to investigate. And AI lacks emotional intelligence. If the words we write can still touch someone's heart, we have nothing to fear from AI... AI is not a rival of journalism. AI is an extension of human intelligence," Mr. Hoang Nam Tien emphasized.

Building a lean, efficient, and powerful press, rebuilding public trust.

Addressing the need to define a 10-year vision, Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hoa, a journalism and media expert and Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Digital Transformation Center, stated that the press should continue to pursue the goal of being lean, efficient, powerful, and effective. This includes requiring highly skilled journalists, streamlined media organizations, efficient processes, and effective operating models. To achieve this, the aim is to create a humane and modern press.

Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hoa also presented some core viewpoints. Firstly, a humanistic press prioritizes serving the goals of a prosperous people, a strong nation, democracy, fairness, and civilization. Given the demands of the country today, each individual media outlet must be strong in order to create a strong media conglomerate, which can then build a community, assist citizens and businesses, and support policy implementation.

Secondly, modernizing journalism means breaking down stereotypes and established patterns, reflected in both content and form. Creating a new reality for journalism means taking action to bring about positive changes in the interaction between journalism and cyberspace. The more mainstream information flows are created, the closer journalism gets to its mission of monitoring and critically analyzing society. Digital government, digital economy , digital society, and especially digital citizenship demand that journalism also be well-versed in the activities, habits, and behaviors of these new segments of the public.

Dr. Nguyen Thanh Hoa shared his views during the discussion session (Photo: PV)

"Journalism is facing an opportunity to modernize its operating model as technology, innovation, and digital transformation are presenting new information avenues. Blockchain technology helps in the production and distribution of journalistic products and ensures intellectual property rights for works," Mr. Hoa stated.

Agreeing with this viewpoint, Dr. Le Quoc Vinh - a communications expert and Chairman of Le Group of Companies - believes that the press needs to regain readers' trust based on truth. Furthermore, the press needs to create four pillars: content quality as the core; technological innovation and comprehensive digital transformation; diversification of sustainable business models; and training and development of human resources...

The "second breath" of journalism is a return to quality, credibility, depth, and a constructive role so that journalism not only reports, but also guides, connects with, and accompanies the public in an increasingly complex digital space.

Minh Trang

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/hoi-tho-thu-hai-cua-bao-chi-post552473.html