Faced with fierce competition from social media and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), traditional journalism must innovate to better serve readers, guide public opinion, and strengthen public trust through high-quality information.

AI is no longer unfamiliar in the newsroom. Tools that convert speech to text, analyze keywords, suggest headlines, and compile data are helping journalists save time and focus more on creative content. Many young reporters are actively using AI as a practical tool in their work.

However, AI can only support and cannot replace the journalist’s role in capturing real-life experiences, emotions, and unique perspectives. According to journalist Xuan Quynh from Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon0 newspaper, the key is to use AI properly: “It helps save time on summarizing and structuring, giving us more room for creativity and in-depth storytelling.”

The advent of the internet and social media has reshaped the media landscape. Print circulation has declined, traditional television has lost viewers, and advertising has shifted rapidly to digital platforms. Many media outlets are facing financial strain, forced to downsize, while staff are aging and slow to adapt to new technologies.

Journalist Truong Duy Hoa, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Television Center in the Central and Central Highlands region, stressed that journalism cannot fall behind social media. Reporters and editors must rethink their approach, stay ahead of trends, and master digital tools and AI to remain relevant: “Traditional media must change. If we stay rigid, we’ll lose the communications race.”

Developing a multi-platform content ecosystem is considered a necessary path to enhance competitiveness in the digital era.

Vo Cong Tri, former Standing Deputy Secretary of the Da Nang Party Committee, emphasized that journalism must seek new directions to build trust with the public through diverse, verified, and objective information. According to him, the professionalism, integrity, and identity of each newsroom depend on the quality and commitment of its journalists.

From a media management perspective, Doan Xuan Hieu, Editor-in-Chief of Da Nang Newspaper and Radio & Television, said that while AI and related technologies are evolving rapidly, they do not eliminate jobs.

The real risk lies with those who fail to adapt and fall behind. “No matter how advanced technology becomes,” he noted, “the soul of human creativity, our sense of beauty, truth, and virtue cannot be replicated- what we call the soul of journalism- cannot be replaced by AI.

It is this pure heart and unwavering moral spirit that young journalists must carry forward even as they embrace new tools in the digital age.

Vietnam's Artificial Intelligence Day drives AI innovation, collaboration

The Vietnam Artificial Intelligence Day 2024 (AI4VN) opened in Hanoi on August 23 with a plenary session highlighting the remarkable strides made by Vietnam in artificial intelligence (AI).