Guangzhou (VNA) – Deputy General Director of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Doan Thi Tuyet Nhung is leading the agency’s delegation to the fifth WorldMedia Summit (WMS) that opened in Guangzhou, the capital of China’s Guangdongprovince, on December 3.

Addressing a discussion on the media response to opportunitiesand challenges from digital technologies, Nhung said that besides theopportunities that digital transformation brings about, press agencies also face a strong influence of information on social networks, even the risk of being ledby fake news and lack of verification.

In the fight against fake news, news agencies need to asserttheir role in leading the mainstream information flow, providing accurate, verifiedand fast information with large coverage, thereby regaining public trustin official information, she said, stressing that news agencies must increasetheir presence on media platforms to dominate cyberspace and, at the same time, counter false information and raise public awareness, especially among the young people.

The official said that the VNA is developing intoa national key multimedia agency. The agency constantly promotes theapplication of technology and artificial intelligence in all stages ofinformation production in order to reduce human resources and costs, while diversifying distribution channels to improve information efficiency.At the same time, the VNA is one of the leading press agencies in digitaltransformation in Vietnam with modern and impressive information products, and also a pioneer in the fight against fake news and false news with manycreative initiatives and solutions, she added.

Nhung underlined that in order to seize opportunities andeffectively respond to the challenges caused by digital transformation, pressand media agencies must constantly be innovative and creative, while increasinginvestment in technological resources. Journalists must constantly improve andupdate new skills, she said, adding that the exchange, coordination and sharingof experiences among press agencies and media organisations on a global scaleis extremely necessary.

On the sidelines of the summit, she had a meeting with Vice President of Xinhua News Agency Yuan Bingzhong, duringwhich the two sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation between the twonews agencies, and to continue effectively implementing the professional collaborationagreement so as to promote the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategiccooperative partnership between Vietnam and China.

Themed "Boosting Global Confidence, Promoting MediaDevelopment", the event draws 450 delegates representing 197 mainstreammedia agencies, research institutes, State agencies and international organisationsacross the globe.

Hu Heping, executive deputy head of the Publicity Departmentof the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called on media outlets to promoteexchange and cooperation to contribute their wisdom and strength to building acommunity with a shared future for humanity and building a better world.

Meanwhile, Fu Hua, President of China’s Xinhua News Agency,called on media agencies to build consensus and boost confidence indevelopment, uphold objectivity and truth to enhance media’s credibility, anddeepen exchanges and collaboration to contribute to building an open,inclusive, clean and beautiful world that enjoys lasting peace, universalsecurity and common prosperity.

Participants also discussed a wide range of issues,including the role of the media in promoting growth and human security, as wellas the media response to opportunities and challenges from new technologies andmarkets in the digital era as well as global media cooperation for a betterfuture.

The event will take place until December 8./.