Promote modern media, spread culture, land and people of Ha Giang

The Ha Giang Media Festival 2023 was organized for the first time at the provincial level with the theme "Digital media spreading the image of Ha Giang".

In line with the digital transformation trend, Ha Giang has quickly adapted, actively implementing digital communication in its information, propaganda, promotion, and image dissemination activities. The achievements in communication work, especially digital communication, were clearly demonstrated at the Ha Giang Communication Festival 2023 - one of the "digital milestones" of the Ha Giang Information and Communication sector last year.

The first ever Ha Giang Media Festival 2023, themed "Digital Media Spreading the Image of Ha Giang," served as a forum for meeting and sharing best practices and innovative approaches in media work; demonstrating the connection and coordination between state media and community media; and advising on the development of mechanisms, policies, and new approaches. On this occasion, for the first time, Ha Giang province recognized, honored, and encouraged individuals and community media channels that have made positive contributions to media communication, promotion, and dissemination of information about Ha Giang in the digital environment.

The story of "digital media" in a disadvantaged mountainous province.

At the Ha Giang Media Festival 2023, Mr. Dang Khac Loi, Deputy Director of the Press Department ( Ministry of Information and Communications ), presented some very impressive figures: From the beginning of the year until now, the number of online news articles about Ha Giang has far surpassed that of other localities, with over 28,000 news items and articles, of which more than 80% have positive content; at its peak, there were days with up to 486 news items and articles promoting Ha Giang on the digital platform… In the field of radio and television, many major news agencies and newspapers have also increased their coverage and dedicated airtime to Ha Giang. This is clear evidence of the effectiveness of Ha Giang's digital communication work, demonstrating the attractiveness of Ha Giang to media outlets, with the main focus being on the natural landscapes, geological and geomorphological heritage of Ha Giang, traditional festivals, and cultural identity of the ethnic communities in the rocky plateau region...

Mr. Do Thai Hoa, Director of the Department of Information and Communications of Ha Giang province, said that digital communication (communication on the Internet, based on information technology platforms) is still a relatively new concept, especially for mountainous, border, and remote provinces like Ha Giang. Therefore, it will be very difficult to promote the image of Ha Giang if we only communicate using traditional methods.

In line with the digital transformation trend, Ha Giang has quickly adapted, actively implementing digital communication in its information, propaganda, promotion, and dissemination of the local image.

Nevertheless, Ha Giang is considered one of the provinces that very early promoted its local image in the digital environment. This is thanks to the province's policies, directions, and determination in digital transformation. Even in the previous term, Ha Giang province identified the need to focus on applying information technology and promoting digital transformation, with a focus on information and communication in the digital environment. This has proven remarkably effective in a region with unique challenges like Ha Giang.

With the motto "leaving no one behind," the province has implemented numerous policies and demonstrated strong political determination in digital transformation, with clear orientations: strengthening the application of information technology, promoting comprehensive digital transformation, and especially prioritizing investment, development, and the strong promotion and dissemination of Ha Giang's image in the digital environment. Accordingly, it leverages technology to develop the locality, create equal access opportunities for ethnic minorities, and mobilize the active, regular, and effective participation of the political system. It also encourages and motivates state and community media forces to work together and support the province's development.

Thanks to digital media, people from cities to remote villages in Ha Giang province can now engage in communication, bringing the image, culture, and products of Ha Giang to all parts of the country.

According to Mr. Tran Duc Quy, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Giang province, the development of Ha Giang in recent years has been significantly contributed to by the active participation of communication in general, and digital communication in particular, in disseminating information, promoting, and spreading the image of Ha Giang to localities throughout the country and the world. The province has gradually invested in the comprehensive and modern development of communication, from infrastructure and technical facilities to human resources, especially creating conditions for accessing, establishing, and exploiting modern communication methods, with a focus on promoting the application of information technology and quickly adapting to digital transformation. Thanks to digital communication, now everyone from the city to the remote villages of Ha Giang province can participate in communication, bringing the image, culture, and products of Ha Giang to all parts of the country, thereby creating a strong ripple effect.

Besides the effective communication and promotion by state-run media outlets, the promotion of Ha Giang's image on digital platforms in recent times has also benefited from the active and effective participation and contributions of community-based media forces.

Singer-songwriter Quách Beem, who composed and performed the highly successful song "Hà Giang ơi," which has garnered 180 million views on social media platforms, said: "This place seems to have become the homeland of those who love Hà Giang. In 2018, when I set foot on this land at the northernmost border of the country, I felt that Hà Giang was very beautiful and realized the need to communicate and promote my homeland on digital platforms. I didn't expect the song 'Hà Giang ơi' to create such a special media effect and be so well received. Motivated by this, Quách Beem plans to translate the song into foreign languages and collaborate with international singers to further spread and bring the image of Hà Giang to the world."

For example, Hoang Nam, the owner of the YouTube channel "Challenge me - Challenge Me" with nearly 4.1 million subscribers and numerous videos promoting Ha Giang, shared: The success of the videos about Ha Giang on YouTube channels lies in authentically conveying the image of Ha Giang with the special emotions Hoang Nam feels after each visit to this land. These are completely new experiences and unforgettable emotions about the beautiful scenery, the lives of the ethnic people with their unique and fascinating customs and cultural identities. This is the motivation for him to continue exploring and spreading the word about his homeland at the northernmost point of the country.

The Ha Giang Media Festival 2023 honored and rewarded 20 media channels and 24 individuals for their outstanding achievements in communication and promotion, actively applying digital technology to spread the image of the province both within government agencies and in the wider community.

Suggestions for developing digital media in Ha Giang.

Many opinions, suggestions, and advice from managers, experts, and digital content creators were openly exchanged at the Seminar Program themed "Digital Media Spreading the Image of Ha Giang" - the main event held within the framework of the Media Festival.

Despite its achievements, Ha Giang's digital communication still faces many challenges in terms of skills, human resources, conditions, and especially information infrastructure. To communicate effectively in the digital environment, according to Mr. Le Van Nghiem, Vice President of the Vietnam Digital Communication Association (VDCA), Ha Giang needs several mechanisms and policies such as: enhancing the attractiveness of digital content; organizing annual competitions to select engaging digital communication products; and strengthening communication about Ha Giang's potential and advantages in the digital environment...

"In particular, Ha Giang needs to leverage the 'conductor' role of the state in connecting state media and community media, focusing on mechanisms and policies for ordering information from media networks; connecting, training, and rewarding community media teams; and having dedicated media officers… to create further breakthroughs in media work and spread the image of the locality," Mr. Le Van Nghiem further emphasized.

From the perspective of the Culture sector, Ms. Trieu Thi Tinh, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Ha Giang province, affirmed that it is clear that there needs to be connection, cooperation, and mutual support among agencies, units, and individuals to create effectiveness in propaganda and promotion work. In recent times, Ha Giang province has been actively connecting, cooperating, and supporting digital media in promoting culture and tourism.

In particular, during the pandemic, the province was determined to bring Ha Giang to tourists through media and promotion of annual festivals, branded as Ha Giang's events, on digital platforms and social media platforms like Zalo and Facebook, such as the Buckwheat Flower Festival, the Festival of Through the Heritage Regions of Hoang Su Phi Terraced Fields, the "Through the Heritage Regions of Viet Bac" tourism program; and several unique festivals of ethnic minorities. Along with that, online experiential tours were organized with numerous video clips promoting scenic spots, heritage sites, attractive destinations, regional cuisine, and distinctive local products. In the future, the Department of Culture will continue to promote digital transformation in the tourism sector, and at the same time, advise the province on coordinating and collaborating with community media teams in disseminating information about attractive destinations, annual events, and traditional festivals of the province; and advise on mechanisms and policies for digital content creators to help spread the image of Ha Giang through media.

To promote the image of Ha Giang more widely and effectively, not only to the domestic public but also to the international community, Mr. Nguyen Van Thuat, Deputy Director of the Department of External Information (Ministry of Information and Communications), suggested that Ha Giang should continue to build on the achievements in digital transformation with three main pillars: digital economy, digital society, and digital government. Among these, digital communication is an irreversible trend, therefore it needs to be implemented decisively, thoroughly, and comprehensively. Effective communication requires innovation in communication methods based on the development of a digital platform with a good digital data system to serve sustainable and long-term communication; and the application of smart and modern technologies (such as Blockchain, Big Data, Cloud, etc.) to replace traditional methods that are limited in terms of space and economics.

Digital media brings Ha Giang closer to tourists. (Photo: DP).

This is a good initiative and a model that should be referenced and replicated.

The 2023 Ha Giang Media Festival concluded not long ago, but its positive impact still lingers for many who directly attended the event and for those who love Ha Giang and followed the program live on digital platforms. According to Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam, Ha Giang has adopted a new and creative approach, demonstrating sophistication, quick thinking, and a willingness to take risks in communicating policies and spreading the image of the locality to the community and people both domestically and internationally. This is considered a good initiative and a model that should be referenced and replicated in other provinces and cities nationwide.

Along with the achievements, the leaders of the Ministry of Information and Communications believe that Ha Giang needs a more comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of its communication and image promotion efforts, as well as the perceptions and impressions of local people and domestic and international tourists. This will allow for adjustments, additions, and exploitation to highlight the local strengths. The most important issue for communication is changing perceptions; therefore, mechanisms and tools for evaluation are needed to address the resource allocation problem in the digital space. Ha Giang should soon issue a list of policy communication officers in all departments, sectors, and localities within the province. This will create connections and establish a systematic and organized channel for providing official information to the press in disseminating the local image.

Dong Van Karst Plateau - an attractive tourist destination that every visitor on their journey to explore Ha Giang cannot miss. (Photo: DP).

It is evident that the organization of the Media Festival clearly illustrates the results of Ha Giang's communication work; the province has gradually invested in and developed comprehensively the infrastructure, technical facilities, human resources, and funding for communication activities. In particular, Ha Giang has boldly begun to create mechanisms to expand modern communication methods; attracting and recognizing the contributions of digital content creators. Through the Media Festival, reputable and exemplary individuals and community channel owners have emerged in communication activities, spreading the image of Ha Giang and providing reliable information in the digital environment. This has led to the formation and establishment of a community communication network that connects and collaborates with state media, especially in strongly promoting the local area.

According to Mr. Do Thai Hoa, Director of the Department of Information and Communications of Ha Giang province, the important thing gained from the event was the heartfelt suggestions from managers, experts, and digital content creators, which helped Ha Giang gain new insights and valuable experience to further promote and improve the effectiveness of digital communication and spread the image of Ha Giang.

In the coming period, the Ha Giang Information and Communications sector will actively consult with specialized agencies and learn from the experiences and practices of other provinces and cities, proactively advising the province on selecting appropriate themes and content to build and organize communication and promotional programs, expanding coverage across international, state, and community media channels; continuing to focus resources on promoting infrastructure and human resources for communication work to improve information and propaganda work in all fields. In addition, it will continue to affirm its important role in connecting and bringing state, international, and community media closer together; effectively coordinating with all levels, sectors, and local policy communication teams to create a strong communication network, providing timely, widespread, and directional information, working together to create a positive communication environment, contributing to the development of Ha Giang.