Deputy PM Vũ Đức Đam speaks at the national journalism conference on Friday. VNA/VNS Photo Phương Hoa

HCM CITY — Deputy PM Vũ Đức Đam said since the media plays a key role in disseminating the reform policies of the Party, it has to acquire the public’s trust.

In recent years media organisations had speeded up digital transformation and adopted artificial intelligence to improve quality, applied technology in content production and distribution, embraced new business models to diversify revenue sources, he told the national journalism conference on Friday.

The Deputy Prime Minister praised the media's contribution in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, rallying social support for Government efforts in this field.

But the media needed to keep working on improving its credibility by publishing “timely, accurate and comprehensive” stories, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phạm Anh Tuấn said.

He said some stories, especially about serious issues like corruption, were not timely enough while sometimes reporters published information that was not verified and inaccurate on social networks.

“A number of news articles containing misleading information about pandemic prevention have caused panic and anxiety among the public.

“Some story headlines have been very offensive and misleading, negatively affecting the health and safety of people.” 

Trần Thanh Lâm, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Publicity and Education, said in 2021 the media provided in-depth coverage of socio-economic issues affecting the country and the world, especially those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 13th National Party Congress and the election of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and People’s Council for 2021-26.

Both online and print journalism continued to be promoted, he added.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phạm Anh Tuấn said a national plan for media development in the next five years provided a roadmap to help grow all kinds of media like print newspapers, magazines, radio, television, and electronic magazines.

He called on the media to continue focusing on the fight against the pandemic, corruption and squander.

Challenges

Lâm, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Publicity and Education, said this year the media faced major problems such as competition from cross-border platforms and the dominance of foreign advertising networks, and the financial burden of sustaining operations amid the pandemic.

This year 20 media outlets were fined a total of nearly VNĐ781 million for violations, and one had its licence revoked.

Three reporters had their press cards taken away for serious transgressions, he said.

As of November 30 there were 816 media agencies (print and online) in the country. They included 114 newspapers and 116 magazines that were both online and in print, 557 print-only newspapers and magazines and 29 online-only newspapers and magazines.

The annual conference was organised by the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Publicity and Education, the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Việt Nam Journalists Association. — VNS