Join the flow, the extended arm of Vietnam's foreign affairs

Before the special moment marking the 100th anniversary of Vietnam's Revolutionary Press, Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang shared and confided her thoughts about an important source in that journey - foreign press.

President Luong Cuong and delegates and prominent journalists at a meeting to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, at the Presidential Palace, June 20. (Source: VNA)

Could you please evaluate the mission and contribution of foreign press in the common source of Vietnamese revolutionary press to the cause of national construction and development?

June 21 this year is a special moment, exactly 100 years since Leader Nguyen Ai Quoc founded Thanh Nien Newspaper, giving birth to Vietnam's revolutionary journalism.

During that glorious century, the revolutionary press has continuously contributed, sacrificed, and developed, becoming a strong mainstream, with a particularly important position and role in political and social life, being the voice of the Party, the State, socio-political organizations, and the people's forum, contributing greatly to the cause of national liberation struggle, building and defending the socialist Fatherland.

With the mission of "bringing Vietnam closer to the world and the world closer to Vietnam" and being the main force in foreign information work, in recent years, foreign press has always been a particularly important part in the flow of Vietnamese revolutionary press, closely associated with the revolutionary cause, national independence, national unification and international integration development.

Throughout history, the foreign press has not only been the voice of the Party, State and people of Vietnam to the world, but also a pioneering force on the ideological front, contributing to creating support from the people at home, shaping international public opinion, strengthening foreign relations and protecting national interests through the media.

Firstly, the foreign press has actively introduced a renewed, dynamic, peaceful, stable and strongly developing Vietnam. Press agencies have proactively and truthfully conveyed the image of the country, its people, culture and socio-economic achievements, Vietnam's domestic and foreign policies as well as multilateral and bilateral diplomatic activities of the Party and State leaders to international friends in many different languages.

Second, on the public opinion front, the foreign press also plays an important role in information, propaganda, protecting sovereignty over seas and islands, and fighting against false and distorted arguments of hostile forces. In many complicated cases, foreign press agencies have clearly demonstrated their political mettle, professionalism and ability to respond quickly, contributing to orienting international public opinion correctly, creating consensus and support for Vietnam's legitimate stance.

Third, the foreign press has contributed to building and spreading the “Vietnam brand” – a country rich in cultural identity, with a stable political system, a favorable investment environment and a responsible member of the international community. Through press products, Vietnam appears not only as an attractive destination for tourism and trade, but also as a reliable partner in global issues such as combating climate change, maintaining peace, ensuring food and energy security, etc.

Last but not least, the foreign press also brings balanced and objective information about the world to the people at home. In the current context of widespread fake news and bad news, information from the foreign press about the regional and international situation is an effective measure to orient public opinion at home, helping people understand the truth about what is happening abroad, thereby enhancing understanding, increasing trust and support for the Party and State's socio-economic development policies and guidelines in general, as well as foreign affairs in particular.

It can be said that the foreign press is the extended arm of the Party's foreign affairs, State diplomacy and people's diplomacy. The close cooperation between the foreign press and the diplomatic sector has contributed to creating the combined strength of a comprehensive and modern diplomacy, as in the spirit of Resolution 59-NQ/TW of the Politburo on international integration in the new situation as well as Conclusion 57-KL/TW of the Politburo on continuing to improve the quality and effectiveness of foreign information work in the new situation.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bui Thanh Son took a souvenir photo with delegates at the intimate meeting between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Vietnamese press agencies on the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2025. (Photo: Tuan Anh)

According to the Deputy Minister, what are the biggest opportunities and challenges for foreign journalism in the current digital context, from the perspective of journalists?

In the context of widespread digital transformation taking place globally, journalism in general and foreign journalism in particular are facing intertwined opportunities and challenges, requiring journalists to have innovative thinking, strong political will and high professional capacity.

In terms of opportunities, first of all, digital technology opens up a global media space with an unprecedented speed of dissemination. Thanks to the development of digital platforms and cross-border social networks, foreign press can reach a large international audience, conveying Vietnam's messages more quickly, diversely, flexibly and effectively. Digital platforms also help save costs, optimize the content production process, and create conditions for multimedia foreign press products to become increasingly attractive and have high dissemination power.

However, the challenges are also enormous. First of all, the global information environment is dominated by speed and fierce competition for content. Fake news, untrue news, and distorted information about the situation in Vietnam can spread and have negative impacts if not promptly handled. This requires foreign press to not only be fast but also accurate, objective, and know how to create "leading content" that is persuasive and builds trust with domestic and international audiences.

Thus, foreign journalists in the digital age cannot stop at the traditional role of reporting and editing, but need to become "multi-platform journalists" proficient in digital content production tools such as video editing, graphic design, audio editing, livestreaming, trend detection, public opinion analysis, etc. The ability to produce multimedia content is no longer an advantage, but has become a mandatory competency.

Foreign journalists need to understand and operate well digital media ecosystems and social networks such as Facebook, X (Twitter), YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, etc. These are not only channels for disseminating information, but also tools for interacting with international readers, monitoring public opinion and adjusting communication strategies and methods to suit each region and target audience group.

Leaders of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs met with foreign representative agencies and press agencies residing in Vietnam on the occasion of the New Year 2025. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

Finally, foreign journalists need to constantly update their specialized knowledge, from diplomacy, international law, global economics to the culture of key regions. I hope that you will not only report on Vietnam, but also be “soft diplomats”, representing the image, stance and national identity on the global information front, integrating information into each press product in a skillful way, suitable to the reception culture of each public group.

In short, the digital age provides Vietnamese foreign press with powerful tools to enhance national influence, but also places high demands on the adaptability, creativity and courage of journalists.

I believe that foreign press needs to be invested more systematically in human resources, technology and strategic orientation, to truly become the core force in the foreign information and propaganda work of the Party and State in the new period. On the contrary, foreign journalists also need to constantly study and improve their political qualities, professional skills as well as the ability to use technology, to be able to maximize their capacity in a modern and constantly changing foreign press ecosystem.

Deputy Foreign Minister Le Thi Thu Hang. (Photo: Quang Hoa)

As someone who has been involved in foreign press work and writers in the "journalism village" for many years, what message or sharing does the Deputy Minister have for the press team in general and foreign press in particular before the 100-year milestone and the new development journey of the country?

During my career, I have had the opportunity to work with and accompany many dedicated journalists and writers. On the eve of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press, I would like to send my best wishes to all journalists nationwide.

This is not only an occasion to honor the glorious tradition of revolutionary journalism, the journalism founded and trained by President Ho Chi Minh, but also a moment to look back on the past journey, preparing for a new stage of development with many intertwined opportunities and challenges.

Regarding foreign press, I hope and believe that the team of reporters and editors, with their strong political will, sharp international thinking and unceasing creativity, will continue to be the vanguard on the foreign information front, contributing to deepening the friendly and cooperative relations between Vietnam and its partners around the world, firmly protecting national interests with the power of words and images. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will always accompany, support and closely coordinate with press agencies in this process.

On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I would like to send my sincere congratulations to The World and Vietnam Newspaper, one of the country's leading foreign press agencies, which has always maintained its identity, quality and reputation throughout its development journey. With a team of dedicated, professional, skilled and knowledgeable reporters and editors in diplomacy, I believe that the Newspaper will continue to be a "trusted address" for a large number of domestic and foreign readers when learning about Vietnam's foreign affairs.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/hoa-minh-vao-dong-chay-canh-tay-noi-dai-cua-doi-ngoai-viet-nam-318352.html