To Lam,
General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee,
President of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
After more than a century of accompanying the nation, Vietnamese revolutionary press is entering a very new and different period of development in almost all aspects. The digital space has become an essential element of daily life. Digital technology, big data, artificial intelligence, social networks, and cross-border communication platforms have fundamentally changed how information is created, distributed, received, and verified.
Today, people learn, work, communicate, buy, sell, entertain, express opinions, and participate in social issues through online platforms. The rapid and diverse flow of information brings great opportunities for the dissemination of knowledge, for social democracy, and for innovation. Major Party guidelines, new state policies, and positive information can reach tens of millions of people simultaneously through various forms and means. Technology helps bring the press closer to the people and receive feedback more quickly.
Today, people learn, work, communicate, shop, entertain, express their opinions, and participate in social issues through online platforms.
Today, people learn, work, communicate, shop, entertain, express their opinions, and participate in social issues through online platforms.
However, the online environment also makes information life more complex and easily influenced by fleeting emotions, misinformation, algorithmic manipulation, and deliberate information dissemination activities. Fake news, half-true and half-false information, ambiguity, fake images and sounds, AI-generated content, copyright infringement, cyberattacks, and data theft are becoming increasingly sophisticated. False information can spread far before the truth can be verified. The manipulation and editing of public statements can damage the reputation of individuals and organisations and may even affect the people's trust in the policies of the Party and state.
In the new media order, the press no longer holds a near-monopoly on news dissemination. By the end of 2025, Viet Nam had approximately 85.6 million internet users, equivalent to 84.2% of the population, with about 79 million social media user identities. According to the latest statistics, the total number of Vietnamese accounts using domestic social media is about 110 million, while accounts on foreign social media platforms number around 203 million. Such a digital environment gives the press both the opportunity to reach a wider audience than ever before as well as the need to compete directly with the enormous volume of content created by platforms and users every hour and every minute.
General Secretary and President To Lam
General Secretary and President To Lam
In the digital space, virtually anyone can publish information. Social media accounts can all exert influence within certain communities.
However, these changes do not diminish the role of Viet Nam’s revolutionary press. On the contrary, the more abundant information becomes, the more society needs trusted sources to distinguish what is true, what still requires verification, and what may merely reflect crowd sentiment or deliberate manipulation. This demands professionalism, a serious commitment to journalistic ethics, and resilience under all forms of pressure. Journalism must be a place where the public turns for reliable verification, not one that simply follows trends. Society needs a trusted source to understand the truth accurately. Citizens need to know what has happened, why it happened, who is affected, where responsibility lies, and what evidence-based solutions are available.
The digital space also requires journalistic works that are rich in data, diverse in content, innovative in presentation, and profound in policy analysis. Many of today’s issues – from digital transformation, green transition, and administrative reform to social welfare policies and fluctuations in the global economy – are difficult to comprehend through fragmented pieces of information alone. Therefore, the responsibility of the press is not merely to be faster, but above all to be more accurate, more insightful, and more useful.
From this requirement, digital transformation in journalism cannot be reduced to launching additional online platforms, opening social media accounts or investing in modern equipment. It requires a comprehensive overhaul of leadership thinking, newsroom models, production workflows, data management, content distribution, audience measurement, media economics and professional culture. Digital journalism is not traditional journalism operating on a new platform; it is a new way of organising journalism in a new environment.
Within newsrooms, every story should be treated as an information product with clearly defined objectives.
Within newsrooms, every story should be treated as an information product with clearly defined objectives. Regardless of format or platform, all content must adhere to the same standards: accuracy, humanity, verification and accountability.
All forms of journalism, regardless of platform, must adhere to the same standards: accuracy, humanity, verification and accountability. Credibility cannot be maintained on flagship platforms while being compromised elsewhere. The more diversified the media landscape becomes, the more essential it is to uphold consistent editorial standards across all channels.
In the digital age, data has become a cornerstone of modern journalism. It is more than a collection of figures, it underpins fact-checking and enables news organisations to produce more persuasive, comprehensive and evidence-based reporting. Leading international media outlets invest heavily in data infrastructure and dedicate significant resources to data management. When properly collected and governed, data strengthens journalistic credibility and helps identify emerging issues at an early stage.
Another critical challenge is maintaining autonomy in an environment increasingly shaped by global digital platforms. News organisations must reach audiences wherever they are, but cannot afford to become dependent on external algorithms. An excessive focus on clicks and recommendation systems risks eroding control over audience data, content distribution and editorial identity, while leaving publishers vulnerable to sudden algorithmic changes. Digital sovereignty requires media organisations not only to leverage global platforms, but also to develop their own distribution channels, reader communities, proprietary data assets and trusted brands.
In this context, national information sovereignty must be recognised as a strategic priority, with the revolutionary press playing a leading role in safeguarding it. Protecting information sovereignty does not mean closing off from the world. Rather, Viet Nam needs a strong digital external communications ecosystem that is multilingual, multimedia-driven and capable of presenting the country’s message to international audiences in a modern and engaging way. The achievements of national renewal, cultural heritage and Viet Nam’s independent, self-reliant, peaceful and cooperative foreign policy should be communicated through compelling storytelling supported by credible data.
To fulfil this mission, the press requires sustainable resources. A viable digital media economy is not at odds with the values and objectives of revolutionary journalism. Without adequate resources, media organisations will struggle to invest in technology, protect intellectual property, develop talent and retain skilled professionals. At the same time, commercial considerations must remain subordinate to journalistic purpose. Revenue generation should not drive sensationalism, clickbait, intrusion into private lives or the commercialisation of political and social information. New revenue streams—from digital subscriptions and content licensing to data services and specialist products—will be essential if journalism is to continue investing in high-quality reporting, investigative work, in-depth analysis, fact-checking and copyright protection.
Copyright in journalism must also be rigorously protected in both the digital and AI environments. Journalistic content is the product of creative labour, reporting, verification, editing, financial investment, and legal responsibility. Unauthorised copying, modification, exploitation, aggregation, and commercialisation undermine the economic foundations of journalism. Protecting copyright means protecting legitimate labour and the quality of information in society.
Ultimately, the core issue remains people. Every orientation and strategy depends on them. Journalists in the digital era must master data, digital tools, social media, open-source information, and information security standards. The more tools available, the greater the need for professional integrity. Journalists must avoid publishing before verification or being dictated by social media. They must never sacrifice credibility in pursuit of higher viewing figures. Before publishing any journalistic work, journalists should ask themselves three questions: Is it accurate? Is it necessary? Is it beneficial to society?
Journalists in the digital era must master data, digital tools, social media, open-source information, and information security standards. The more tools available, the greater the need for professional integrity. Journalists must avoid publishing before verification or being dictated by social media. They must never sacrifice credibility in pursuit of higher viewing figures.
Leaders of news organisations must also evolve. Editors-in-chief in digital newsrooms are no longer merely content gatekeepers; they must shape strategies relating to products, data, audiences, technology, and human resources. News organisations need a new working culture — professional, disciplined in verification, responsive, open to innovation, willing to experiment, but uncompromising on standards. Retraining journalists should become a regular task, focusing on digital verification, data security, multi-platform journalism, AI ethics, and compliance with intellectual property laws.
With the Law on the Press No. 126/2025/QH15 set to take effect on July 1, 2026, finalising the institutional framework for digital journalism is essential. The framework must protect lawful journalistic activities, encourage innovation, create favourable conditions for digital newsrooms, the digital news economy, and data journalism, while safeguarding copyright and promoting the responsible use of AI. At the same time, strict discipline in journalism must be maintained, and violations relating to information, professional ethics, or the misuse of journalism for personal gain must be addressed promptly.
An urgent task is to build information verification capacity on a national scale. There must be close coordination among regulatory authorities, leading media organisations, technology experts, educational institutions, platform companies and the wider community to detect, verify, warn against and counter fake news, fabricated statements, forged images of state agencies and information-disruption campaigns. Such a network must operate swiftly, follow clear procedures, and rely on data and evidence to convince the public.
Throughout the process of reforming the press, the public must remain at the centre. Today’s digital audiences do not merely consume information; they regularly provide feedback, ask questions, verify information independently, offer suggestions, contribute data and demand greater transparency from the media. The press must listen, but not be driven by every fleeting emotion; it must respect debate while never tolerating harmful information. When engaging younger audiences, journalism may innovate through appropriate language, formats and platforms, but it must never lower professional standards.
Party General Secretary and President To Lam addresses a meeting with 101 outstanding journalists and recipients of the National Press Awards over the years, on the occasion of the 101st anniversary of Viet Nam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925– 2026).
Party General Secretary and President To Lam addresses a meeting with 101 outstanding journalists and recipients of the National Press Awards over the years, on the occasion of the 101st anniversary of Viet Nam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925– 2026).
Viet Nam’s revolutionary press in the digital era must therefore strike a harmonious balance between political steadfastness and technological capability, between revolutionary ideals and innovative thinking, between a fighting spirit and humanistic values, and between national responsibility and international integration. Mastering the digital space cannot be achieved through slogans alone; it must begin with every newsroom, every verification process, every data repository, every journalistic product, every training programme and every journalist’s conduct towards the public.
Press agencies must become modern digital newsrooms, centres of data and knowledge, and trusted destinations for the people. Journalists must continue to serve as frontline soldiers on the ideological, cultural and digital information front, demonstrating firm political conviction, professional integrity, deep humanity and technological proficiency.
On the occasion of Viet Nam Revolutionary Press Day, I hope that every press agency and every journalist will transform the revolutionary tradition into a driving force for innovation. Press agencies must become modern digital newsrooms, centres of data and knowledge, and trusted destinations for the people. Journalists must continue to serve as frontline soldiers on the ideological, cultural and digital information front, demonstrating firm political conviction, professional integrity, deep humanity and technological proficiency. With such a vision, I am confident that Viet Nam’s revolutionary press will continue to make worthy contributions to the cause of serving the Fatherland and the people in the digital age.