General Director of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Vũ Việt Trang. — VNA/VNS Photos Quang Vinh

MOSCOW — Ahead of her attendance at the 19th General Assembly of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA) and related events in Russia’s Saint Petersburg city this week, General Director of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Vũ Việt Trang has shared her perspectives on OANA’s operations and the VNA’s active engagement in the organisation.

OANA is the largest regional press forum covering two-thirds of the global news flow. What is your view of this multilateral journalistic organisation?

First of all, I would like to affirm that cooperation in journalism within the OANA framework has delivered practical benefits to its member news agencies since its foundation in 1961. OANA’s mission is to facilitate the direct and free exchange and dissemination of news among news agencies in the Asia-Pacific region.

For more than six decades, OANA has functioned as a forum for reputable news agencies. Therefore, the content of cooperation within OANA has always been practical, professional, and closely aligned with the actual context of journalism in the region and around the world. The activities carried out by OANA over the recent years have reflected the mainstream flow of official journalism in the region.

A focus of OANA is the sharing of journalistic products by member agencies on its official portal oananews.org. This platform serves as a valuable source for members to access and redistribute content across their respective channels. In recent years, OANA website has undergone continuous upgrades to enable the posting of multimedia and innovative journalistic content.

As fake news and misinformation have become serious societal concerns, having a reliable and accurate source of information from national news agencies is incredibly useful, serving as a point of reference for timely verification, rebuttal, and ultimately contributing to the protection of national interests and the maintenance of peace and stability in the region and beyond.

Beyond content sharing, OANA has introduced many initiatives to honour innovation within member news agencies. It recognises outstanding reporters and editors who have produced exceptional work or driven breakthrough development within their organisations through awards such as the OANA Award for Excellence in News Agency Quality and awards for outstanding photos and articles. During the COVID-19 pandemic, OANA fulfilled its social responsibility by organising an online photo exhibition featuring impactful images from each member country, as well as a writing competition on personal experiences of journalists on the frontlines. These heartfelt images and stories paid tribute to the courage and dedication of reporters who braved hotspots to deliver truthful reflections of life and society.

Regional photo exhibitions and displays have also served as valuable occasions for member agencies to share photography expertise and showcase the professional achievements of photojournalists from across the region.

In response to the rapid rise of new media forms, particularly the increasing application of modern technology and artificial intelligence in journalism, OANA has held online training sessions to disseminate modern journalistic skills, which have been made widely available on its portal for collective learning.

After 64 years of operation, OANA continues to affirm its status as a professional forum for journalism representing the official voice of the Asia-Pacific press in the global media landscape.

VNA General Director Vũ Việt Trang (right) meets with First Deputy Director General of ITAR-TASS Mikhail Solomonovich Gusman. — VNA/VNS Photos Quang Vinh

The VNA joined OANA in 1969. Could you share more about the agency’s participation in the organisation?

As the national key news agency for external information, the VNA has always placed great emphasis on international integration in the field of information, while seeking to make the most of its cooperation with foreign partners to deliver official information about Việt Nam, and to spread the country’s perspectives and positions on international issues, both during its past struggle for national independence and in the ongoing national development process on the threshold of a new era.

During the years of war, with the support in terms of technical equipment and broadcasting facilities from news agencies such as TASS (Russia), Prensa Latina (Cuba), and several others from socialist countries, the VNA fulfiled its noble mission of broadcasting the voice of justice and peace-loving spirit of the Vietnamese people to the world.

The early accession to OANA played an important role in enabling the news agency to carry out its external information duties more effectively. As the country’s key press agency for external information, the agency has made use of the OANA network – comprising over 40 member agencies – to showcase a dynamic, developed, responsible, and globally integrated Việt Nam, thereby contributing to the successful implementation of the Party and State’s foreign policy.

In recent years, with strong support from the Party and State, and building on its tradition as a heroic news agency, the VNA has not only actively participated in OANA but also proactively proposed various ideas for cooperation, helping shape a fresh image of effective media collaboration in the digital era. Notably, the national news agency has taken an active role in professional initiatives launched by OANA, such as awards honouring outstanding contributions to regional journalism, photo exhibitions, and innovation-driven initiatives in media technology. Initiatives and efforts to foster cooperation with regional news agencies serve as key pillars in implementing the Politburo’s Conclusion No. 57 on further improving the quality and effectiveness of external information work in the new situation, as well as concretising the Politburo’s Resolution No. 59 on international integration in the new context.

With its proactive and responsible engagement in OANA activities, the VNA has been elected to the OANA Executive Board for four consecutive terms since 2013. It has also been appointed to the organisation’s current task force for the 2022–25 term to help propose ideas aimed at enhancing cohesion and the operational efficiency of this multilateral press cooperation organisation.

What will be the key focuses of the 19th OANA General Assembly and its related events, and what is their significance in the development trend of today’s journalism?

The OANA General Assembly is held every three years. The 19th edition comes at a time when journalism is undergoing great transformation due to advancements in modern media technologies. Under the theme “News Agencies and Challenges in the Modern World,” delegates will discuss key issues the press need to deal with in a bid to maintain public trust in the news they provide, while exploring measures for integrating technology into journalism in a controlled and responsible way.

The conference will also include a photo exhibition featuring works by OANA journalists. These images reflect the rich cultural identities of each country and the dynamic journalism landscape across the region.

At the event, the VNA will presenta paper sharing its recent experiences in newsroom operations and its adaptation to modern journalism trends.

At the plenary session of the General Assembly, the Vietnamese national news agency will be awarded two first prizes in the categories of outstanding written report and photo reportage. These accolades recognise the professionalism and dedication of VNA journalists, and reflect the agency’s responsible, active, and forward-thinking participation in both the regional and global media environments. — VNA/VNS