Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam chaired the ASEAN conference: Digital transformation of journalism and creation of digital knowledge held in Da Nang on Thursday.

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam speaking at the conference. Photo: M.Q

It was part of the 16^th Conference of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) meeting and related senior officials' meetings themed “Media: From Information to Knowledge for a Resilient and Responsive ASEAN”.

In his opening speech at the conference, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Lam said that digital transformation has revolutionised the way we live, work and interact with each other.

Globally, countries are facing countless opportunities and challenges as digital transformation reshapes every aspect of society, affecting our daily lives and work habits. This inevitable trend represents a huge breakthrough in economic, social and human development.

In that context, the media industry cannot stand aside. The digital transformation of media is not simply a matter of survival, but it is essential for the vitality of the industry.

The consumption habits of media users and the processes of content creation and dissemination have undergone a rapid and unprecedented transformation.

A new generation of consumers in the digital era has set the pace of adaptation and everything is up for grabs: market share, advertising, business models, intellectual property, storytelling methods, but importantly the ability to inform and educate.

Overview of the ASEAN conference. Photo: M.Q

For the first time, experts, stakeholders and regulators from ASEAN member states came together to discuss the important topic of Digital Transformation in Communications.

The purpose of the conference was to provide an open platform to share experience, policy advances and methods on digital transformation in the media sector. It laid the foundation for ongoing discussions and proposed initiatives and priorities for future cooperation.

In this new era, the role and mission of the media goes beyond simply disseminating information. It is about exploiting information as a driving force for development, converting information to knowledge and thereby adding value to society, while building a resilient and proactive ASEAN.

The conference featured two main sessions and an open discussion session on measures for ASEAN countries to join hands to promote the audio-visual industry in the digital age.

The first session was on policies to manage and promote digital transformation of press and media with sharing from management agencies of ASEAN countries on State policies and solutions in supporting and promoting digital transformation in press and media of each country. Heed will be on developing and promoting digital platforms for press and media; and sharing stories about press copyright protection on digital platforms.

The second session introduced good practices and successful models of digital transformation of press and media, as well as value experience from Vietnamese press agencies (VTVgo, VnExpress, K+ Television) and ASEAN countries.

Mr. Pham Anh Chien, Deputy Director of the Center for Digital Content Production and Business under the Viet Nam Television

At the first session, Ms. Ling Muang Pan from Myanmar stressed the need to build a new master planning strategy, including future strategic vision mission, long-term action plan, long-term technical infrastructure, and detailed communication plans.

Mr. Pham Anh Chien, Deputy Director of the Center for Digital Content Production and Business under the Viet Nam Television, revealed that the Viet Nam Television has developed the VTVgo app since 2015. The app has the ability to transmit dozens of high quality television channels online and thousands of hours of on-demand programmes.

The national digital television platform VTVgo was recognised by the Vietnamese Ministry of Information and Communications as meeting the criteria of "digital platform serving the people" from late 2022.

In the coming time, VTVgo will be the platform to transmit official content, keeping up with changes in behavior and television viewing habits of audiences in the internet era.

Reporting by MAI QUE - Translating by M.DUNG