The core value of journalism is the story of creation and solution.

Without a solution, an article is worthless…

+ The Editor-in-Chief Forum, directed by the Vietnam Journalists Association and the Journalists & Public Opinion Newspaper, has gone through 5 successful seasons. It is known that in 2024, the Organizing Committee raised a "hot" topic that the press across the country is very interested in, which is the story of solution journalism. Madam, where did solution journalism come from that at this time, solution journalism became the "center" in the discussion of leaders of press management agencies and hundreds of Editors-in-Chief nationwide?

- First of all, it must be said that the topics of the Editor-in-Chief Forum for many years have always been strategic and directional issues, consistent with the flow of the times, of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press, and touching on stories that press agencies have been and are really interested in and need satisfactory answers. In that spirit, "Solutions Journalism - A Direction for Traditional Journalism?" was chosen by us and promises to bring interesting discussions for the 2024 Editor-in-Chief Forum season, towards the 100th anniversary of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press in 2025.

In fact, this is not a new, unfamiliar concept, but the core value of journalism is the story of creation and solutions. Without solutions, an article will have no value. Having information at that time but not providing solutions, without viewpoints, perspectives, that article, that story will quickly be lost among many other newspapers... Especially, in the context of increasingly rich and multi-dimensional information flows like today, proposing urgent solutions becomes the responsibility of journalism and the duty of us journalists. Doing this well, journalism will fulfill its mission to the nation and people, at the same time, it is also the way for journalism to survive and grow in the digital age.

Journalist Tran Lan Anh - Deputy Head of the Organizing Committee of the 2024 Editors' Forum, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Journalists & Public Opinion Newspaper.

Of course, constructive journalism and solution journalism have been raised for a long time, but to "identify" them as a "way out", a path to survival and growth... it can be said that it is very necessary to have Forums and seminars where there are voices and stories of leaders of press management agencies, leaders of press agencies, who together perceive, evaluate and act together. The Organizing Committee of the Editor-in-Chief Forum decided to carry out this topic for those reasons. In addition to the goals for the development journey associated with the hundred-year mission of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press, we also hope that press agencies together strongly deploy solution journalism in this context to help the public overcome the obsession of negative news...

+ The obsession with negative news, what exactly is it, madam?

- Unlike many other presses, Vietnamese press - right from the first steps, was identified as "Revolutionary Press", with the mission of "serving the People". I want to emphasize that to affirm that serving readers is an important goal of the press. However, the press, from its original mission of fighting, reflecting negativity and contributing to multiplying positive things, bringing a humanistic view of life, going to the bottom of the problem with the goal of building, sometimes becomes a "nightmare" for readers when negative information is more than positive, lacking direction. I remember that there was a time when the press seemed to be attracted by negative information. Too much negative information created a dark social picture, not accurately and comprehensively reflecting the reality of life. Many press agencies even made the number of views an important indicator for reporters, a standard to evaluate the capacity of journalists. And from this reality, solution journalism was born.

Although we know that in daily life, bad and evil always find ways to infiltrate and cause negative impacts, making many people feel confused and scared. However, in recent years, with close instructions from the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Information and Communications, and the Vietnam Journalists Association, many press agencies have been paying attention to columns and articles praising good deeds, lighting positive and bright fires in people's hearts. These actions, though small, have a great influence on the community and are also the most accurate measures of reader acceptance. I remember Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung once emphasized: " We need a press that promotes social thinking to bring solutions, not just a press force that only knows how to report news and make comments that are not constructive. If the press comments, people will also comment, if the press provides solutions, people will also find solutions."

The truth is not easy to find…

+ Journalism that encourages society to think together to bring about solutions… is indeed a great goal but requires journalists to go to the “source” of the problem, seek the truth, and seek solutions in life, don't you think?

- That's right. I think that finding the truth is the ultimate goal of journalists. The problem is that the truth is not easy to find and it requires journalists to have special skills, to know how to stop, to analyze deeply, to learn before rushing to follow temporary tastes... Obviously, to "retain" readers, to compete with social media, the press must clearly demonstrate the advantage of being an "official information agency", providing readers with content that has a high content of information that brings knowledge and understanding to readers, is fair, multi-source, authentic and solution journalism is one of the keys that helps press agencies do that. In particular, how to implement solution journalism effectively, in accordance with the human and material conditions of each newsroom is an issue that many press agencies are interested in. Journalists, newspapers, leaders and press managers, it is time to think more seriously about this issue, have an action plan on this issue, to affirm prestige and increase society's trust in journalists.

+ The prestige and trust of society are really a great driving force, especially when we are heading towards the 100th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day. So from the story of solution journalism discussed at the 2024 Editor-in-Chief Forum, what do you expect about the positive changes of journalism in the coming time, Deputy Editor-in-Chief?

- With two discussion sessions, we hope that the Forum will help clarify the role and necessity of implementing the solution journalism trend in newsrooms in Vietnam. The challenges and difficulties that newsrooms are facing will also be frankly acknowledged, thereby finding ways to implement appropriate solution journalism from the perspective of financial resources, information sources, human resources, technology, etc.

Through this Forum, the Organizing Committee hopes that every journalist can clearly see that with Vietnam Revolutionary Press, the path is right under their feet, every newspaper has a niche market for us to develop. Solution journalism or constructive journalism, inspirational journalism... is essentially a journey to find our true values, our core values.

We hope that the Editors’ Forum will contribute an important voice to clarify this story. We believe that hundreds of delegates attending the program will join us to find the most effective solutions and models in implementing solution journalism in Vietnam.

All proposals and recommendations from press leaders will be compiled by the Journalists & Public Opinion Newspaper and sent to the Vietnam Journalists Association, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Central Propaganda Department, etc. with the hope of contributing to creating innovations in mechanisms and policies supporting the press, properly performing the role and responsibility of the mouthpiece of the Vietnam Journalists Association, the Forum of the press nationwide.

+ Yes, thank you very much!

Ha Van (Implementation)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/gia-tri-cot-loi-cua-bao-chinh-la-cau-chuyen-cua-kien-tao-va-giai-phap-post312818.html