Money, technology, and human resources are all important in this "long game", but first of all, we must start with a change in mindset, in which the role of press agency leaders is very important.
Can build a common digital platform for press agencies?
+ Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung emphasized that 2023 is the year that press agencies and publishers become digital platforms. Will this expectation come true, sir?
- It can be said that digital transformation is a mandatory and irresistible trend for all press agencies. Currently, it is a trend that has a great impact on society and is also one of the priority development focuses of Vietnam. The Government , ministries and branches, including the Ministry of Information and Communications, have very strong directions.
The Ministry of Information and Communications has launched a digital transformation program for the press, which has been responded to and actively participated in by press agencies from the central to local levels, based on their specific conditions and circumstances in terms of personnel, finance, technology, etc.
Mr. Pham Manh Hung, Deputy General Director of Voice of Vietnam (VOV), Member of the Party Committee of Vietnam Journalists Association.
We see that, nowadays, most of the content of press agencies has been put into the digital environment. Traditional printed newspapers have also "moved" to electronic versions, in order to reach a wider range of readers. The public can read newspapers via smartphones very quickly and conveniently.
In addition to focusing on the human factor, VOV will invest in technology when transforming journalism digitally. Photo: Minh Ha.
Of course, each agency and unit has a different way of doing things, depending on its principles, goals and internal resources. However, from a general perspective, to effectively implement digital transformation of journalism, I think it is necessary to pay attention to a number of issues.
Firstly, we must change the awareness of reporters, editors, especially those working in press management. If we are aware of trends and objective needs, journalists will change their thinking and work methods accordingly.
Second, training a team of reporters and editors who are good at their job and have the skills to produce content for distribution in the digital environment is very important. If in the past, reporters only handled an issue for radio, now that content needs to be processed for posting on other platforms, such as electronic newspapers, television, even print newspapers or for interaction on social networks. This requires journalists to "think differently, do differently", to be more creative than the traditional way of doing things.
Third, a very important part is technology. This is also a challenge for many press agencies when implementing digital transformation. Many newsrooms are not yet self-sufficient in technology. In reality, some newspapers with good technology platforms, or partners with strong technology companies, often develop very quickly in the digital environment. They have a coding team, are proactive in technology, regularly update new technology, have a secure infrastructure system, etc., so it is very convenient to reach the public.
Meanwhile, pure press units, despite their great content potential, still face many difficulties when diversifying distribution channels on digital platforms. Do editorial leaders recognize the technology problem? Yes! But the difficulty is the potential to attract talent in the technology field, in the context of the press economy in many units is still very difficult.
At the working session of Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh with the Vietnam Journalists Association on the morning of June 13, on the occasion of the 98th anniversary of the Revolutionary Press Day, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung affirmed that he will support small and medium-sized press agencies, local newspapers, facing financial and technological difficulties. It is possible to build common technology platforms for the press. The problem now is how to organize and implement them effectively.
Fourth, it is the change in scale and management process, the way of making newspapers. Traditional press agencies, now adding digital platforms, have to consider where to publish content first, how to have continuity. Production lines and management models must also change compared to before.
Mr. Pham Manh Hung (middle) at the international conference on "Developing revenue sources for radio and television stations in the digital transformation trend". Photo: Minh Ha.
The most important human factor
+ Digital transformation does not start with investment money or technology, but rather with changing the mindset and culture in the newsroom and, importantly, the mindset of the press agency's leaders. What is your opinion on this issue?
- In any field, the leadership role is important. If the leader does not recognize and grasp the new trend, the organization will miss the opportunity to develop. Digital transformation is the same, people are the most important. In which, the leader's awareness contributes greatly to success.
When correctly perceiving the problem, the head of the press agency will have a direction for the entire editorial system suitable to the conditions of his agency: Which resources should be prioritized to keep up with current trends? Where should we invest heavily to create a breakthrough?...
In addition, the leader will inspire and motivate the team of reporters, editors, and technicians. “Like leader, like movement”. The leadership mindset is digital technology, employees will have to find ways to be good at technology and digital thinking, because it is within the professional flow of the editorial office.
The important role of leadership here is expressed in the dialectical relationship with the organization, staff and employees. Therefore, we must pay attention to both factors to achieve the desired results.
Working at the studio of VOV Online Newspaper. Photo: Trung Hieu.
How to solve the difficult problem of journalism economics?
+ Is a comprehensive digital transformation of a newsroom proportional to the transformation of the revenue model? Current reality shows that, in order to survive and develop, most press agencies still face difficulties in the mechanism of autonomy, financial mechanism of ordering press agencies from the State budget; still struggling and confused to solve the problem of press economics?
- The press is in a very difficult period when traditional advertising moves to cross-border online platforms such as Facebook, Tiktok... The remaining part for the mainstream press is very little.
Copyright is also an issue that needs to be mentioned. After being published by the editorial office, the press content is immediately exploited by social networks for free. Therefore, newspapers have difficulty increasing revenue from their own products. If they had this source, they could completely turn around investment for digital transformation.
Another reason is the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, the domestic and world economy is difficult, businesses are difficult, so press agencies are also difficult, because advertising and sponsorship sources are affected. The current reality is that maintaining operations as before is also a great effort of many press agencies.
In that context, investing in digital transformation is not an easy story, especially for units with 100% financial autonomy. In my opinion, a newsroom with about 30% financial autonomy would be reasonable, helping the press to operate with peace of mind, to properly implement its principles, goals and political tasks. We understand that journalism economics is not simply doing journalism for business purposes, but to have income to serve the main tasks assigned by the Party and the State.
At some point, there must be a mechanism for telecommunications companies to share revenue or support journalism. Newspapers and websites produce content, and network operators use that data to provide to the public, but there is no sharing with the editorial office. To do this, of course, there must be intervention at the macro-policy level and the governance system.
The Government held a very important conference on policy communication with the theme "Awareness - Action - Resources" at the end of November 2022, which proposed feasible and specific solutions to improve the effectiveness of policy communication work. The press will have a mechanism to place orders from the governing unit and State agencies to communicate policies, thereby both having a legitimate source of income and better performing its propaganda role.
I saw a very encouraging sign when, at the recent working session with the Vietnam Journalists Association, the Prime Minister directed to resolve the shortcomings in mechanisms, policies, and technical and economic standards for all types of journalism. This is the basis for ministries, branches, and organizations to order journalism, helping newsrooms overcome difficulties and develop.
In addition, the governing body must also be responsible for supporting and promoting the press, including the financial sector. The role of the governing body is very important, both helping the press to overcome difficulties and obstacles, and orienting its activities in accordance with its principles and purposes, and developing healthily.
Mr. Pham Manh Hung discussed with technology experts at the Broadcasting Technology Exhibition (USA).
No social media race, focus on high quality journalism
+ In reality, there is no standard digital transformation model that applies to all press agencies. For Voice of Vietnam, where does the digital transformation journey start and how does it take place?
- Voice of Vietnam is the main national press agency. Over a long period of development, we have built a multi-form, multi-media media agency with radio, television, print and electronic newspapers. Of which, there are 8 radio channels, 16 television channels, and two electronic newspapers.
In recent times, the Radio Station's press units have quickly grasped the trends on digital platforms. The two electronic newspapers VOV and VTC News update news quickly and accurately, and are official and reliable channels for readers. We have also developed some of our own applications such as VTC Digital Radio with VTC Now, which also has a large number of viewers. The radio division has VOV Live and VOV Media applications.
Content is prioritized for distribution on electronic newspapers, with audio being its strength. For example, Reading stories at night has millions of listeners on YouTube. Notably, the work Con hem nho of VOV Electronic Newspaper won the Excellence Award in the Digital Media category of the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) in 2022.
VOV units have formed a relatively good ecosystem. However, in the long term, a systematic strategy and greater investment are needed for the Voice of Vietnam to promote its role as a central press agency. In particular, we will prioritize investment in technology.
+ How has Voice of Vietnam applied artificial intelligence (AI) to press publishing activities? What are the advantages and limitations of “robot journalism”? Does the station have plans to apply GPT tools to content production?
- Many online newspapers have applied AI to content production. VOV's broader concern is how to apply AI to the huge data systems of radio and television channels. That is, how to systematize data to optimize distribution channels on platforms. This is the story that the station is focusing on finding a solution. If the system is good, readers can access a lot of related data, not just read an article.
The positive side of AI in content production and distribution is that it helps the public “eat” what they like, through analyzing user behavior. But it also makes readers lazier, not diversifying information in other fields. The process of applying AI must also pay attention to the two sides of this problem.
Mr. Pham Manh Hung said that technology is a challenging problem for many press agencies when implementing digital transformation.
+ As a former Editor-in-Chief of VOV Online Newspaper, can you share about the revenue model and what the editorial office focuses on to make a breakthrough?
- The press should not simply follow the need for information and compete with social networks. The press needs to take advantage of its strengths, focus on quality and reputable products, promote data journalism, multi-dimensional journalism, solution journalism, etc., and be a reliable channel for the people. They view information on social networks but must read the newspaper to confirm it.
With distorted, falsified, and anti-government information on online platforms, the press has the responsibility to fight and expose arguments, helping people understand the true nature of the problem, thereby having correct perceptions.
If they know how to invest resources and take advantage of their strengths, newspapers will have professional products that meet the needs of the general public on digital platforms. Those products will have a longer lifespan than the “news race”, because they explain trends and phenomena in society, analyze in depth, multi-dimensionally, interview prestigious experts, etc. To do so, the editorial office must have quality human resources, qualified, knowledgeable, and sensitive journalists, because AI will find it difficult to replace them.
Regarding the economics of journalism, as mentioned above, it is not an easy problem. Each newspaper will have its own suitable direction. To solve this problem in the current conditions, it is necessary to apply a comprehensive set of solutions, including the efforts of each press agency and the support mechanism from the State.
+ Thank you.
Building a professional and modern press agency Accordingly, digital transformation of the press aims to build press agencies in a professional, humane, and modern direction; fulfill the mission of information and propaganda to serve the revolutionary cause of the Party and the cause of national innovation; ensure the role of leading and orienting public opinion, maintaining information sovereignty in cyberspace; effectively innovate readers' experiences; create new sources of revenue; promote the development of the digital content industry. |
According to kienthuc.net.vn
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