Hanoi, January 11th – 13th, 2017, Vietnam Program for Internet & Society with Department of Journalism & Communications, USSH, Thomson Reuters, Vietnam Journalists Association and Suntory PepsiCo Company held the course “Newsroom Management and Live Reporting in the Context of Social Media” for 32 trainees being young reporters and undertaking management of over 25 news agencies in Vietnam. The course focused on providing new skills and experiences all over the world about live reporting and articles management in the context of social networks becoming a fundamental channel in news collection and transfer. The course also introduced integrating and improving trends of social media through internal and international cases. On that basis, the course expected to guarantee reporting standards and professional ethics under high pressures in the digital era.

 

On the opening ceremony, there were Nguyen Thanh Lam - Director of Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, Ministry of Information and Communications, Prof. Dr Pham Quang Minh - Dean of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Chairman of Science Board of VPIS, Ho Quang Loi -  Permanent Vice Chairman of Viet Nam Journalists Association, Victoria Rhodin Sandstrom -  Second Secretary of Embassy of Sweden in Viet Nam, Le Linh – Depute General Director of Foreign Relation and Communication, Vietnam Suntory PepsiCo.

 

The course was led by Timothy Stoker Large - Former Director of Journalism and Media Programes, Thomson Reuters Foundation and Assoc Prof. Dr. Vu Quang Hao – Lecturer of Department of Journalism and Communication, University of Social Sciences and Humanities with the sharing, specialized analysis of situations as well as challenges journalists facing up with in the dynamic age of social networks.

 

Firstly, Timothy stated that the biggest challenge of journalists under the pressure of social media is keeping professional ethics in doing reporting. Based on his experiences at Reuters, he shared how to operate the filter and verify news such as contacting a range of reliable sources along with investigating the first source of information… More significantly, journalists’ basic skills relating integration of social networks and reporting always combine with responsibility and morality. Based on this, he indicated Reuter’s moral absolutes such as: fast but honest, accurate, neutral; never pay for a story and never accept a bribe. For the mentioned justification, Vietnam newsroom might reference to build a code of conduct and clarify relation between reporters and social media so as to guarantee the role of journalism in the context of digital news.

 

Additionally, Timothy organized detailed practices for trainees to apply new knowledge to real condition. The class was divided into small newsrooms, using smartphones to report live and making both hot news and in-depth news. Supposedly, there were natural disasters and epidemic diseases with the spread and diversity of information. The emergency situation and time pressure requires reporters to quickly make strategy for distributing newsroom’s force, rapidly updating correct, worthy. exclusive news but still keeping calm and professional ethics. In evidence, skills to interview victims of disaster is analyzed systematically how to treat sensibly, humanely, how to express sympathy for ones suffering terrible loss.

 

In addition to the sharing about journalism ethics and global challenges of news environment, Assoc. Dr Vu Quang Hao discussed thoroughly the practice of newsroom management and live reporting in Vietnam. In comparison with international facts, Timothy provided an overview of media practice in the world 2016 based on information of the Digital News Report 2016 by Reuters Institute and updated new trends and challenges of live reporting in the time of social media in 2017.

 

After three days with many topics and interactive activities, participants satisfied with the exciting experiences and valuable lessons about reporting skills as well as keeping journalism ethics in the context of Digital News. Pham Quang Minh - Newsroom Manager CafeF said: “Actually, in the context of dramatical improvement of social network, many newsrooms have difficulty in managing and reporting, they are confused among a variety of information. A number of troubles haven’t been addressed? The course not only provides useful knowledge but also does create chance of exchange for journalists undertaking important positions in newsroom so as to share stories and challenges.”

Nguyen Thanh Lam - Director of Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, Ministry of Information and Communications