Deputy Prime Minister Trần Lưu Quang (first row, second left) awards the prize A in the "Excellent display booth" category to the Vietnam News Agency. — VNA/VNS Photo Thu Hương

HCM CITY — The three-day 2024 National Press Festival, with the theme "Vietnamese Press - Pioneering, Innovation for the Revolutionary Cause of the Party and the People", drew to a close on Sunday in HCM City.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Permanent Deputy Chairman of the Việt Nam Journalists’ Association Nguyễn Đức Lợi, who is also head of the organising board, said that with many exciting activities, the festival was a great success.

This is the first time the festival was held in the southern region on such a large scale.

Despite many difficulties, with solidarity and consensus from departments and press agencies, the festival attracted 120 exhibition booths and prominent press agencies from 63 provinces and cities.

Lợi said that the festival had many interactive and exchange activities in the past three days, to help increase the connection between journalists, the press and the people.

“From there, together we grasp opportunities, overcome difficulties and challenges to serve the people better and better," said Lợi.

At the ceremony, the Head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Publicity and Education Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa praised the Việt Nam Journalists’ Association and other partners for successfully coordinating and organising the 2024 National Press Festival.

“The festival left good impressions in everyone's hearts, and was a highlight of the professionalism and humanity of Việt Nam's revolutionary press,” he said.

The festival’s theme was clearly expressed through events, exhibitions, forums, practical and attractive tasks, opening up new knowledge and strengthening the spirit of solidarity.

Nghĩa hoped that press agencies would focus on good education to implement socio-economic development tasks and closely follow the breath of life to reflect, comment and spread good and compassionate values in society.

The press should bring guidelines, policies and laws into life, meeting the expectations of all people.

In addition, he said, press agencies also needed to strengthen the work of building a clean and strong Party, constantly fostering and improving political astuteness, revolutionary ethics and professional expertise for journalists.

Along with that, heads of the press agencies should promote their role and responsibilities, have strict management solutions, creating favourable conditions for collaborators, reporters and editors.

In the festival, the organiser and the awards council granted 11 prizes A, 29 prizes B, 53 prizes C and 88 consolation prizes to press agencies in the categories "Excellent Display Booth"; “Impressive Tết Radio Programme”; “Impressive Tết Television Programme”; “Impressive Tết e-interface” and “Impressive Tết newspaper cover”.

Vietnam News Agency won the 'Prize A' for Excellent display booth. — VNS