Phu Tho Press in the Digital Transformation Revolution

The digital transformation revolution is taking place strongly, deeply affecting all fields, including journalism. The emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and social networks has created both great opportunities and challenges for traditional journalism. The change in readers' habits in accessing information sources and information reception behavior, shifting from traditional information sources such as printed newspapers and printed and electronic magazines to new forms such as smartphones, tablets, or social media channels, is strongly influencing users, significantly affecting journalism’s digital transformation.

Phu Tho Newspaper’s studio is equipped with modern facilities to meet the requirements of digital programs and digital journalism products in the current period.

Realizing early the importance of digital transformation in improving the quality and expanding the scope of information access, with the goal of modernizing the production and distribution process and getting closer to readers, Phu Tho Newspaper has built a converged editorial system, combining the activities of many types of newspapers, such as print, online, radio, and television, to increase production efficiency, optimize resources, save time, and diversify products with rich content and diverse distribution channels. In particular, Phu Tho Newspaper has deployed many online platforms with interfaces that are regularly changed to be more friendly to readers, integrating features such as reading newspapers on all devices, supporting quick information search, and high interactivity. From here, time and space are no longer barriers; readers can access information anytime, anywhere, interact directly with content, comment, and share information quickly and easily. Moreover, digital journalism can analyze user behavior to provide content suggestions that suit each person’s personal interests, helping to bridge the gap between the editorial office and readers.

Comrade Nguyen Tat Thang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Phu Tho Newspaper, said: “In recent years, along with the provincial press, Phu Tho Newspaper has promoted digital transformation, comprehensively innovating the content production system following the trend of converged editorial offices, digital journalism, and applications on social networking platforms. In 2021, Phu Tho Newspaper implemented the Phu Tho Newspaper Development Project for the period 2021-2025, with a vision to 2030. In which, it focuses on developing Phu Tho Newspaper in the direction of multi-platform, multimedia, aiming to serve the public. Following the information, the effectiveness of the Phu Tho Newspaper Fanpage channel established in 2017, Phu Tho Newspaper channels on YouTube, TikTok, podcasts, and Zalo platforms were established and developed. Up to now, these channels have been certified as brands and are in the top of the provincial party newspaper system nationwide in terms of attracting access and interaction, contributing to bringing the mainstream press closer to readers, clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of digital transformation in journalism".

Currently, Phu Tho Newspaper focuses on strongly developing and improving the effectiveness of the rapid dissemination of popular social networking channels domestically and internationally to attract readers, strengthen information and propaganda work, persistently implement the goal of a multimedia, multi-platform press agency, diversify press-communication content and products, and expand access to users, especially young readers and audiences who love digital technology.

The staff of the Provincial Electronic Information Portal always strive to research, improve their qualifications, and hone their working skills and operations in the digital environment.

In addition to Phu Tho Newspaper, digital transformation has taken place strongly in all press agencies of the province, such as the Provincial Radio and Television Station and the Literature and Arts Magazine of the Land of Ancestors. Not only stopping at traditional paper magazines, the works of the Literature and Arts Magazine of the Land of Ancestors have been published and updated on the electronic magazine and social networking platforms Zalo, Facebook, and Podcast, attracting a large number of viewers.

The Provincial Radio and Television Station has mastered livestream technology on broadcasting channels and social networking platforms. The station’s livestream sessions always attract nearly millions of views; many videos spread strongly on social networks and are widely shared. In 2023, the Station will bring the PTV channel to the National Digital Television Platform VTVgo and the OTT platform VieON; at the same time, it will establish a Digital Content Production and Development Team and issue a process for posting programs on the Station’s digital platforms.

It can be seen that the achievements that the provincial press agencies have achieved in recent times show their tireless efforts to keep up with the changes of the times in order to carry out the sole purpose and principle of bringing official information to readers and audiences in the fastest and most accurate way.

On April 6, 2023, the Prime Minister issued Decision No. 348/QD-TTg approving the strategy “Digital transformation of journalism to 2025, with a vision to”2030"—creating an important premise for the development orientation of press agencies in the digital transformation process. In order to realize this strategy, the Ministry of Information and Communications issued a set of indicators to assess and measure the maturity level of digital transformation of journalism as a measure to evaluate in a substantial, objective, and fair manner the annual digital transformation results of press agencies in the process of implementing the Digital Transformation Strategy of journalism to 2025, with a vision to 2030 nationwide.

In the same year, the Radio and Television Station conducted an assessment of the maturity level of digital transformation of journalism and ranked 23rd out of 60 central and local press units participating in the assessment. This year, Phu Tho Newspaper will join. This will be the basis to help agencies determine which stage they are in the digital transformation process, compare and rank the digital transformation level of press agencies over the years to see the strengths that need to be promoted, the weaknesses that need to be overcome, and provide information to support press agencies and related agencies in implementing appropriate digital transformation solutions to complete the goals set out in the Digital Transformation Strategy for Press to 2025, with a vision to 2030.

Comrade Nguyen Thi Hong Thuy, Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Communications, affirmed: In recent times, press agencies of Phu Tho province have been actively digitalizing, meeting the requirements of information and propaganda tasks to serve the political tasks of the province, as well as the people’s need to access information. To successfully implement digital journalism, it is necessary to have the determination of press agencies along with synchronous solutions in terms of facilities, equipment, technology, qualified human resources, working skills, and operations in the digital environment. As an agency advising on digital journalism and managing the press, in the coming time, the Department of Information and Communications will coordinate with relevant agencies to continue advising on promoting strong digital journalism in the province, in line with the National Digital Journalism Strategy.

It can be affirmed that the province’s official press has been taking important steps to catch up with the trend towards building a modern media system, promising not only to stop at digitizing content but also to fundamentally change the way of approaching and serving readers. Believing that, with the community, closely linking responsibilities between the State—the governing body—and the press agency, CDS will lead the press to exploit great potentials, bringing brighter prospects for the Vietnamese press.

Phuong Thuy