Launching the handbook "Guide to News Reporting Skills in the Digital Age"

With the aim of helping journalists keep pace with the rapid changes in today's media, the Internet and Society Research Program, Reuters News Agency, and the Center for Journalism Training (Vietnam Journalists Association) have collaborated to produce the handbook "Guide to Reporting Skills in the Digital Age". This handbook aims to provide important and practical principles for journalists working in the digital and social media environment. Specifically, it delves into data journalism, a prominent trend in the media landscape today, helping journalists leverage digital technology to collect data and deliver valuable, objective, and engaging news. Furthermore, the handbook addresses fundamental principles that reporters need to know regarding the Law on Access to Information, passed by the Vietnamese National Assembly on April 6, 2016, and effective from July 1, 2018, to support journalists in their work quickly and legally.

Prof. Dr. Pham Quang Minh (Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Vietnam Internet and Society Research Program (VPIS), Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities)

Analyzing the current media landscape, Professor Pham Quang Minh (Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Vietnam Internet and Society Research Program (VPIS), Rector of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) affirmed:With over 4 billion users today, according to We Are Social, the Internet and the development of digital media have rapidly changed the journalistic landscape in Vietnam and around the world. Based on new technological platforms, journalists can not only monitor and access information more easily but also reach readers more closely through vivid, fast, and direct methods of communication. However, the digital media environment also places significant pressure on balancing the speed and accuracy of information, between commercial demands and the impartiality and integrity of journalists. Especially amidst the diverse sources of information and the pitfalls of fake news, the role of journalists is emphasized in filtering and verifying the most meaningful information to fulfill their mission of helping readers access the most authentic and important aspects of life."

Mr. Cao Hoang Nam (Chief Coordinator of the Internet and Society Research Program) introduced the handbook "Guide to News Reporting Skills in the Digital Age".

Ambassador Giles Lever (UK Ambassador to Vietnam) affirmed his unwavering belief that a free and vibrant press environment with dedicated and responsible journalists plays a crucial role in the development of society, helping to promote transparency and accountability of the state. Ambassador Giles Lever shared:“I am delighted that we have supported VPIS in compiling and publishing the handbook ‘Guide to Reporting Skills in the Digital Age.’ I am very impressed with the content of the handbook and hope that it will reach many journalists. I sincerely hope that journalists can use this handbook as a useful reference when working to take advantage of the benefits of the digital age.”

Mr. Giles Lever (British Ambassador to Vietnam)

Mr. Cao Hoang Nam (Chief Coordinator of the Internet and Society Research Program) stated:“This handbook will be a useful tool for journalists to increase the credibility of their articles in the context of increasingly prevalent fake news by applying transparent and highly critical data-driven news reporting processes of data journalism. I believe that data journalism will be a new trend in journalists' work in the digital news era.”

Commenting on the significance of the handbook, Associate Professor Dr. Dinh Thi Thuy Hang (Director of the Center for Journalism Professional Training) shared that:The handbook "Guide to Reporting Skills in the Digital Age" is a useful resource for journalists and media professionals, offering highly specific and practical content presented in an easy-to-understand and memorable way. It is hoped that this handbook will help media professionals easily access and apply these skills in their daily work, thereby improving the quality of information provided to the public."

At the launch event, industry experts and journalists discussed how to effectively apply the handbook to training and practical work. Furthermore, with the desire to continue sharing the original values ​​of this handbook, attendees also proposed directions for developing the content of subsequent handbooks with more in-depth updates and guidance on applying the latest global journalism trends within the Vietnamese media context. To share and disseminate the handbook's content to a wider audience of journalists, educators, and journalism students, the Internet and Society Research Program donated 700 copies, which were shipped free of charge to newsrooms and universities/training institutions specializing in journalism.