VNA builds multi-platform information ecosystem, keeping up with global journalism trends

In the trend of global journalism changing dramatically under the impact of science and technology and digital transformation, Vietnam News Agency (VNA), as a national news agency, has been pioneering innovation, creatively combining content and forms of expression, and diversifying the target audience.

After 80 years of establishment and growth (September 15, 1945 - September 15, 2025), VNA continues to affirm its pioneering role as a national news agency with a strong move in digital transformation.

From modern technical infrastructure to interactive multimedia press products, VNA is striving to build a comprehensive digital information ecosystem, keeping up with world press trends and meeting the increasing needs of the public in the digital age.

Pioneering and resolutely transforming digitally

As a pioneer in digital transformation, VietnamPlus Electronic Newspaper (VietnamPlus) - VNA builds a development strategy with the mindset of "taking readers as the center."

The newspaper innovates its methods, applies modern technology, and cooperates extensively with domestic and foreign partners to perfect the comprehensive digital ecosystem. Thanks to smart data collection and analysis technology, VietnamPlus personalizes the experience through selected news and editorial letters sent to each reader, helping to retain readers, expand the loyal community, and increase sustainable traffic.

To keep up with the trend of accessing information on smartphones, VietnamPlus has built a press ecosystem on all platforms with a “mobile-first” strategy. The newspaper is one of the first press agencies in Vietnam to publish news on smart speakers, integrate content display on Android lock screens, develop Zalo and Progressive Web App (PWA), reaching tens of thousands of installations.

The newspaper also invests in analytical tools such as Google Analytics, Marfeel... to help understand reader behavior to adjust content.

Currently, VietnamPlus manages about 500,000 Google email/accounts of users, serving Newsletter and Web-Push newsletters.

Following the User Needs model, newspapers expand content beyond news to education , entertainment, connection, and multi-dimensional perspectives, while innovating the way they present to create attractive, diverse, and personalized products.

VietnamPlus also pioneers the application of automation and artificial intelligence (AI) in the journalism process such as creating illustrations, drawing charts, checking spelling, suggesting keywords, integrating chatbots and Vietnamese voice assistants on smart speakers.

The editorial office constantly innovates the form of presentation, especially "hot" and in-depth information through long-form, infographics, videographics, data journalism, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR).

General Director of Vietnam News Agency Vu Viet Trang presents the A prize in the category "Impressive Tet electronic interface" to a representative of VietnamPlus e-newspaper. (Photo: Thu Huong/VNA)

In 2024, VietnamPlus was the first press agency to use AR technology with a 3D Tet greeting card product, winning the A prize for Impressive Tet Newspaper Interface at the National Spring Newspaper Festival.

Also in the year, the newspaper created the first 3D Interactive work of Vietnamese press, winning the "Most Creative Digital Product" award from WAN-IFRA.

Recently, the interactive 3D product “Hung ca thong dat nuoc” commemorating the Southern Liberation Day helps readers experience through documentary videos, 3D games, data journalism and podcasts.

VietnamPlus also focuses on development on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, and Zalo. Currently, the YouTube channel has 673,000 subscribers and 294 million views; TikTok has nearly 1 million followers and 12.5 million likes.

Thanks to digital transformation efforts, in 2023 and 2024, VietnamPlus was assessed by the Ministry of Information and Communications (old) as an excellent unit, in the Top 5 of the entire industry and Top 3 of the Central press.

Journalist Tran Tien Duan, Editor-in-Chief of VietnamPlus Electronic Newspaper, affirmed that VietnamPlus's digital transformation strategy is not a short-term campaign but a long-term, sustainable journey, systematically built with the consistent viewpoint of putting readers at the center.

Currently, the editorial office is expanding its "development trajectory" in stages, flexibly adapting to the rapid changes of the digital journalism environment. In the future, VietnamPlus will increase investment in high-quality digital products, develop large, in-depth, discovery-rich and viral article lines. At the same time, it aims to increase revenue from video and audio, personalize experiences and expand new revenue sources in the digital environment.

Along with VietnamPlus, Tin Tuc and Dan Toc Newspaper - VNA is also in the excellent group in digital transformation in 2024. The newspaper strongly develops multimedia forms with over 90% of its products integrating multimedia.

The newspaper's multimedia page continuously posts information in the form of: Mega stories, talk shows, clips, podcasts, 360 photos, TV News... to increase the appeal and experience of readers.

The editorial office also applies artificial intelligence (AI) in many production stages, saving human resources, and investing in upgrading news management software. In May 2024, the newspaper launched a Mini App for reading newspapers on Zalo, opening another channel to spread information.

Thanks to drastic digital transformation, the website Baotintuc.vn is often in the top of the most influential e-newspapers, with many articles and strong interactions.

Journalist Ninh Hong Nga, Editor-in-Chief of Tin Tuc and Dan Toc Newspaper, shared: The newspaper identifies that digital transformation is not just about investing in infrastructure or building a digital platform, but is a process of comprehensively changing thinking, operating model and product value.

Building a synchronous and modern digital infrastructure

With the responsibility of building, developing, managing and exploiting specialized information technology systems and infrastructure systems to serve the information operations of VNA, the VNA Technical Center contributes to promoting digital transformation activities in the entire industry. The Center has deployed a data center, server system, high-speed internal network, data transmission network and satellite, meeting the production and distribution of information 24/7 domestically and internationally.

The exhibition area introduces the 80-year journey of the national news agency's establishment, construction, development and companionship with the country, with the message "Official news source - Main news stream." (Photo: Pham Kien/VNA)

Thanks to the infrastructure upgrade, processing and storage capacity doubled, internet bandwidth increased by about 40%. Dedicated data transmission network and optimized content delivery network (CDN), cloud computing and multi-layer security technology were deployed, creating a flexible, stable, and highly available infrastructure.

Recognizing that electronic newspapers are the main force in transmitting multimedia information, the Center has supported technology upgrades for 9 newspapers and electronic news sites in the industry; thereby, the newsrooms have strongly developed videos, graphics, podcasts, mega stories, data journalism, creating diverse experiences for readers.

Many content management systems (CMS) integrate artificial intelligence (AI) to suggest keywords, extract content automatically, and search for images and videos. The center also builds dozens of large information pages to serve the core political and propaganda tasks of VNA.

The multimedia operations system (NPS) has been upgraded, adding AI tools to increase processing capacity and improve production processes. At the same time, information security measures are focused on such as system reviews, cyber security drills, building backups, implementing monitoring and preventing modern attacks.

The center coordinates the expansion of content distribution on many new platforms such as social networks, mobile applications, mini apps, smart speakers, Spotify... Content is optimized via API to ensure speed and stability when transmitting. A big advantage of digitalization is the analysis of reader data.

The center builds a measurement system, combines AI to analyze behavior and search trends, helping content units adjust strategies and personalize press products according to users - a modern press trend.

Recently, at the National Achievement Exhibition "80 Years of Journey of Independence - Freedom - Happiness", the News Agency Technical Center coordinated with units, using a combination of many modern technological elements to bring special highlights to the VNA's display booth.

Here, the country's outstanding events and proud milestones of VNA are vividly presented through images, documents, graphics, photo slides, clips, interactive newspapers... on LED screens with novel effects; visitors can experience the virtual traditional room and 360 check-in corner.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Vu, Director of VNA Technical Center, said that in order to turn VNA into a key multimedia news agency, in the coming period, despite many challenges and difficulties, with the direction of the Party Committee, the Board of Directors, and close coordination between units, the VNA Technical Center is determined to make efforts to promote digital transformation in reviewing and optimizing the business processes of the entire industry to improve efficiency, information synergy and the ability to coordinate information for the entire industry; applying new technology, especially artificial intelligence for business activities, seeking new contents of digital transformation to implement in order to bring about breakthroughs, contributing to building a multimedia, modern and professional VNA.

Entering the current stage, digital transformation at Vietnam News Agency is no longer a slogan, but has become a consistent flow in thinking and action.

Under the close and decisive leadership of the Party Committee and the Board of Directors of VNA, the digital transformation orientation of VNA in general and its units is concretized with methodical strategies, synchronous solutions and close coordination between units in the whole industry.

It is the determination from the leadership that has created a solid foundation for digital transformation to take place deeply, substantially and effectively.

Journalist Vu Viet Trang, Party Secretary and General Director of VNA, said that digital transformation not only helps VNA improve operational efficiency but also affirms the role of a key news agency, maintaining official information in the context of digital media.

In the coming time, VNA will continue to promote the digital transformation process to modernize the information production and distribution process, meeting the increasing demands of the public. The focus of the digital transformation strategy is to build a multi-platform information ecosystem, applying artificial technology, big data and cloud computing to optimize news editing and distribution activities.

VNA will focus on investing in improving digital human resources and digital skills for reporters and editors to improve the quality and interactivity of press products.

With the determination and determination of the industry leaders, the staff of VNA are contributing to building a modern, multi-platform information ecosystem that keeps up with global journalism trends.

Although the journey ahead is full of challenges, the spirit of innovation, proactiveness and creativity is spreading strongly throughout the industry, helping VNA have a great source of motivation to continuously make breakthroughs, affirming its key role in the country's official information flow./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/ttxvn-xay-he-sinh-thai-thong-tin-da-nen-tang-bat-kip-xu-the-bao-chi-toan-cau-post1060957.vnp