The
Malaysian National News Agency, Bernama, is considering reopening its bureau in
Hanoi to enable more first-hand coverage of developments and the economic
growth of Vietnam, said Bernama chairman Datuk Seri Azman Ujang.
He
said that 40 years after the war, Vietnam was now fast emerging as an economic
powerhouse in the region.
"We
are seriously looking into the idea of stationing a correspondent in Hanoi
again, and from there we will be able to cover Laos and Cambodia and Myanmar as
well.
"It
is a very exciting country now," he told reporters after a bilateral
meeting with Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee's Commission for
Communication and Education vice-chairman Pham Van Linh at the Bernama
headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
Bernama
had a bureau in Hanoi from Jan 21, 1994, to March 1998.
Earlier,
Azman and Bernama deputy editor-in-chief (general news service) Datuk Mokhtar
Hussain welcomed Pham and his nine-member delegation upon their arrival at the
news agency. The delegation is on a four-day official visit to Kuala Lumpur.
In
their discussion, the two sides expressed interest to enhance cooperation in
news exchange between Bernama and Vietnam News Agency (VNA).
They
also shared their country's experience on the evolution of the media industry
as well as the opportunities available as a result of the growing influence of
the new media.
Mokhtar
told the visitors that Bernama had reinvented and diversified itself over the
years to keep abreast of the trends and technology in the industry.
He
said that from its core business of providing news and information via the
wire, Bernama had grown to have its own TV service, the Bernama News Channel,
radio service, Bernama Radio, and lately, the Multimedia Desk.
He
said the notable trend in news and dissemination of information now was people
moving from text to pictures and videos.
"The
challenge is not just to disseminate news but to present it the way the people
want it. It is not only being able to communicate but also connecting with the
audience," he said.
Concurring
with Mokhtar, Pham said Vietnam's media industry, likewise, was going through a
period of transformation where competition was stiff between the traditional
media and the new media in growing the readership.
"Nevertheless,
the older generation is still loyal to the traditional media, while the new
generation is more inclined towards the new media," he said, adding that
that there were some 850 media outlets in Vietnam.
He
said that amidst the growing presence of the new media, the public will still
turn to the traditional media and official media outlets such as Vietnam News
Agency and Voice of Vietnam for correct and accurate information.
On
another note, Mokhtar, who is also the president of the National Press Club,
welcomed Pham's invitation for Malaysian journalists to make a familiarisation
tour to Vietnam.
--
BERNAMA
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