When user habits change too quickly
Aggregated data from 47 countries shows that all of the growth in social news is coming from video or video-led platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. This is especially true in countries outside the US and Europe, where video news consumption is growing fastest among young people.
According to the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism's Digital News Report 2024, YouTube is used by nearly 31% of people weekly for news. In countries like India and South Africa, about half of those surveyed said they use the platform for news. Globally, 66% of respondents said they access short news videos each week, while longer formats attract about half (51%).
In Vietnam, Thanh Nien Newspaper has been strongly developing video production activities on non-traditional channels. Thanh Nien Newspaper's YouTube channel has achieved extremely impressive numbers in terms of subscribers and video views.
However, with the rise of social networking platforms, Mr. Nguyen Trong Phuoc, Member of the Editorial Board - Head of the Education Department and Head of the Center for Production and Development of Digital Content of Thanh Nien Newspaper, said that the biggest challenge for Thanh Nien as well as other newspapers in Vietnam in producing news videos is the rapid change in user habits. Currently, users tend to ignore long, horizontal quantitative videos, and the number of viewers on Thanh Nien Newspaper's Youtube channel has decreased significantly, greatly affecting the Newspaper's revenue.
According to Mr. Trong Phuoc, facing the new trend, Thanh Nien Newspaper is focusing on producing short videos, events divided into many perspectives, developing vertical frames. In addition to conveying official information, the Newspaper focuses on young audiences with content that keeps up with trends. At the same time, changing the way of expression, using visual and sound effects to create a sense of closeness and attraction. "We started to diversify the form of video production, cutting information content into small pieces, making it vertical and finding ways to appear on many different platforms," Mr. Phuoc shared.
VNews - News Television is positioned as a specialized channel on current political news, comprehensively reflecting and continuously updating information on domestic and international issues and events, meeting the current news information needs of the majority of people. News Youtube channel has achieved the Gold button, on other platforms such as Facebook or Tiktok, News videos of News also receive a significant number of viewers.
Mr. Hoang Duc Long - Head of the Department of Political and Social Information - News Television Center said that following the trend, the production of news videos on social networking platforms of news television has also shifted. "News Television takes its strength as the main information channel of the Government, the information of the News Agency is orthodox, reliable, some information is exclusive and oriented. The network of permanent correspondents abroad is expanded, information about major world events is produced promptly and continuously. However, to keep up with the trend and attract readers, in addition to being orthodox, News Television pays great attention to attractive, new and creative ways of expression" , Mr. Long said.
According to Mr. Hoang Duc Long, in the context of many challenges, press agencies should find their own direction in producing news videos. There are agencies that are strong in analyzing the international situation, even inviting experts to share, this information is multi-dimensional; there are newsrooms that focus on security, business, technology - these are the unique characteristics that the public will look for when they need that information content.
Diversify revenue streams and product packaging
According to a report by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, the main focus of news video viewing is on online platforms - 72%, such as YouTube - rather than news sites - 22%. This year's report also noted the rise of a new generation of news content creators. For example, some accounts share videos from the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, documenting the brutal realities of life on the ground that are often restricted from mainstream media coverage. This adds to the challenges around newsroom revenue.
Discussing this issue, Mr. Trong Phuoc - Head of Education Department and Head of Thanh Nien Newspaper's Digital Content Production and Development Center said that compared to the Covid-19 period, revenue on Thanh Nien Newspaper's digital video platform has decreased significantly. Youtube has also changed its algorithms and business operations, they sell membership packages and share profits with press agencies not much. Faced with that challenge, Thanh Nien Newspaper agreed that it could no longer display on the website inviting the public to come and view, buy, and choose, but now had to package the product and deliver it to readers.
Recently, Thanh Nien Newspaper started the Zalo Video project from June 21, after one month by July 21, the channel has attracted 5 thousand registered accounts. Mr. Trong Phuoc said that this is a popular platform, moreover, when producing news videos on Tiktok, it will automatically update to Zalo. “We produce content once and broadcast it on 2 platforms. Tiktok develops a young audience, while Zalo will have the potential to reach older readers. Expanding the customer base, readers, and audiences is very important. Although we do not directly profit from news videos on Tiktok and Zalo, through that, we promote our brand, attract many views, and brands from there trust us to come and place advertising orders,” Mr. Phuoc emphasized.
Another indirect source of revenue that Thanh Nien Newspaper is taking advantage of is that Facebook recently had a new regulation on paying for videos but it has not been widely implemented in Vietnam or by press agencies. Facebook currently accepts payments for media channels, so Thanh Nien is cooperating with media companies, they will create Fanpages, managed by them but using Thanh Nien Newspaper's news videos as resources. Thanh Nien Newspaper holds the copyright of these videos and the two sides will share revenue - doing so to compensate for other declines in the general strategy of packaging products to each reader.
Regarding the increase in news content creators, Mr. Trong Phuoc said that recently, Thanh Nien Newspaper has had to give up some space to digital content creators. Previously, Thanh Nien Newspaper's Youtube channel achieved high sales in videos reviewing food, locations, and restaurants, but now the public tends to prefer individuals who do that work, they want to hear the experiences and feelings of specific individuals, not from a press agency.
However, a direction that is expected, according to Mr. Phuoc, if in the past digital content producers, or even some reporters, aimed at sensational information about "robbery, murder, rape"; "love, money, prison, crime" and considered that information to attract the public, now, through Thanh Nien Newspaper's experience in video production, except for very specific and shocking cases, such content is not as interested as positive information, humane stories, and inspirational characters. And that is creating an advantage for press agencies in the role of a force leading public opinion, bringing the public to the good things in life.
“It’s time for you to stop calculating how many newspapers you sell in a day, how many visits you get on your website in a day, and focus on building a community that knows, cares about, and receives the value of your brand in the information society,” said Mr. Nguyen Trong Phuoc, head of the Center for Production and Development of Digital Content for Thanh Nien Newspaper.
Hoa Giang
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bao-chi-can-huong-di-rieng-trong-san-xuat-video-tin-tuc-post307765.html
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