Vietnam News Agency urged to continue with renewal

Politburo Member and Permanent Member of the Party Central Commitee Secretariat Truong Tan Sang reviews publications by the Vietnam News Agency. — VNA/VNS Photo Thong Nhat

HA NOI — The Vietnam News Agency needed to continue with renewal and remain a trustworthy, strategic information centre for the State and Government, permanent member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat and Politburo member Truong Tan Sang said yesterday.

The agency had served as the channel for Party information and provided fast and accurate reports about its policies, he said.

The Politburo member, who spoke with VNA executives at the agency's headquarters in Ha Noi Street, praised its implementation of Central Committee Resolution No 5 dealing with ideology, theory and journalism in the new period.

The agency had also fulfilled its responsibility to provide foreign news and improve journalism within the context of information technology's rapid development, he said.

But Sang emphasised the importance of further innovation as the agency responded to the challenges of global integration, especially the harsh competition for information in the country and the world.

The agency needed to provide greater variety and higher quality information to meet the demands of research agencies and policy-making organisations as well as ensure its role as the information bank for Viet Nam's media, he said.

Providing information to Vietnamese communities abroad and to other countries was also an important task.

Sang also asked relevant organisations to support the agency in implementing innovation, improving materials, technical infrastructure and finance so that both its domestic and international offices could work effectively.

Suggestions

The agency's executives raised proposals and suggestions for renewing the mechanism of instruction from the Politburo and the agency's method of co-ordination with the entire communication system so as to create social consent.

Vietnam News Agency general director Tran Mai Huong briefed the Politburo member about the agency's past operations and plans for the future.

These would focus on improving the agency's leadership and quality of personnel; developing new types of information, renewing the agency's structure and management methods and developing its potential. The agency employs 2,200 staff, including 1,000 reporters and editors.

It has bureaus in all the country's 63 provinces and cities and in 27 other overseas.

The agency has ties with 40 of the world's news agencies and media organisations and produces 38 publications. — VNS