Challenges in the work of the US press attaché in Vietnam

The speaker's speech talked about the principles of a press attaché's work and the challenges of working in the Vietnamese press environment.

Ms. Lisa began her talk by sharing the principle: Journalists must put the public interest first, using principles and verification to collect and evaluate the information they have. To do a good job as a press attaché, she first asked herself the question: who do I work for? “Indirectly, I work for President Obama, directly for Secretary of State John Kerry, below that is the US Ambassador and finally the American people. My job is to make the Vietnamese public understand the priorities in US foreign policy, serving the interests of the American people in general,” Ms. Lisa said.

As a press attaché, she contributes to delivering messages - representing the voice of the American people, promoting mutual understanding. To deliver messages, there are traditional and non-traditional tools. With traditional press, she and her colleagues have extensive relationships with nearly 1,000 journalists in Vietnam and many newspapers and news agencies abroad. Non-traditional channels such as Facebook and Twitter are also used.

Expressing her views on the qualities and skills required of journalists and those working in the field of journalism, Ms. Lisa said that honesty and objectivity must be respected. Next are explanation skills, writing and speaking skills, and interviewing skills. In addition, love and passion for the profession must always go hand in hand with professional ethics.

Ms. Lisa believes that freedom of speech is respected in both Vietnam and the United States. This right is enshrined in the Constitutions of both countries. However, the press in Vietnam also has different regulations and ways of operating than in the United States, and this needs to be noted. Vietnamese journalists as well as foreign journalists and news agencies play an important role in helping a press attaché like her provide information.

Ms. Lisa shared her positive thoughts about the prospects of journalism in Vietnam: “A few years ago, it was very difficult for a press officer from the US Embassy to come and talk to students. But now it is possible and I feel lucky to have this opportunity.” The US and Vietnam have also implemented media cooperation programs: Vietnamese journalists come to the US to work and learn working methods and experiences from their American colleagues. The future of this cooperation is very bright.

Ms. Lisa’s talk received a lot of attention from students majoring in Journalism and Communication. Students also asked the speaker many questions about the content: how to develop skills to collect authentic information, the limits of activities to support journalists, the challenges related to cultural differences in the work of an American press attaché…?