The three platforms to help press agencies in their digital transformation were launched on 12 January at a conference to review 2020 tasks and outline the agenda for the information and communication sector for 2021.
The Deputy Minister of Information and Communication, Phan Tam, said digital transformation is the trend for press agencies. In 2020, these organisations underwent big changes in their perceptions about digital transformation but faced several difficulties while implementing them.
First, they are prone to becoming victims of large-scale cyberattacks, which may cause serious damage. Second, they are sometimes led by fake and unverified news. It can be difficult to verify information and trends in cyberspace, or even impossible if there is no effective tool. Finally, the personalisation trend in receiving information also complicates matters, a press release quoted him saying.
Press agencies want to apply information technology in their operations, but they do not know where to start, or which products and solutions to use. To help press agencies solve these problems, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has built a programme to help press agencies become digitised.
Nguyen Thanh Phuc, Director of the Authority of Information Security, explained that in 2021 MIC will support press agencies to carry out digital transformation with three platforms. The first is the electronic editorial office management platform, moving all office operations to the digital environment, including the management of the publication process, internal management, two-way interactions with readers, traffic measurement, technology application, and content display. This will help prepare for the pay model for Vietnam’s newspapers in the near future.
MIC has assessed and selected electronic editorial office management platforms in the market, and for the first year will exempt fees for all basic modules and all infrastructure services, including hosts, transmission lines, and content distribution throughout the country.
The second platform analyses information and public opinion on social networks, thus helping press agencies grasp information quickly and provide information that readers want at the time they need. This will help the organisations reform their operations, improve competitiveness, and increase the number of readers.
The third is a platform to help prevent and fight cyberattacks and provide an emergency response. This will help create a shield for press agencies’ information systems and protect their operation in the digital environment.
If press agencies face serious problems, through the coordination and emergency response system, the ministry will implement technological measures and allocate resources to help press agencies promptly resolve and troubleshoot problems.
The country recently launched a new portal dedicated to dealing with fake news. As OpenGov Asia reported, the Vietnam Anti Fake News Centre (VAFC) was built and is operated by MIC’s Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information.
The organisation has been tasked with receiving online reports of fake news. The portal defines fake news as inaccurate, untested, censored information, appearing incorrectly in content, and spread via the Internet and other media.
The portal spots and discredits fake news and publishes correct information. It also actively detects information trends with a large number of sharing and interacting to evaluate, appraise, and label possible fake news. It also offers instructions to the public on how to recognise, prevent, and deal with fake news.
