OANA discusses professional ethics in information

Since its inception in 1961 on the UNESCO initiative, OANA has become a major mass media floor for information exchanges in the Asia-Pacific region, with the participation of 44 news agencies from 35 countries, said OANA Secretary General and ITAR-TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman in his opening remark. 

This holds special value as the organisation’s member countries provide about 70 percent of the world news flows, he said, adding that the media picture of the globe depends on the daily efforts of the news agencies and their effective cooperation. 

Deputy Director General of the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) Le Duy Truyen delivered a speech on the changing face of mass media and enduring values. 

According to Truyen, information technology has changed a lot of things in the media industry. But it cannot alter the enduring values of the media, namely precision, objectivity, attractiveness and humanity. 

Today, VNA correspondents are required to equip themselves with writing and image shooting as well as filming skills. In addition, media organisations have to put huge sums of investment into developing their communication infrastructure and media applications so as to enable them to save information processing time and turn out user-friendly multi-media products that meet the requirements of consumers. 

“This, consequently, makes good journalism distinctive and adds prestige to media organisations,” he said, adding that “only true journalists with professional qualifications, passion and courage can fulfill the noble mission of the media”. 

He concluded that the human resource factor always plays a key and decisive role in creating outstanding press work, which consequently builds up the prestige of media organisations, while technology plays the role of a supporting tool to transmit messages to readers faster and more widely. 

In addition to profession ethics such as avoiding misunderstanding and ensuring privacy, participants also talked principles of processing information relating to terrorism, violence and natural disasters. 

The opening ceremony was earlier marked with a photo exhibition highlighting the homeland and people of the organisation’s member countries.