Solution journalism - a direction for traditional Vietnamese journalism?

On the afternoon of September 21, the 2024 Editor-in-Chief Forum with the theme "Solution journalism: A direction for traditional journalism?" took place in Binh Thuan province.

The forum was organized by the Journalists and Public Opinion Newspaper (Vietnam Journalists Association) in coordination with Binh Thuan province, attracting more than 100 delegates who are leaders of press agencies, press management agencies, Journalists Associations... across the country.

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Le Tran Nguyen Huy, Acting Editor-in-Chief of the Journalists and Public Opinion Newspaper, said that the Editors' Forum, which started in 2019, has now entered its 6th year. It is a place where leaders of press agencies and press management agencies meet and share issues of top concern to newsrooms, discuss and propose solutions to help press agencies overcome challenges to operate more effectively.

According to Mr. Le Tran Nguyen Huy, traditional press has been under great competitive pressure from social media. The reality of press life in recent times shows that traditional press should not and cannot compete with social media in terms of speed of news reporting.

To ensure survival, generate revenue and retain readers, traditional press must find new directions, continue to affirm the mainstream information flow, orient and lead public opinion and contribute to the socio-economic development of the country.

Mr. Le Quoc Minh, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association emphasized that artificial intelligence technology will take over the intermediate position of the press.

Obviously, the press is at risk of losing its bridge of information for readers. With the development of technology, if the press stands still, it will be overwhelmed by the development of social networks.

According to Mr. Le Quoc Minh, a clear direction for the journalism industry is constructive journalism, solution journalism. Accordingly, press agencies, while reporting news, also propose solutions or elaborate explanations so that readers feel empowered and given hope.

The effectiveness of constructive journalism will positively affect users' moods; empower readers by promoting self-efficacy; not be perceived as low-quality journalism; motivate people to take actions that benefit society; increase interactions with the press agency, the author of the article and the topic; increase the number of "likes" even though it may not promote sharing or commenting; can attract and increase advertising revenue, because it attracts more attention from readers.

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Anh, Secretary of Binh Thuan Provincial Party Committee, said that in the current period of rapid development of science and technology, the achievements of the 4.0 revolution, especially artificial intelligence, and applications of digital technology are posing many new problems in the activities of traditional press, creating many opportunities and posing many challenges that traditional press needs to solve in order to adapt flexibly and continue to develop.

Solution journalism and constructive journalism not only bring new and positive approaches to journalism but also provide opportunities for Vietnamese press agencies to affirm their role in shaping and promoting social development.

Moreover, solution journalism can help mainstream journalism affirm its position in the face of strong competition for information from social networks, demonstrating its role in serving the Party, State and people.

At the forum, delegates discussed the current state of journalism as well as the difficulties in traditional journalism attracting readers, and proposed solutions to promote the role of constructive journalism and solution journalism of mainstream and traditional journalism.

Most solutions focus on investing in technology to innovate content and media products, increase attractiveness and attract readers; cooperate to share information on digital platforms; improve the qualifications of journalists, etc.

The frank exchanges, shared experiences, and suggestions and solutions suggested from the forum will contribute to more clearly defining the trend of solution journalism in Vietnam. From there, newsrooms will have more appropriate approaches in actual journalism activities, contributing to promoting the development of Vietnamese revolutionary journalism in the digital age, bringing meaningful messages to the development journey of the country's press on the eve of the 100th anniversary of the founding of Vietnamese revolutionary journalism.

At the forum, delegates also participated in donating to support the work of overcoming the consequences of storm No. 3 and floods.