Digital transformation brings new opportunities to journalism

In the context of the explosion of the 4.0 industrial revolution, digital transformation is considered as a mandatory approach for all industries and fields. In that flow, the province’s press contingent always strives to create works on technology platforms to build up professional, humane and modern press agencies to serve the Party's revolutionary cause and the country's innovation.

Efforts in transformation

Digital transformation in journalism activities is not only a transition from traditional to digital forms, but also brings new opportunities to the development of the journalism sector in the future. Digital transformation is not only a transformation of the technology platform, but also a transformation of the entire strategic thinking, editorial organization model, methods of organization, implementation, and management of contents, editorial administration and business administration in a global media market, with strong competitive relationships.

Journalist - Master Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy from “Thanh Nien” (Youth) Newspaper talks to students at a training class to foster journalism skills in writing news and articles for multiple platforms organized by provincial Journalists Association in coordination with Binh Duong Radio and Television Station

According to Le Tam Trang, a reporter of Binh Duong Newspaper, posting journalistic works on digital platforms helps more readers access more information. Video clips in the program of "I love Binh Duong", podcasts, traffic safety news, television reports... posted on social networking platforms of Binh Duong Newspaper have attracted more and more readers. This has helped readers be able to interact through comments, suggestions..., improving the quality of press works. Therefore, journalists must also regularly learn and improve their working skills with digital tools, creating many types of digital journalism.

To meet the needs of improving journalism quality, meeting the information updating needs of modern digital citizens as well as equipping the local press contingent with digital knowledge and skills in the journalism digital transformation strategy, provincial Journalists' Association has coordinated with the Vietnam Journalists Association and pioneering press agencies in the field of digital transformation to organize training courses on digital transformation in their work... Recently, provincial Party Committee's Propaganda-Education Department has organized a training course on digital transformation,  improving the quality of journalistic works in 2024, with the participation of more than 180 delegates, including leaders, staff and reporters from provincial Journalists Association, Binh Duong Newspaper and Binh Duong Radio-Television Station, the Journalist Association branch for permanent correspondents, provincial Department of Culture and Information, Center for Culture, Sports and Radio, Radio Stations of districts, towns and cities in the province.

Serving the public better and better

During the recent training conference on digital transformation in journalism and improving the quality of journalistic works, delegates attending the training class all said that this was a very good opportunity to update, supplement knowledge and information about digital transformation in journalism. New issues on domestic and foreign press; the process of creating contents, organizing the production of various types of journalistic works, producing digital content for platforms... were presented and answered in depth by reporters.

Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet, a technical staff of Binh Duong Newspaper said that the training program was very useful and practical. Technology is more and more modern, actively supporting journalists, but people are the ones using technology to create journalistic works. Therefore, regularly studying and cultivating digital skills will help journalists make more and more attractive works, better serving the needs of readers.

Meanwhile, Thien Ly, a reporter of the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) residing in Binh Duong said: "Previously, we knew artificial intelligence as toolkits to support reporters working and implementing projects, but now I understand that artificial intelligence is really practical in my work. In today's digital technology era, reporters not only search for and express topics vividly through words and images, but also have to be under SEO standards and have the mindset to integrate multimedia on audio, video, graphics... that can be designed for release on different digital platforms...".

Meanwhile, Tuan Ngoc, a reporter of Binh Duong Radio and Television Station said that knowledge learned via the training course will help journalists understand more deeply the content of digital transformation in press agencies; skills in exploiting and posting information on social networks; how to write scripts, shoot and edit videos using mobile phones and AI tools. They will better support current work, produce good journalistic works, well serving the listening and viewing needs of today's audiences.

According to Mr. Tuan Ngoc's personal opinion, after this training, the digital content department of Binh Duong Radio and Television Station will apply new content creation softwares with graphic designs in line with the returning trends of of E-Magazine style on digital platform, improving the quality of propaganda work on television, radio and social networking sites of the station. According to Assoc. Prof. - Dr. Do Thi Thu Hang, Head of the Professional Department of the Vietnam Journalists Association, digital transformation is not only a process of digitization, but also builds a digital operating model. More importantly, it is to make an overall and comprehensive digital transformation process, from leaders to every member of press agencies in order to operate and implement the model of digital editorial office. Digital transformation will bring new opportunities to the development of the journalism sector in the future.

Reported by Minh Hieu-Translated by Kim Tin