Reporter Vo Manh Hung from VietnamPlus (middle) wins A prize at the National Press Awards (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuchas called on the mainstream press to strive to observe its basic tenets ofaccuracy, verification and speed in this era of growing social mediapresence and rampant toxic information.
He made the remarks during his opening speech at theNational Press Awards held in Hanoi on June 21 on the 94th VietnamRevolutionary Press Day (June 21).
Speaking of the difficulties facing the mainstream press from the intensecompetition of social media, the PM said that while social media has shown itspositive impacts, it has also aided in the spreading of disinformation,unverified and fake news that are threatening to overtake mainstream media.
The mainstream press has become a robust and trusted force of the State and theParty on the forefront of information and communication, he stated.
Discovering and combating corruption, wastefulness, bureaucracy, politicalperversion and moral decline, especially among Party members andGovernment officials also need to be among the press’ highest priorities,he said.
However, the Vietnamese Government leader also urged members of the press tokeep positive information in the public consciousness.
Fighting against negative phenomena must be done in a constructive manner andthe press has the responsibility to highlight exemplary models tospread the positive, promote consensus in the public, nurture the ambition of astrong and thriving country, the PM noted.
He conveyed his best gratitude and regards to the contributions made bygenerations of members of the press around the country and congratulated allthe prize holders this year.
With 18,000 accredited press members who boast high degrees of professionalism,knowledge, skills and can keep up with modern trends, Vietnamese reporters andjournalists have lived up to the late President Ho Chi Minh’s teachings, whosaid “your pens are the sharpest weapons in the combat against evils and thesustenance of the good.”
At the ceremony, PM Phuc and Politburo member Tran Quoc Vuong handed the topprizes to six of the best journalistic works.
They included an investigative piece on deforestation crimes by the VietnamPlusonline newspaper under the Vietnam News Agency, a series on Vietnam brand-namegoods by Nhan Dan (People) newspaper, a collection of articles on boostinglinkages in agriculture and an emotional TV series entitled “A lifetime wish”by the Voice of Vietnam on Vietnamese war veterans’ desire to locate theremains of their fallen comrades.
People’s Public Security TV channel and Hung Yen Province TV and radio alsoearned the highest praise for their investigation into the health benefits ofgold nanoparticles and a documentary on the efforts to reduce the harm ofchemical pesticides in the province’s famous lychee orchards, respectively.
This year’s national press awards honoured a total of 106 journalistic works,with 24 winning second prizes, 42 third prizes and 34 runner-up prizes, whichare deemed to have displayed great quality in both form and ideology.-VNA
