Press is key to building elegant and civilized Hanoians

THE HANOI TIMES — The press makes an important contribution to building a civilized and modern capital city with its own identity, said Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department of the Hanoi Party Committee Nguyen Huy Cuong at the conference "Press and Media Contribute to Building an Elegant and Civilized Hanoi" on March 24.

"By raising awareness of civilized behavior, beautiful lifestyles, and civic responsibility, Hanoi's media have been instrumental in building elegant and civilized Hanoians," he said.

A bridge between government and people

Many visual programs have been produced and columns written to encourage people to strive for a civilized and modern living environment, while still retaining their traditional identity.

Developing a civilized and modern capital from now to 2030, with a vision to 2045, requires elegant and civilized Hanoians. The people of Hanoi are at the center of the capital's development strategy and directly determine the success of the capital's rapid and sustainable development.

Do Phu Tho, expert of the Central Military Commission's Steering Committee 35 (for the protection of the Party's ideological foundation), affirmed the role of the media in creating a driving force for the development of the capital.

He said that the media is the bridge between the government and the people, reflecting the progress of life, promptly grasping the thoughts and aspirations of all strata of people and transmitting them to the local authorities.

On the other hand, the public trusts the press, which reports serious events and incidents instead of denouncing them to the authorities.

Do Phu Tho said social networks are no longer a trustworthy source of information and the public increasingly relies on the mainstream press to verify information, hence the role of the press in guiding public opinion.

Sharing the same view, Nguyen Ngoc Thanh of Nhan Dan (People) newspaper said the press has the role of guiding and shaping cultural norms of behavior. The mainstream media has spread good cultural behaviors family, in the community, and society at large.

Spreading good examples

Journalist Dong Manh Hung of the Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) said that mainstream media products are not really attractive and have not kept up with changes in public news consumption, especially among the youth. Many articles have failed to reveal new factors and new details, are repetitive and unattractive, and even fall into preaching and dogma.

Some mainstream media campaigns just sing slogans without proposing action. In the context of digital transformation, digital technology, and social networks are not fully utilized in communication work.

To make communication more effective, Dong Manh Hung believed that Hanoi needs a strong strategy to network the media, including specific work programs with each media outlet. At the same time, journalists should get more training to have interesting and inspriring stories.

"We can take advantage of social networks to reach out to young people; pay attention to building interactive applications on Hanoi's behavioral culture so that people can easily access them. Meanwhile, authorities must also take measures to prevent fabricated information that could tarnish Hanoians," said journalist Dong Manh Hung.

Tran Thi Van Anh, former Deputy Director of Hanoi's Department of Culture and Sports, appreciated the opinions of journalists and experts. "These are very valuable observations for the government and the media to adjust their communication. It shows that journalists understand and love Hanoi and are very enthusiastic about creating elegant and civilized Hanoi people," she said.