The Vietnam News Agency and Xinhua News Agency have jointly won first prize of the OANA Award for Excellence in News Agency Quality. The award was announced by OANA Secretary General Vugar Seidov at the closing ceremony of the 44th OANA Executive Board Meeting in Hanoi on April 19. Both agencies gained 28 points voted by the OANA Executive Board members for the Chatbot app of VNA’s e-newspaper VietnamPlus and AI Media Brain project of Xinhua.

At a reception for representatives of OANA members in Hanoi, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc highly valued the theme of the meeting “For a professional and innovative journalism”, and topics discussed in the framework of the event. These were typical contents in the current context of the complicated development of information in the world, the Prime Minister said.

He also said press agencies, especially news agencies, played an important role in contributing to promoting social development, enhancing solidarity and friendship among nations, and promoting peace in the world. Press agencies needed to modernize their operation and information production in the digital era, he stressed.

Addressing the opening ceremony of OANA 44, Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam highly valued the theme of the meeting and emphasized that innovative and professional journalism could attract a wider readership and consolidate the public’s trust, especially in the context of fake news undermining society’s trust in the media.

He affirmed that press activities that were promoted to become both innovative and professional would give more strength to press agencies to perform their duty of providing precise information, thereby helping bolster social development and build peace and harmony.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hosts a reception for representatives of OANA members. Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam with heads of delegations attending OANA 44: Photo: VNA   Panoramic view of the meeting. Photo: VNA VNA Deputy General Director Le Quoc Minh gives a presentation on regaining public trust in mainstream news. Photo: Doan Tan/VNA Discuss at a break. Photo: VNA   VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi and Executive Director of Emirates News Agency Mohamed Al Rayssi sign a cooperation agreement on the sidelines of the meeting. Photo: VNA   Deputy PM Vu Duc Dam and delegates visit a photo exhibition on the meeting’s sidelines. Photo: VNA VNA Deputy General Director Vu Viet Trang introduces VNA’s special website for OANA 44 to a delegate. Photo: Doan Tan/VNA   OANA 44 is attended by over 40 delegates from regional news agencies. Photo: VNA On the occasion, the Hanoi People’s Committee hosts a banquet for OANA delegates. Photo: VNA Chairman of the Quang Ninh People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Long presents a gift to OANA President Aslan Aslanov. Photo: Minh Quyet/VNA The delegates visit Thien Cung cave in Quang Ninh province. Photo: VNA   A tour to world natural heritage Ha Long Bay is organized for OANA delegates. Photo: VNA

Speaking at the event, VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi laid stress on the increasingly important role of news agencies in providing source information for press outlets and partners in the context that conventional press and social media are facing an environment of greater competition than ever before.

The VNA leader said that this was one of the reasons the OANA Secretariat and the VNA chose “For professional and innovative journalism” as the theme of the meeting.

Commenting on the theme and contents of OANA 44, Kakuya Ogata, in charge of external relations of Japan’s Kyodo News, said that the VNA chose particularly important issues relevant to fake news and other challenges facing news agencies for discussion at the event, which were also big problems for Kyodo News. He added that the meeting’s agenda matched the current context.

First Deputy Director General of Russia’s TASS news agency Mikhail Gusman stressed that it was time to use every advantage to develop mechanisms in the fight against fake news. The first step would be forming close ties among news agencies, possibly in a traditional alliance like the OANA, he suggested, stressing on the need to give a clear definition of “fake news”, along with legal arguments and regulations.

In addition to hosting the important international event, VNA worked with Hanoi and Quang Ninh authorities to organize tours around Hanoi and to world natural heritage Ha Long Bay for the meeting’s participants.

Expressing his love for Hanoi and Vietnamese people, Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Maxim Minchev said that not only Hanoi but also Vietnam had become a special destination in the world. He also recognized the sound preparations made for OANA 44 and its meaningful content to all news agencies. 

In terms of preparations for OANA 44, the VNA was successful in organizing this event, said Kakuya Ogata, in charge of Japanese Kyodo News Agency’s external relations, extending his sincere thanks to the host.