With 26 years in the television industry, belonging to a generation that is "no longer young, but not yet old," director Huynh Ba Phuc ( An Giang Radio and Television Station) clearly feels the remarkable changes and advancements in technology for the profession. Mr. Phuc recalls that 20 years ago, making a clip or documentary required mobilizing an entire crew with many different types of equipment, and even then, the image quality wasn't guaranteed to be good or smooth. Each filming session involved three people: someone carrying the large camera; an assistant to help with the tripod and equipment; and a sound technician. After filming, post-production and editing were necessary, meaning additional personnel, equipment, and time were spent.
Nowadays, television production is "5-in-1." A good smartphone has replaced the bulky, heavy cameras of the past. Besides shooting in up to 4K resolution, phones also have excellent image stabilization, making shots more dynamic. Super Wide lenses capture a very wide angle, creating a sense of vastness when shooting landscapes; macro mode helps capture small objects more sharply and beautifully. The biggest strength of the phone is its compact size, allowing for unique camera angles in tight spaces, such as placing it inside a loom to film weaving, creating a powerful effect on the frame.
“After filming, I edit and finalize everything right on my phone. On location, I can record commentary using audio, add music to create background sound... The video editing software on my phone is very modern, helping me complete the product very quickly and with high quality, and send it to the broadcasting unit immediately (if it's a breaking news event that needs quick coverage). When making documentaries, I still use my phone; it's mobile, compact, but still meets the quality standards to compete and win awards at the National Television Film Festival and the Golden Kite Awards organized by the Vietnam Film Association. With this “5-in-1” filmmaking method, I completely minimize manpower and equipment investment, saving money for the unit. But training the team to operate it also requires a process of “surpassing oneself” for each journalist,” director Huynh Ba Phuc shared.
An Giang Newspaper reporter covering the inauguration of Milestone 275. Photo by THANH HUNG
Modern technology has changed the way journalism is done, as Mr. Phuc shared. Technology has also changed the mindset of journalists. Once, I accompanied a delegation on a gift-giving trip for the Lunar New Year. While I was interviewing and gathering event data, an official in the delegation quickly sent me a news draft to review. He boasted, "Just by entering a few basic data points, the Chat GPT software returns a news report like this in seconds. If that's the case, officials at the unit and local levels can completely produce news and propaganda articles themselves without needing any practical journalism training." I imagined that the role of the "journalist" is being shaken by these extremely fast and intelligent applications.
On another occasion, the Chat GPT software left a deeper impression on me. My colleague in Ho Chi Minh City painstakingly completed a several-hundred-page memoir about soldiers. When the book was published, he posted its content on several newspapers and social media sites. Hearing much mention of Chat GPT, he "curiously" typed his name and the book's title and received sentences identical to his own writing style: "The software 'suggested' this ending for me: 'When I rewrote those stories, I didn't tell them like a journalist, but like a soldier recounting the memories of his unit. I believe that such writings will live longer - because they were written with all my heart. And that is what I remember most, what I am most proud of, in the two-year journey of creating this book…' I was astonished, unable to believe that modern technology could reach this level."
Technology has made journalism easier, both technically and intellectually. Many journalists and reporters are adept at using smart journalism technology and AI in their work. Even broadcasters and editors are facing the risk of unemployment, as AI can completely replace human beings, significantly reducing costs related to fees, makeup, costumes, and concerns about subjective psychological and physiological issues. With information competition between social media and news organizations measured in seconds, delivering news to the public as quickly as possible is a top priority. The "news writing" process, which takes less than 30 seconds, naturally overwhelms human journalists who spend 30 minutes reviewing documents, typing, and adjusting sentences.
But I firmly believe that journalism will never lose its immense role in society, no matter how things change, no matter how advanced technology becomes. Even with the rise of social media and the internet, leading to the spread of fake news and harmful information, the public will still trust in a reliable "frame of reference"—official journalism. No software can completely change the unique work of journalists. Revolutionary journalism needs to be carried out by revolutionary journalists, the "pioneering soldiers" on the ideological front; the bridge connecting the Party, the State, and the People. Only the passionate hearts of true journalists can spread the values of truth, goodness, and beauty in social life, adhere to journalistic ethics, and uphold the legality of the profession. No software can do this as well as human beings.
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/tan-man-ve-nguoi-lam-bao--a422490.html
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