Hanoi (VNA) - Over the past 80 years, the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) has accompanied the nation, serving as both an official news agency and a bridge for the world to better understand Vietnam and its people.

Along this journey, many international journalists and lecturers have had opportunities to engage, collaborate, and develop strong bonds with the VNA.

Speaking to a VNA correspondent in Brussels about his return to Vietnam last November to provide in-person training on artificial intelligence (AI) for VNA journalists and editors, David Grunewald, a lecturer at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), said his first impression was the remarkable dynamism and youthful spirit rarely seen in an agency approaching 80. According to him, the VNA’s strength lies in its constant efforts to innovate communication methods. Rather than viewing digital platforms as a threat, the VNA sees them as a major opportunity to reach new audiences.

The AI lecturer observed that many media corporations worldwide consider YouTube a threat, but the agency see it as a chance to expand the reach of its reports. Beyond TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook, developing dedicated YouTube channels is a very forward-thinking direction, he added.

If Grunewald was impressed by the VNA’s youthful spirit, journalist Alain Gerard, Editor-in-Chief of l’Attitude magazine, viewed the agency from another perspective: its stature and role in international connectivity. According to Gerard, with about 30 overseas bureaus and more than 30 domestic offices, the VNA not only delivers information nationwide but also creates an extensive network of linkages.

Reflecting on his training sessions at the VNA since 2019, Gerard said he was particularly impressed by the visible transformation of its reporters, adding that their curiosity, openness, and desire to master information have grown stronger, not stopping at mere replication, but striving to assert themselves through high-quality works.

In the increasingly fierce global information landscape, journalist Alain Thomas highlighted the VNA’s importance as the nation’s “information shield.” He emphasised that in the global media world, where information knows no borders and competition is intense, the role of national news agencies becomes all the more vital. The VNA is not only the key unit providing mainstream news, but also the one that safeguards national interests, image, and sovereignty on the information front.

ꦺ As a colleague of the VNA’s resident correspondents working at the European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), Japanese journalist Nagayo Taniguchi offered a unique perspective. For him, what is most admirable about VNA journalists is their patience and proactive spirit in producing each news piece, even at a time when global journalism is increasingly driven by automation./.