HCM CITY — Though new media platforms such as social media have become increasingly popular, mainstream media remains the major channel to promote the growing business community in Việt Nam, speakers said at a forum held yesterday in HCM City. 

Vũ Tiến Lộc, chairman of the Việt Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), said “A country’s prosperity is reflected through its economy with businesspeople playing an important role, which should be a key focus of media coverage.”

Speaking at the forum “Media in the Digital Age and Opportunities for Enterprises”, Lộc noted that media products today should be shorter, faster and easier to understand, and have more visual appeal. 

“In the context of fake news, the media should reflect multi-dimensional information in an objective, accurate, honest and timely manner,” he said. “More in-depth analysis of business activities and investment should be produced to promote the business community, which still faces challenges.” 

Vũ Đình Thường, head of the Journalism and Publishing Department of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Publicity and Education , said: “The press and business community should stand together for a better growing business community.” 

"Social media is now a popular platform with both positive and negative effects," he said, adding that inaccurate information and fake news could cause serious consequences to enterprises.

“Journalists need to continue renewing and exerting more efforts to keep their role and position in guiding public opinion,” he said. 
Dr Phạm Hải Chung, lecturer and researcher at the Academy of Journalism and Communication, said that digitalised information was challenging traditional news concepts. 

“However, even though anyone with a smartphone can be a citizen journalist, the mainstream media will still play the objective role of a third party that can verify sources,” she told Việt Nam News. 

Lê Quốc Vinh, chairman of Le Group, said the fight against false information or fake news had become increasingly important.

“The mainstream media must create trust among the public,” he said, adding that the content and accuracy of the information would be key to the continued existence and prestige of a newspaper.

According to Reuters 2018’s Digital News Report, the biggest challenge of press agencies is not only pressure to rush in the digital age, but also the loss of trust of readers. 

Readers’ habits are changing and moving from traditional media to digital media, including social media.

With a strong force of nearly 850 media agencies and more than 18,000 reporters with press cards, and a Việt Nam Journalists’ Association with more than 22,000 members, the Vietnamese press has become a pioneer in the ideology battlefield. 

The forum’s organiser, Business Forum newspaper, plans to offer awards to journalists for the best articles about the businesses community in Việt Nam.

Submitted articles will be about profiles of innovative businesspeople or Government policies.

The forum was attended by representatives of newspapers’ leaders and enterprises in the city. — VNS