She said journalism in the 4.0 technology era has both opportunities and challenges. The opportunities are great and the challenges are not small. 

Regarding opportunities, the 4.0 technology has created a flat world and a larger space, enabling the press to quickly and easily access information around the world quickly. Mastering technology also helps the press spread the message it wants to convey.

Information competition in a flat world

“Referring to the challenges, I want to emphasize the increased competition in information, information quality as well as communication methods in the flat world.

In such a context, the press not only provides information and acts as an important bridge between the authorities and the public, and among public.

The press also has the role of orienting the public, so that people can participate in the common works of the society, express their voice to state agencies, thereby making a strong and practical impact on the policy making.  After being promulgated, policies will serve people themselves.

According to Hang, journalists have dual responsibilities – providing information and leading public opinions. This requires them to have not only high qualifications, but also firm stuff. Also, in the 4.0 era, journalists need to use technology fluently, so that they won’t lag behind. 

Hang, who presides regular press conferences of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is fully aware of the power of journalism in foreign information service. The mission of foreign press service are both ‘building’ and ‘fighting’. 

In terms of ‘building’, newspapers have the missions of disseminating, building images and spreads Vietnamese values to foreign public, thereby building the Vietnamese images in the international community, contributing to the construction and development of the country.

In terms of ‘fighting’, this means fighting wrong and negative information that may affect the national images and benefits. ‘Building’ and ‘fighting’ always go hand in hand and they are the missions, tasks and targets of foreign press service.

The story of "cooperation" and "struggle" is not only evident in international relations but also evident in foreign press service. In the context of the complicated developments of the region and the world, in order to make information bring effects, it is necessary to dignify the ‘cooperation’ rather than ‘struggle.

For example, in the relations with partners, it is necessary to promote propaganda about cooperation opportunities. Or when talking about non-traditional security, it is necessary to emphasize the need to cooperate so as to cope with non-traditional security challenges

Country protection

One of the contributions of foreign press service is to help protect the country early and from afar. External information deepens and contributes to strengthening relations, especially friendship between nations; increasing the country's position in the eyes of international friends, from whom Vietnam, when necessary, can call support for its legitimate benefits.

External information service is a soft power, but it helps increase Vietnam’s hard power, thus allowing the country to have power and influence to firmly protect its interests, including those of territorial sovereignty as well as other economic interests.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, foreign information service has excellently played its role, even though there was no foreign reporters entering Vietnam because of the pandemic.

The images and messages of Vietnam have been transmitted to the world in an accurate, timely and effective way. International public opinion highly appreciates Vietnam’s measures to fight the pandemic, as well as methods to ensure the implementation of the dual goal of pandemic control and socio-economic development.

At this moment, when Vietnam is entering the period of recovery after the pandemic, foreign press service needs to provide true inflation about the pandemic control, thus creating favorable conditions to attract investment and tourists.

Hang affirmed that with the current situation, if we are not together, we cannot go far, just as Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh once emphasized that global issues need a global approach. Many leaders in the world have recently shown their interest in common goals, including inclusive development, sustainable development, and especially people-centered development.

Inspiring young people

According to Hang, journalists are "vanguard soldiers" in the information and propaganda front, with a very important mission of struggling for national independence, protecting the fatherland in the past, and the construction and development of the country nowadays.

The role of journalism is very important, and the stuff of journalists needs to be firm so as to be more resilient to the upheavals from outside. The Party, State and responsible agencies need to pay more attention to the contingent of journalists so that they can devote themselves to the country and live with their profession.

An Nhien