HCM CITY  --  HCM City will build a large, modern press centre, the first phase of which is scheduled to come into operation in the next two years, the city’s Department of Information and Communication announced at a press conference on Tuesday.

Từ Lương, deputy director of the city’s Department of Information and Communications, said the press centre would be located at 255 Trần Hưng Đạo Street in District 1.

It will be a multi-purpose building which will not only host press conferences and events, but also serve as a coffee shop for journalists to meet and exchange information.

The 841 sq.m building will have a large conference room for 100 attendees and a smaller room that can accommodate 50 journalists.

The press centre will include a specific area for reporters which will be equipped with high-speed internet for journalists to send large pictures and documents.

The center will help domestic and foreign press agencies access official information and data from the city and agencies quickly and accurately, according to Trần Vĩnh Tuyến, the deputy chairman of the People’s Committee.

Tuyến said that reporters had encountered challenges in information access. "When government agency leaders cannot meet with reporters, this can result in insufficient and inaccurate information."

"The centre will improve this situation," he said.

In the first phase, the press center will integrate information and data from agencies and ministries.

Afterwards it will organize an auction to select modern database management technology. The data warehouse of the centre will be closely attached to the city’s common data centre.

Instead of asking for information from government agencies, reporters will be able to access the center’s data warehouse, he added.

According to the HCM City Department of Information and Communications, HCM City has 38 press agencies including 16 newspapers, 20 magazines, one radio and one television station. 

In addition, 142 central and local press agencies are located in the city.

Lương said the establishment of the press centre showed the city’s determination to  implement the rights of the press to be informed and access information sources; and to positively use press information as a resource, means and method to connect social networks and social media for policy feedback.

A modern and professional multimedia centre is expected to take shape in HCM City by 2020, capable of serving important national and international events.

In the second phase after 2020, the centre will be enlarged to 2,000-3,000 square metres.VNS