Hanoi (VNA) – The National ExternalInformation Service Awards, in its ninth edition, has been held in a moreprofessional fashion in all of its stages, affirmed Doan Thi Tuyet Nhung, DeputyGeneral Director of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), a standing body of this year’sevent.

Talking to the press ahead of the award ceremony,scheduled for October 12 evening, Nhung, who is also Permanent Vice Chairwomanof the Awards Council, said entries have vividly demonstrated the country’smajor events, attracting domestic and international public opinions.

They have highlighted policies and guidelines of theParty and the State; the country’s achievement in politics, economy, foreignaffairs and human rights; the beauty of Vietnamese land, people and culture;and the Party’s ideological foundation, she said.

Organisers received 1,456 works and products, up 30from the previous edition, which reflects the increasing appeal of the awards,she said, adding that the entries have better quality, with diverse topics and attractiveformats.

Notably, those by foreigners have focused on Vietnam’sforeign policy as well as its position in the international arena,socio-economic development and people-to-people exchanges. Through the worksand products, foreign authors have shown their understanding about and deepsentiments towards the land and people of Vietnam.  

The VNA Deputy General Director emphasisedinnovation and modernity reflected in this year’s entries, explaining that authorshave utilised technology, AI and new media to satisfy information seekinghabits of different groups of audiences, especially youths.  

She unveiled that about 30 foreigners participatedin the awards, mainly in the categories of print and e-newspapers in foreignlanguages, with familiar names like SDPradhan and Rudroneel Ghosh.

Apart from those engaging in the externalinformation service, the awards has also drawn the participation of pressagencies in localities, research institutes, organisations, individuals,artists, experts and scholars, both at home and abroad, she went on.

According to Nhung, the VNA, which also initiatedand hosted the awards in 2014 and in 2018, has coordinated with the PartyCentral Committee’s Information and Education and the Steering Committee onExternal Information Service to ensure the quality and progress of this year’sevent.

At the launching ceremony of the ninth edition heldat the VNA’s headquarters in Hanoi in March, a video clip with Englishsubtitles reviewing outstanding achievements over eight editions andexpectations for this year’s event was screened, drawing attention from colleaguesand international friends.

The ninth edition’s press release and rules in sixlanguages (Vietnamese, English, French, Russian, Chinese and Spanish) and thevideo clip are attached with a QR code to popularise the awards, Nhung said.

On this occasion, the VNA displayed a collection ofphotos by its correspondents in Turkey, featuring humanitarian and reliefoperations in the country following a devastating earthquake, she added.

With 15 departments performing the externalinformation service and a contingent of correspondents in 30 representativeoffices abroad that have actively joined the awards, the agency has also workedhard to promote the awards in many languages, formats and platforms.

As a result, journalists from foreign news agencieslike Yonhap of the Republic of Korea and Prensa Latina of Cuba sent their worksto the organisers.

“It can be said that such organisation innovationshave significantly contributed to the success of this year’s event,” Nhungaffirmed./.