Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Phan Tam said digital transformation is the trend for press agencies. In 2020, press agencies had big changes in perception about digital transformation, but faced several difficulties in implementation.
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 on cyberspace, or even impossible if there is no effective tool. Finally, the personalization trend in receiving information also complicates matters.
Press agencies want to apply information technology (IT) in their operation, but they don’t know where to start, or which products and solutions to use.
In order to help press agencies solve these problems, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has built a program to help press agencies become digitized.
Nguyen Thanh Phuc, director of the Authority of Information Security, said in 2021 MIC will support press agencies to carry out digital transformation with three platforms.
The first is the electronic editorial office management platform which includes all office operations in 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 analyzes 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 press agencies 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 coordination and emergency response system, the ministry will implement technological measures and allocate resources to help press agencies promptly resolve and troubleshoot problems.
