Entering the digital age, multimedia communication is like a "new wind" that directly impacts the field of communication in general and journalism in particular, renewing the appearance of traditional journalism, changing the mindset of journalists, and at the same time changing the way the public views and approaches information.

Comrade Do Trong Hung, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, delivered a congratulatory speech to the staff, reporters, and editors of Thanh Hoa Newspaper on the occasion of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 2023). Photo: Minh Hieu

The inevitable trend of journalism in the digital age

According to experts and managers, multimedia journalism (integrating many types of journalism into the same work) is an inevitable development trend of journalism in the digital age. Transmission methods have changed a lot to adapt to readers' information needs and of course, the editorial office must also change. So to have multimedia journalism products, there must be a multimedia convergence editorial office. Multimedia convergence editorial office is expressed with many means of applying technology compared to traditional newspaper offices, in which the most prominent is the convergence of information, information processing methods and interaction with the public.

In recent years, the application of multimedia in journalism has become popular, especially on digital platforms, demonstrating its superiority in providing diverse information and multi-modal transmission of information to the public. With the harmonious combination of text, sound, images and graphics, along with interactivity and personalization, it has changed the way readers access and receive information from journalism and media works.

Along with that, to provide a better experience for readers, integrating new technology into the newspaper reading experience also plays an important role with advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR) and real-time online (real-time) being applied. Thanks to AI, VR, readers can easily access the content of interest in the shortest time, most realistically based on access history and personal preferences.

By combining audio, visual and video elements, newspapers can create interactive multimedia experiences, making information and images more vivid, thereby helping readers to easily receive and better understand the issues and events being discussed.

In other words, the multimedia convergence newsroom has been narrowing the gap between print newspapers, online newspapers, and radio and television. The multimedia convergence newsroom integrates various types of journalism, through customized digital media products on digital platforms for information receiving devices such as computers, mobile devices, smart devices, etc.

Thanh Hoa Newspaper in the modern press flow

The strategy "Digital transformation of journalism to 2025, with a vision to 2030" was approved by the Prime Minister in Decision No. 348/QD-TTg dated April 6, 2023. Accordingly, the goal by 2030 is for 100% of press agencies to put content on digital platforms (prioritizing domestic digital platforms); 90% of press agencies will use centralized data analysis and processing platforms, applying artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize operations; 100% of press agencies operate and operate a converged newsroom model and models suitable for the development of advanced science and technology in the world, producing content according to digital journalism trends... Building 6 key national multimedia agencies and key local multimedia agencies to build their own content distribution platforms, mastering the control and distribution of content in cyberspace...

The delegation of Pathet Lao News Agency (KPL) visited the Thanh Hoa Newspaper's converged newsroom model. Photo: MH

As one of the local Party newspaper agencies in the country, since 2016, with the attention of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee, Thanh Hoa Newspaper has grasped the trend and proactively transformed from a traditional editorial office model to a multimedia convergence editorial office model. In particular, implementing Conclusion No. 728-KL/TU, dated February 14, 2022 of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee on continuing to innovate and improve the overall quality of Thanh Hoa Newspaper by 2025, with a vision to 2030, since September 2022, the Editorial Board has focused on improving the quality of the team of journalists, focusing on building a multimedia journalism force in the digital environment, meeting the increasing needs and demands of the digital public in a digital government, digital society and digital economy.

Immediately after the Prime Minister approved the Strategy "Digital transformation of journalism to 2025, with a vision to 2030", the Editorial Board of Thanh Hoa Newspaper determined that in order to promote the strength of multimedia and multi-platform journalism, it is necessary to have adequate investment in "input materials" such as equipment, people, technology, etc. Review, arrange, and add new pages and columns on printed and electronic newspapers; apply new technologies (AI, VR) to new journalism genres such as Infographic, Emagazin, Mega Story, Longform, etc. on electronic publications, and deploy them on digital platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Zalo, etc., to meet the leadership and direction requirements of Party committees and authorities as well as the public's need for information in the new situation.

With the tireless efforts of the staff, reporters and workers, over the years Thanh Hoa Newspaper has continuously positioned its brand in the top 10 local Party newspapers with the highest number of likes and followers in the country, highly appreciated by readers in the province, domestically and internationally.

Celebrating the 99th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - June 21, 2024), each cadre, reporter, editor, and employee of Thanh Hoa Newspaper determined that they must truly transform themselves in both thinking and working skills, and at the same time be a media ambassador for the Thanh Hoa Newspaper brand, contributing to enhancing the position and brand of Thanh Hoa Newspaper in the flow of modern journalism, building Thanh Hoa Newspaper into a key, modern multimedia media agency of the Party Committee, government and people of Thanh Hoa.

Guangxu