Strengthening the "commissioning" of the press in policy critique.

As someone with many years of experience in journalism, Associate Professor Dr. Do Chi Nghia - Standing Member of the Committee on Culture and Education - shared his views with Nguoi Dua Tin (NĐT) on the role and policy communication work of the press in recent times, especially in the context of the many difficulties and challenges facing modern journalism. This interview was conducted on the occasion of the 99th anniversary of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - June 21, 2024).

Journalism must have a predictive and investigative quality.

Interviewer: How do you assess the role of the press in communicating policy over the past period?

National Assembly Deputy Do Chi Nghia: In the practical development of the country, the revolutionary press of Vietnam has always demonstrated its important role in reflecting information quickly, promptly, and effectively.

In the context of Vietnam's integration into the global economy , information about the market and management practices is reflected positively and promptly by the press. On the one hand, this helps policymakers gain more in-depth information for reference, and on the other hand, it also stabilizes social sentiment, allowing people to understand and share the situation.

Besides its function of reflecting information, journalism has an important function of forecasting. Journalism always possesses a capacity for discovery and prediction, not just mere reporting. I highly appreciate the events and issues that the press has uncovered recently, reporting accurately, helping managers foresee problems, and enabling society to anticipate potential risks.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Do Chi Nghia - Standing Member of the Committee on Culture and Education.

Interviewer: In the current trend of technological explosion, especially the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), what do you think media organizations need to do to keep up with this change?

National Assembly Deputy Do Chi Nghia: Over the past 99 years, the country's press has undergone tremendous changes. In fact, in some areas, the application of technology in journalism has been proactive. Therefore, I believe that with the explosion of science and technology, journalism has even more advantages and opportunities to develop.

However, to avoid falling behind, the most important thing for journalism remains staying close to the public. Now, there are many algorithms to understand and reach the public, to understand user habits, thereby creating journalistic products that are suitable for digital platforms and digital audiences.

Applying technology to the journalistic production process isn't too difficult, but the challenge lies in thinking in a way that adapts to new technologies and understands user habits.

Interviewer: Many people share that they no longer need newspapers and can find out everything on social media. However, reality shows that users are very easily tricked by fake news and malicious information. What are your thoughts on this issue?

National Assembly Deputy Do Chi Nghia: Let's imagine, if information on social media were fast, engaging, and accurate, how would the press compete? What helps the press develop and gain public trust is the truth. The more fake news there is on social media, the more the press can demonstrate its role as a source of truth.

Journalists must deeply understand the core value of journalism: seeking the truth, speaking the truth, for the benefit of the country and the people, under the leadership of the Party. To achieve this, the press must have clear viewpoints and opinions, a strong sense of direction, and must "engage" in addressing the burning and pressing issues of life that concern public opinion.

While social media is rife with misinformation and falsehoods, that's where journalism can demonstrate its role and strength in guiding public opinion. If the press reflects the truth accurately and promptly, the public will trust and turn to it. However, it's very worrying if social media spreads highly inaccurate information, distorting the facts and needing refutation, yet the press remains silent and avoids addressing it. If we continue to play it safe and ignore the issue, how can the public place their trust in us?

Nowadays, I see that some newspapers, including local ones, have very innovative and accessible information pages on Facebook or TikTok, using engaging descriptions that compel readers to read the articles. I consider this an effective adaptation. It means the information must be accurate, timely, and appealing.

Policy communication shouldn't be all praise.

Dân SPL: In the National Assembly, National Assembly deputies have discussed the current mechanism for assigning tasks and commissioning work with the press, noting that the financial mechanism is almost impossible to implement. This leads to limited effectiveness in communication for the goals and objectives of protecting the ideological foundation. What is your assessment of the current mechanism for commissioning work with the press?

National Assembly Deputy Do Chi Nghia: We have the Prime Minister's Directive No. 7/CT-TTg of 2023 "on strengthening policy communication" in the new situation. This is a breakthrough, closely aligned with reality, and is expected to create strong changes.

A key highlight of this Directive is that it clearly defines policy communication as the responsibility of state management agencies, and these agencies must have the personnel and resources to carry out policy communication.

Journalists work in the corridors of the National Assembly.

However, there are many difficulties and obstacles in translating sound policies into practical implementation, requiring concerted efforts and a unified understanding. In other words, effective policy communication requires strong policies that are relevant to the communication process. I will address two issues regarding the role of policy communication.

Firstly, increasing the media budget is necessary, but deciding how to spend the money is a difficult problem. If we simply count the articles we commission according to the current budget regulations, many will be very similar. This would waste budget without yielding significant results.

Secondly, policy communication is not just about illustrating policies, but also about providing constructive criticism to build and improve them. Do government ministries commission articles that critique or criticize policies? If all the articles are praiseworthy or purely informative, then obstacles, bottlenecks, and bureaucratic procedures that hinder citizens and businesses will remain marginalized in policy communication. Furthermore, if the press only focuses on praise, does that align with the spirit of promoting "criticism and self-criticism" as advocated by the Party?

Interviewer: As a Member of Parliament and a researcher and lecturer on journalism and media, what policy suggestions would you offer to help media organizations ensure economic viability, effectively communicate policy objectives, and meet the growing information needs of the people?

National Assembly Deputy Do Chi Nghia: State agencies need to increase commissioning articles critically reviewing policies, as well as pay attention to removing obstacles in financial mechanisms and tax policies for the press.

Revolutionary journalism must "weather the storms in the morning and block the scorching sun in the afternoon," and must rise to shoulder its responsibility to the Party and the people on the information front. The Party and the State always pay attention to and support journalism, but also set increasingly high demands on the quality and effectiveness of information.

Regulatory bodies need to place trust in and create space for the press to exercise responsibility and creativity. This is the crucial point in media policy to ensure that policy communication achieves the expected effectiveness.

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Thu Huyen - Hoang Bich

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/tang-cuong-dat-hang-bao-chi-trong-phan-bien-chinh-sach-a668695.html