Media must innovate, but still maintain its core mission

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung speaks at the Conference.

Speaking at the conference, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung said that we are living in a world of information overload. We can be overwhelmed by too much information. We are suffering from “information obesity” due to the constant consumption of information, regardless of whether it is real or fake news.

Every day, each person spends at least 6 hours consuming this amount of information. There is too much information but knowledge and understanding are on the decline. Very few people understand what lies behind the flood of information. Very few people find knowledge and create value from it.

In a volatile and unpredictable world like today, too much information can also cause confusion, insecurity, doubt, and loss of trust. The media now needs to bring new knowledge to help us adapt quickly, to use new technology for development and cooperation purposes, to bring positive energy and nurture faith in a peaceful and prosperous future for ASEAN and the world.

“Our information and communications sector is undergoing revolutionary changes. And we must create our new future based on digital technology . The way of doing things and approaches must be innovative, but we must still maintain the core mission of communications: providing information, raising awareness, disseminating knowledge, empowering people, serving development, enhancing understanding and solidarity among peoples and ASEAN member countries, and promoting the image and values of ASEAN to the world,” said the Minister.

This year’s ASEAN Information Ministers Meeting has unanimously chosen the theme: “Communication: From information to knowledge for a responsive and resilient ASEAN”. To respond quickly to change, we must quickly find new knowledge from change. To be resilient and recover from a major collision or disaster, we must be equipped with new knowledge.

Therefore, the information and communication sector must transform from simply providing information and news to providing knowledge and understanding to people to help them survive in a volatile, unpredictable, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world.

Social media are now important platforms for creating and sharing information. Digital platforms need to become platforms for creating and sharing useful knowledge for people. Social media must become a society of information, of knowledge and understanding. Digital technology, especially artificial intelligence, is ready to create knowledge and understanding from information. However, ASEAN leaders in information and communications must lead this process.

Humans are creating ever more powerful technologies. But the destructive power of technology is just as great as its power to develop. Therefore, the ethical aspect of technology, the responsible use of technology, as well as the social responsibility of media platforms, need to be emphasized more than ever. And this is also the responsibility of the ASEAN information and communications sector.

Delegates visited booths introducing products and solutions in journalism and television.

The information and communication sector of ASEAN is taking on a new mission, proactively opening up a new space to jointly contribute to building a peaceful and prosperous ASEAN Community. It is a change from information to knowledge and understanding. Leading this shift and succeeding in this new mission will be the contribution of ASEAN countries to the information and communication sector of the world.

Minister Nguyen Manh Hung affirmed: “The AMRI-16 Ministers of Information are proud to declare the new mission of the media to create knowledge and understanding from information, thereby empowering people, helping them to be confident, master their destiny and be happy”.

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