When letters merge into the flow of numbers

In just over 20 years, the Vietnamese press landscape has witnessed a spectacular revolution: from newspapers with many "manual" operations, we have now completely immersed ourselves in the flow of digital journalism. Every step, from collecting, processing information and images to sending articles to the editorial office, takes place incredibly quickly online. This not only makes journalism easier and more convenient, but also breaks down all barriers of time and space, allowing journalists to work anytime, anywhere.

In that flow, Lam Dong Newspaper people are adapting and developing to meet new challenges and opportunities.

Reporter of Economic - Cultural - Social Department of Lam Dong Newspaper went on a field trip to Phu Quy, Binh Thuan

THE RACE NEVER ENDES

Journalist Viet Trong (Lam Dong Newspaper) shared his experiences and insights into the changes in journalism over the past 30 years. From the early days of journalism with pens and film cameras to the digital era, he has witnessed and experienced great changes: “I entered the profession in the 90s, when everything was done manually. Writing articles with ballpoint pens, taking photos with film cameras. Manuscripts were all handwritten, and anyone who had a tape recorder was considered very modern.”

In the early days, writing and publishing news was a slow and time-consuming process. Reporters had to write manuscripts by hand, then send them to the newsroom to be typed and printed. This process could take several days, even weeks. "After the 2000s, journalists started writing on computers. At that time, the newsroom did not have email. After writing a news story on the computer, they had to ask the post office to fax it back if they lived far away," said journalist Viet Trong.

But with the advent of computers and the internet, everything changed. Reporters could write and send news quickly and easily. Newsrooms began publishing news online, reaching a larger audience. “The good news is that I see that generations of journalists are very quick and willing to learn so as not to be left behind. There have been generations (now retired) who thought they could not get used to the computer, to keep up with the changing requirements of the agency in each period, they self-studied and retrained to operate on the computer, then from typing with two fingers, they started to type more fluently, faster, and used email to send and receive news and articles more smoothly," said journalist Viet Trong.

KEEPING THE FIRE OF YOUR CAREER IN THE DIGITAL AGE

In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to play an important role in the journalism industry. Over the past two years, newsrooms have also begun sending reporters and editors to training courses to learn what AI is and how to apply it. AI has begun to be used by journalists to automate tasks that support their journalism work. This can help journalists save time and effort, while improving the accuracy and efficiency of their work.

However, AI also poses new challenges for today’s journalism industry. One of the biggest challenges is the risk of losing “personality” and misinformation. To deal with these challenges, journalists need to have new skills and knowledge. Journalists need to be able and understand, aware of how to use AI tools effectively.

Journalist Mai Van Bao (representative office of Nhan Dan Newspaper in Lam Dong) shared: “In the flow of modern technology, especially the emergence of AI, the competitive pressure is even greater. Journalists must grasp these tools, master the tools to apply them, but must also determine that they are only supporting tools, they cannot use them to do everything for them. The ultimate core of a good journalist is to leave a mark, affirming their professional capacity and qualifications, knowledge and understanding, and even their writing style.”

Despite the challenges, journalist Mai Van Bao believes that the future of journalism is still bright. According to him, with the development of technology, journalists can reach a larger audience and create more engaging and interesting stories. “In an increasingly digital world, mainstream journalism still plays an important role in providing accurate and reliable information to the public. Therefore, I believe that readers who read social media still have to go to mainstream media channels to verify information,” journalist Mai Van Bao shared.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/xa-hoi/202506/khi-con-chu-hoa-vao-dong-chay-so-a462f77/