Making news
Party chief urges VNA to rise to new heights, worthy of nation’s trusted information source
Party General Secretary To Lam on February 24 urged the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) to maintain unity, promote innovation, and rise to new heights, worthy of its role as the nation’s trusted information lifeline and a pillar of social confidence in the new era.
Visiting and extending Lunar New Year greetings to the agency’s officials, journalists, reporters and staff at its headquarters in Hanoi, the Party chief acknowledged their steadfast dedication. While families across the country were gathering for Tet, he noted, VNA journalists continued to ensure an uninterrupted flow of information, providing comprehensive coverage of domestic and international developments, as well as timely updates on policy adjustments by major powers.
The event was also attended by Politburo members and Secretaries of the Party Central Committee Le Minh Hung, Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission; Trinh Van Quyet, Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation; Nguyen Trong Nghia, Chairman of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People's Army; and Pham Gia Tuc, Chief of the Party Central Committee's Office. Also present at the event were Pham Thi Thanh Tra, Secretary of the Party Central Committee and Deputy Prime Minister; Nguyen Van Hung, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; and To An Xo, Assistant to the Party General Secretary, in charge of the Party General Secretary's Office.
He highlighted the VNA’s recent reporting and images on the activities of the high-level Vietnamese delegation attending the Board of Peace for Gaza in the US, describing the coverage as a meaningful contribution to the success of this important diplomatic engagement. Such efforts also helped convey Vietnam’s responsibility and proactive engagement in issues of global concern, he affirmed.
On behalf of the Party and State leaders, General Secretary Lam expressed profound appreciation for the VNA’s historic contributions throughout the nation’s revolutionary journey, from the struggles for independence and national reunification to the ongoing cause of national construction and development.
He underscored that the VNA has the largest number of fallen journalists among Vietnamese press agencies, with 260 out of 511 journalist martyrs nationwide. Their sacrifices have become part of the nation’s lifeblood, ensuring that the public receives truthful and timely information.
The General Secretary also reaffirmed the VNA’s role as a key media agency of the Party and State, the Government’s “information bank,” and a vital bridge between the Party and the people.
Entering a new era marked by unprecedented information flows, the Party leader cautioned that rapid dissemination can blur the lines between truth and falsehood. In such a context, VNA journalists must be more steadfast, professional and humane than ever. Speed is important, but accuracy is imperative. Every VNA report should serve as a reliable anchor for society, policymakers and citizens alike.
He called on the agency to strengthen both domestic and external communications, helping to consolidate social consensus and promote the image of a peaceful, stable and developing Vietnam. Each timely article, precise word and compelling photograph can serve as a “digital ambassador,” not only reporting on the country but shaping international perceptions of it.
The Party chief also urged the VNA to proactively adopt advanced technologies, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), across the entire news production chain, from information gathering and verification to editing, distribution and archiving. Technology, he emphasised, is a tool that enhances but does not replace human. Journalists must master technology to avoid falling behind, while preserving the core values of revolutionary journalism.
He further encouraged broader information coverage across all regions, from urban centres to remote areas, from borderlands to islands, and stronger engagement with overseas Vietnamese communities. The voices, aspirations and initiatives of the people must be accurately and promptly reflected to responsible authorities, he stressed.
The Party General Secretary underscored the need to enhance coordinated actions across the political system and with relevant stakeholders to build a robust “information shield” - one that is proactive and resolute in combating fake news, malicious content and distortions, while actively promoting what is good, positive and trustworthy. Journalism today, he emphasised, is not merely about delivering news, but also about safeguarding stability and integrity in the spiritual space of society.
Expressing her deep honour for the visit, New Year greetings, and guidance from Party General Secretary To Lam and other Party and State leaders on the occasion of the Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival, Vu Viet Trang, member of the Government's Party Committee, Secretary of the VNA Party Committee, and VNA General Director, said the visit was a great source of encouragement for VNA journalists and employees at the beginning of the New Year - the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, ushering in a new era of strong and prosperous development of the country.
Reporting to the Party chief on the VNA’s recent achievements and key tasks ahead, Trang noted that the VNA Party Committee has focused on implementing directives from the Politburo and the Secretariat, led by the Party General Secretary, including strengthening Party building; organising a streamlined and efficient organisational structure; improving human resource quality; and accelerating the application of technology and digital transformation in Party work.
The VNA has identified as an immediate task in the early days of the year - developing and implementing an action programme to realise the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress, updating the VNA Party Committee’s action programme for the 2025–2030 term, and carrying out newly-issued Politburo resolutions and inspection and supervision programmes for 2026.
In January, the VNA successfully conducted a major information campaign on the 14th National Party Congress with the highest sense of responsibility, contributing to the success of the landmark political event, strengthening public trust in the Party’s leadership and the country’s bright future, and reinforcing international confidence in Vietnam’s independent, self-reliant, resilient, and confident development path, Trang stressed.
The VNA successfully fulfilled its role as the host national news and photo agency, organising the photo exhibition "Under the Party Flag - The Country Enters a New Era" at the National Convention Centre - the venue of the 14th National Party Congress. During the event, VNA produced more than 13,000 items in multiple formats - text, photos, videos, graphics, and podcasts and in different languages, including Vietnamese, English, French, Russian, Chinese, and Spanish.
The VNA’s special portal on the 14th National Party Congress, which provides free access, has become a trusted and widely used source for domestic and international media outlets and the public, offering timely, accurate, and comprehensive information. Interviews with foreign experts and scholars, along with compilations of international media and public opinion on the congress, were extensively cited and republished by news organisations.
Immediately following the information campaign on the 14th National Party Congress, all VNA news units shifted their focus to a key information drive on the election of deputies to the 16th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2026–2031 term. A multilingual election information portal was officially launched right on the 96th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3). The platform now serves as a comprehensive database covering all 15 NA terms, while continuously updating the ongoing election process being carried out in a rigorous and systematic manner.
Trang noted that in the first days of 2026, the VNA had its first external activity of the year by welcoming a delegation from Russia's TASS news agency led by its Director General.
In 2026, under a proposal submitted to the Government, the VNA will host the Executive Board Meeting of the Organisation of Asia - Pacific News Agencies (OANA), bringing together representatives from 13 Executive Board members which are major and reputable news agencies in the region. The meeting will provide an important opportunity for the VNA to promote the image of Vietnam and its people as they work to realise the aspiration for a strong, prosperous, and happy nation, while consistently upholding responsibility for peace, stability, and development in the region and the world, she said.
Throughout 2026, the VNA will focus on strengthening standardisation and connectivity with international partner news agencies, while simultaneously improving content quality to disseminate information about Vietnam’s development to global audiences more effectively.
During the recent Lunar New Year holiday, the VNA information units continued to ensure uninterrupted reporting and news coverage, including the particularly significant external activities of Party General Secretary To Lam in the US, Trang said, adding that information on the Party leader’s and the Vietnamese delegation’s activities was published promptly and accurately in multiple languages and formats, alongside comprehensive summaries of international public opinion and media coverage of this trip./.
