From the perspective of local Journalists Associations, although this issue has not yet achieved strong results, updating the application of technology in professional training for members is gradually being respected and will certainly create many innovations in the professional activities of members and journalists.
Proactively innovate business operations and update new technology applications
Digital transformation is an inevitable trend, an important and urgent solution, serving as the basis for building and implementing development programs and plans for each press agency in the country. In localities, the Association has been actively implementing digital transformation solutions, applying technology in the spirit of the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and the Government's Digital Transformation Strategy for Press to 2025, with a vision to 2030.
However, in the process of implementing digital transformation of the press, when first starting to implement, many press agencies also encountered many difficulties and challenges, from where to start, what technology platforms to apply and how to make the spirit of innovation, daring to change to do new things permeate into each member and journalist in the departments and offices of the editorial office. In many localities, with proactiveness, dynamism and creativity, the Journalists Association of provinces and cities has promptly come up with many solutions, together sharing experiences and good practices in their emulation clusters to turn the application of digital technology into a widespread movement.
The Center for Journalism Training - Vietnam Journalists Association in collaboration with the Tuyen Quang Provincial Journalists Association organized a training course on journalism skills, news writing skills, and multi-platform articles. Photo: Quoc Viet
With the motto of taking people as the center, many localities focus on training in technology application for journalist members, contributing to the successful implementation of the digital transformation program in journalism activities.
Recently, on October 1, the Tuyen Quang Provincial Journalists Association organized a training session for journalist members on knowledge of producing journalistic works for social networking platforms such as Facebook, Youtube, Tiktok, Video works, Podcasts, etc. Training on professional skills is one of the annual activities implemented by the Provincial Journalists Association, but updating new professional content has been of great interest to the Association's leaders recently.
Journalist Ma Van Chuc - Permanent Vice President of Tuyen Quang Journalists Association said that from the beginning of the year, the Provincial Journalists Association had discussed with the Center for Journalism Training - Vietnam Journalists Association about the topics of the training program such as: content of training courses, how to invite lecturers, there will be a list of training programs provided... After receiving the list, the Association will send it to the branches for members to choose and register. Based on the needs of the majority of registrations, the Provincial Journalists Association will synthesize and unify, from there coordinate with the Center for Journalism Training to invite lecturers. During this time, the selected training topics are all about applying digital technology to the working activities of journalists and reporters, creating quality press products suitable for the public's need to access information.
“ Digital transformation is a common requirement to meet the trend of mandatory training for members to receive and apply new things. The selected lecturers will convey content that is suitable for the actual situation, the most urgent needs and tasks that the branches and members need, and the lecture content is also condensed from reality. However, for us, after each course lasting a few days, it is not the end but the beginning of the journey of application into actual professional activities. We often tell each other that the lecturer is the one who spins the silk threads, the task of each member is to weave those silk threads into specific products. In the following time, the lecturer will return to evaluate how the content of knowledge and skills are put into practice ” - journalist Ma Van Chuc added.
The process of “weaving silk” for members and journalists is certainly still a journey of constant effort to achieve success, but it is a positive and urgent innovation. Because digital transformation in the field of journalism not only helps increase productivity, reduce costs but also opens up new development space, creating new values beyond the existing traditional values. However, for journalists who are trained to work in the traditional way with cameras, recorders, cameras, notebooks and pens, adapting to become a technology journalist, working in the online environment is not easy, requiring efforts to approach modern journalism methods, creating modern journalistic works.
Reporters and journalists from Vinh Long province work at Dung Quat oil refinery. Photo: Hanh Uyen
Unanimity in all levels of the Association
The digital transformation process depends largely on investment resources in infrastructure innovation, technical solutions and especially human resource training. Digital transformation is not simply about technology, but the human factor is decisive. Each locality, in order to keep up with the development of cross-border social networking platforms, needs high-quality human resources with solid professional knowledge and open-mindedness, always ready to change to adapt to the digital transformation environment.
In addition to support from local Journalists Associations, a suitable and open working environment and culture in the editorial office of that press agency will also be an important basis for easy application of new technology. Newsrooms need to be determined and have a clear strategy when building awareness raising programs, training skills on digital transformation, developing and exploiting digital content, digital communications, and digital advertising for staff and reporters. Therefore, from training and professional development to practical application are always things that press agencies and Journalists Associations at all levels are interested in.
In fact, after the courses were implemented by the Journalists Associations of provinces and cities, when they reached the branches, the courses on technology application for the members of the branches were also continued to be maintained.
At the Vinh Long Newspaper Journalists Association from 2022 to present, the Newspaper has focused on integrating multimedia, interaction, and compatibility with all devices such as desktop computers, laptops, tablets, mobile phones, etc. Along with changing the interface, the unit has produced multimedia journalism works such as video clips, photos, Infographics, Megastory, Podcast, etc. to contribute to meeting the increasingly diverse information needs of the public.
Journalist Tran Tan Anh - Secretary of Vinh Long Newspaper Journalists Association said: “ Looking back at the past working process, it shows that creating a complete journalistic work takes a lot of time, effort, and it is difficult to compete for information. Seeing that limitation, recently we have received support from the Vinh Long Provincial Journalists Association, Vinh Long Newspaper Journalists Association has participated in organizing a training course on digital transformation, the most recent of which is the application of technology and artificial intelligence in the implementation of journalistic works. We can apply technology to convert video tapes, recordings into text, convert online meeting content into text, work quickly without typing articles, build a virtual MC who can read the news accurately, without spelling mistakes, and use it in emergency situations where there is no MC or radio. With the tools of artificial intelligence, everything is quite easy for reporters”.
It can be said that how to implement digital transformation, where to start to suit the digital transformation strategy of each unit and locality is still a problem in the coming time. In the future, the Vietnam Journalists Association will coordinate with the sectors to build a Digital Transformation Support Center, which also has a digital transformation strategy and courses suitable for localities. The Vietnam Journalists Association will also support in the implementation process, but the human factor is the core, technology only spreads more, so training resources must continue to be an important task of the Association at all levels in the current context, thereby contributing to creating high-quality human resources to meet the development of modern journalism.
Le Tam
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