Today, novel and intuitive storytelling can reach a large number of readers and audiences on digital platforms. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the world has witnessed the explosion of online video sharing sites in recent times. Given that reality, on June 16, the VNA Journalists Association organized a seminar updating information and skills for journalists and news editors on the development trend of conveying information in the context of growing digital transformation.

Satisfying auditory-visual tastes

At the talk, General Director of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) and Chairwoman of VNA Journalists Association Vu Viet Trang said that VNA initiated digital transformation quite early, thus facilitating the performance of news reporters. Applying digital transformation, VNA has been gradually building and creating a shared database that differs from the past operation of a multimedia working system. Multimedia press products, that meet public demand, are created promptly and effectively. “The switch to using digital devices helps journalists process information quickly to deliver information to readers.” Information presented in various forms such as texts, images, and videos are more attractive than traditional forms, Trang said. For example, products that apply artificial intelligence (AI) technology such as chat-bots function to increase interaction with the public. During the stressful time of COVID-19, the chat-bots performed well constantly answering reader questions relating to the pandemic. “Digital transformation contributes to diversifying press information distribution forms,” Trang said. She explained that an original article could be transformed into many forms to reach a large number of readers such as websites, apps, and social platforms. By diversifying the press information distribution forms, VNA’s official information is disbursed quickly, she said. Nguyen Hoang Nhat, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of VietnamPlus (a VNA e-newspaper that cover stories in different languages), highlighted the trend of video on demand (VOD). “In the past, people followed news broadcasted on TV. But now with the advent of the over the counter – media services on the internet (OTT) pre-installed on smart televisions or handheld devices, viewers can choose their favorite programs anytime, anywhere, as well as skip or pause any parts.” At the seminar, experts discussed the fact that the development of videos based on the digital platforms not only helps information to be spread wider, but also a profitable way to generate advertisement revenues from customer-shared programs with Google or Facebook.

Aiming at young people

Discussing solutions to develop digital-based videos, Pham Anh Chien, Deputy Director of the Center for Digital Content Development and Production, Vietnam Television (VTV), said many of the VTV programs are targeting young people. Sharing the same view, journalist Vu Thu Ha, Assistant Editor-in-Chief of Vietnam News, said since 2018, the newspaper has started producing videos to broadcast on social platforms. “With the same video content, the production team has produced in many different formats, such as 16:9 for YouTube, square for Facebook and vertical for Tiktok,” she said. She added that Vietnam News is an English-language newspaper that reflects the socio-political situation of Vietnam and targets foreign readers. “However, in the video segment, we are more focused on life stories, culture, and entertainment. These products are more attractive than socio-political videos,” she said. Developing digital-based videos is a potential land for press agencies. However, technical and copyright issues also need to be considered to ensure the quality of the product. Do Phuong Chi, Copyright Director of Next Media, which holds the rights to many football tournaments, said the company identifies itself as a private firm that needs to develop on the backs of giants like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok./.