Party General Secretary Tô Lâm speaks at the ceremony. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Party General Secretary Tô Lâm has called on the Vietnamese revolutionary press to continue its vigorous growth, reaffirming its pioneering role on the ideological and cultural front in service of the national development cause.

Addressing a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the Việt Nam Revolutionary Press Day in Hà Nội on June 21, the Party chief lauded the press for fulfilling its noble mission of fostering public trust, building social consensus, and fueling national aspiration for a strong, prosperous, and happy Việt Nam in the new era.

He underscored the need for the press to innovate relentlessly, evolve to keep pace with the country's development, transform into a truly professional, humanistic, and modern sector that serves the cause of the Party, the State, and the people on the path to national construction and development.

To meet these demands, he urged all press agencies and journalists to be fully aware of their profound political and social responsibilities. The revolutionary press must remain the voice of the Party, the State, and socio-political organisations, while doubling as a trusted forum for the people and bridging them with Party’s policies, the General Secretary stressed.

It must effectively convey the Party’s and State’s policies to the public, while also creating space for people to engage with the press by expressing their legitimate concerns and aspirations, and contributing to the ongoing effort to build a cleaner, stronger Party and political system.

Under any circumstances, journalists must place political responsibility, social accountability, and professional ethics above all else. Every media product must pulse with accuracy, objectivity, honesty, humanism, and usefulness, he said.

The Party chief painted a bold vision for the press as a sparkplug for creativity, reform, and national pride. In this “revolutionary phase,” he said, the media must inject fresh energy, fan the flames of patriotism, and fuel a lasting drive for progress in a digital world.

"As a cultural linchpin, the press has a starring role in crafting a modern Vietnamese identity steeped in national pride," the Party chief noted, adding that it’s not just about reporting news, it’s about shaping cultured, forward-looking citizens and driving Việt Nam’s cultural renaissance.

With digital transformation reshaping the global media landscape, he called on the press to move fast and think smarter. He pushed for a full embrace of cutting-edge tech and bold new strategies to revolutionise how news is created and delivered, all while navigating fierce global competition.

Key press agencies, including the Nhân Dân (The People) Newspaper, the Communist Review, the Vietnam News Agency, Radio the Voice of Vietnam, the Vietnam Television, and several government web portals, must lead the charge in digital transformation. They should intensify cooperation, sharpen forecasting edge, and stand as “beacons” guiding public opinion in Việt Nam’s media ecosystem.

The Party leader also doubled down on a broader restructuring plan to streamline the press into a lean, high-performance machine. He urged the use of sci-tech tools like big data analytics to deliver timelier, sharper, and more impactful information.

Finally, he proposed establishing transparent commissioning mechanisms to help key press agencies fulfil their political tasks, particularly in strategic, critical and sensitive areas. — VNS