The Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA) set a 2015-2020 vision to develop a contingent of qualified and responsible journalists to meet present day demands, as announced to President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan in Hanoi on April 16.

Nhan praised the effective bilateral cooperation in raising public awareness of the VFF’s mission and involving members of the public in social activities.

The VFF considers the VJA a significant member, he said, adding that VJA and its chapters should continue popularising the VFF’s role in monitoring and supervising social activities, successes in building new-style rural areas and poverty reduction, and contributions from overseas Vietnamese and intellectuals to national development.

He asked the VJA to help VFF oversee the implementation of the media development policy as well as Party and State policies.

As a political-social-professional organisation under the Party leadership, the VJA has exercised its function to protect the legitimate rights and interests of journalists and train them in professional skills and ethics over the past 65 years.

Its annual National Press Award has seen rising numbers of entries and reporters years over years.

The VJA chapters also called on its members to respond to campaigns “The whole nation unites to build cultural life in residential areas”, “Day for the Poor”, and “Vietnamese prioritise Vietnamese goods”.

As of late 2014, the VJA had recorded 63 municipal and provincial chapters with over 22,000 members.

It plans to hold the 10th Congress for the 2015-2020 tenure in August.-VNA