Leveraging technology brings dramatic changes to radio broadcasters

Provide listeners with easy, convenient interaction

+ Social networking platforms are developing strongly, new technologies are emerging, deeply affecting all fields and professions, including journalism. Sir, given this reality, how have radio broadcasters taken advantage of these new platforms?

- I see that the current trend is that radio uses a lot of digital platforms. We still think that the advent of the internet and social networks is a challenge and a very strong obstacle for radio. However, in reality, this is an opportunity for radio to promote the strengths of the internet and social networks to reach the public.

People still say Radio but do not need antennas, when radio works are posted on social networking platforms, they are still easily received by the public. Thanks to these platforms, radio works reach a larger audience, especially young readers. Radio stations also use new forms such as livestreaming radio programs so that audiences can see images of editors, journalists, and presenters working, they always interact with the audience.

That strong development trend also includes the use of Podcasts, one of the ways to make new audio products accessible to the public, accessible to convenience. These platforms help listeners download to their devices, to their phones to listen to anytime. Anytime, anywhere, while working, they can listen to the radio. Thereby, they can grasp information and have entertainment. Podcasts allow listeners to interact easily and conveniently. And there are many other trends in modern radio, but these are the most fundamental things of the current radio trend.

Journalist Dong Manh Hung, Head of the Editorial Secretariat of Voice of Vietnam (VOV), imparts radio journalism skills. Photo: Quang Hoa

The 16th Radio Festival - 2024 with the theme "Vietnam Radio - Diversity in Digital Transformation" attracted 81 participating units. With 380 works in 10 genres: Reportage, special programs, interviews, ethnic language radio programs, radio stories, live radio programs, digital platform applications, podcasts, excellent staging techniques and golden voices. The jury will select the best works in each genre to participate in the Final Round in Thanh Hoa province, scheduled for July 2024.

+ Along with opportunities are many challenges. Sir, in the face of increasingly large technological challenges, how should radio broadcasters change to meet public needs and take shortcuts to meet those needs?

- Journalists in general and radio broadcasters in particular need to innovate in the face of new trends and new opportunities that technology brings. It brings challenges to radio broadcasters. However, no matter what new broadcasting methods are used, the professional skills of journalists are still something we find very important.

We must know the skills of writing lyrics for radio works, knowing how to converse, being flexible when speaking on the radio, creating a certain intimacy for each radio work. To do that, radio workers must have extensive knowledge. Especially for those who do Podcasts, livestreams... need to be able to speak fluently, not doing radio in the traditional way with a pre-existing script but often being creative and quick while they are producing the program. Radio workers who do not have enough skills and knowledge will certainly not achieve the desired results.

Delegates attend the opening ceremony of the 16th National Radio Festival - 2024 Preliminary Round. Photo: Quang Hoa

New radio trends are increasingly accepted.

+ Does that mean that to be effective, radio broadcasters need to be equipped with many skills and qualities to keep up with new trends, sir?

- That's right. In this day and age, every journalist needs to know how to use technology, which is extremely important, including recording technology and program production technology. Knowing how to post and distribute on social media platforms and other platforms, if you don't know how to use it, it will be very difficult to reach a large audience.

In addition, journalists also need to understand the public, interact with the public, and have the skills to talk to the public. If you do radio but do not know how to interact with the public, do not know how to promote your radio products to many people, it will be very difficult to retain the audience and listeners. No matter how good the work is, it will not achieve the propaganda effect.

For a radio broadcaster, first of all, you need to be passionate and think about the public when doing any topic. When we give any information, we need to pay attention to the issue of honesty, accuracy, raise issues that have an impact on society, make the public more knowledgeable, so that the radio work can spread more strongly.

+ The 16th National Radio Festival has the theme "Vietnamese Radio, Diversity in Digital Transformation". Can you share more about the meaning of this year's theme?

- Every year, the National Radio Festival shows that this field has stronger development. Although radio is still strongly influenced by social networking platforms and challenged by social networks, journalists have overcome and are making stronger changes.

Radio programs today are increasingly rich, diversified in form of expression, more invested, promoting the strengths of radio. However, one of the effects is the application of digital platforms, digital transformation into the production and distribution of works very smoothly. Taking advantage of technology, digital transformation brings strong changes to radio people such as: Interacting with the public; measuring the number of public coming to them, they take advantage of information from listeners, audiences provided, contributions, comments from the public to create more attractive and closer content.

I see that in the festivals, radio journalists are very creative, this year for the first time the Podcast award category is included in the National Radio Festival. This has received the participation and response of radio journalists from the central to local levels. It proves that the new trend of radio has been welcomed by radio and television stations.

This also affirms that radio is always changing and innovating, so radio will certainly always exist and develop strongly, being a strength in the field of journalism that is increasingly accepted by audiences.

+ Thank you!

Le Tam (Implementation)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tan-dung-cong-nghe-dem-lai-su-thay-doi-manh-me-cho-nguoi-lam-phat-thanh-post297386.html