(VOVWORLD) - The National Press Festival 2019, themed “Renovated, creative, responsible Vietnamese press in the interests of the nation and the people”, wrapped up in Hanoi on Sunday. The annual event reflects Vietnamese journalists’ efforts to serve the interests of the nation and the people.
 Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc addresses the opening of the National Press Festival 2019 |
Promoting combative spirit of press
Developing a combative spirit is important to the Vietnamese press. At the opening of the festival, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said the Vietnamese Party, State, and people value the press as an information medium and an ideological and cultural vanguard and a forum of the people. The Prime Minister said the press plays an especially important role in Vietnam’s international integration: “The press needs to cover current affairs, correctly reflect the Party guidelines and State policies, inspire good deeds and good people, promote role model, and boost emulation movements to create trust and optimism in society and encourage people to contribute to national construction and defense.”
Vietnam’s press also played an important role in the fight against moral degradation, corruption, waste and so-called “self-evolution”, and “self-transformation”. News stories have effectively countered the false statements and distortions of subversives, opportunists, and reactionaries who want to sabotage national unity. Associate Professor Doctor Ha Huy Phuong of the Academy of Journalism and Communication said: “The Vietnam Journalists’ Association and media houses have communicated a code of ethics to journalists. Journalists should try to steadily improve their professionalism and knowledge to get the right orientation for their stories.”
Response to new changes
The 4th Industrial Revolution and rapid developments of ICT have affected all levels of society. VOV President Nguyen The Ky says innovation, creativity, and mastery of new technology will deliver more accurate, reliable, and highly-targeted information. Journalists and media houses need to focus on their audience.
 PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc visits VOV's booth at the National Press Festival 2019. |
"The public plays an important role in press activities because our activities focus on the public, without whom they would be meaningless. The press should take into consideration public needs and wishes,” said Mr. Ky.
Journalist Ho Quang Loi, Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association, said: “We need to innovate, promote creativity, and exploit new technology to deliver our services. We cannot compete with social networks in speed but we can outperform them in reliability and persuasiveness.”
200 press agencies and journalists’ associations at all levels attended the festival where several press awards were presented.