Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam News Agency (VNA) General Director Vu Viet Trang and Chen Jianwen, Editor-in-Chief of the People's Daily of China, shared experience in promoting the role of the mainstream news agencies in the digital age during their meeting in Hanoi on March 24.
Introducing the guests to the agency and its multimedia information development, Trang affirmed that the VNA was among the first press agencies in Vietnam to launch an online news platform as early as 1998, when the country had just got connected to the global internet. Today, the agency operates across all types of journalism, providing multimedia source information to domestic and international media agencies. The press today faces both opportunities and challenges due to the rapid development of digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI), she said. It presents opportunities because the VNA has long invested in its workforce and technical infrastructure to adapt to modern journalism practices, Trang noted.
According to her, the agency’s consistent efforts in digitising information and archives have helped build a rich and diverse digital database. This serves as a foundation for the agency to develop multimedia journalism products and increase the added value of data-driven journalism. Today, all VNA news platforms have integrated various forms of journalism.
However, the agency is also facing significant challenges, as the Vietnamese press system is undergoing restructuring, apparatus streamlining, and workforce reduction. Therefore, studying and learning from the operational models of international media partners is crucial, Trang emphasised.
The VNA has also actively engaged in multimedia information exchanges with its partners and promoted initiatives to enhance the role of mainstream and national news agencies in today’s dynamic media landscape. At the same time, it has focused on developing bilateral cooperation with partners in a more practical and effective manner, shared the VNA leader.
Noting the various similarities between the two agencies, the Editor-in-Chief of the People’s Daily emphasised that both are striving to apply technology to embrace the new era, expand their readership, and innovate how they deliver information.
The Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee is also undergoing restructuring and a comprehensive reform phase, with a specific plan expected to be released by the end of 2025.
Meanwhile, the People’s Daily is also exploring development strategies to align with the requirements of Party General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping, emphasising continuous expansion of readership reach and strengthening its role in guiding public opinion.
Therefore, the VNA’s approach could offer valuable insights for the People’s Daily in its future operations, Chen affirmed.
According to him, the People’s Daily now has 34 publications, with a total daily circulation exceeding 6.6 million copies. To achieve widespread coverage, the only viable path is through the internet. New media and social platforms are being utilised to bring print content online.
As it has been implementing strategies to integrate print newspapers with new media, collaboration and exchanges with partners like the VNA will provide additional experience and support for it in this transition, he added./.
