Attending the conference were Mr. Le Van Tam, Permanent Vice Chairman of Can Tho People’s Committee, leader representatives of Propaganda and Training Committee, Party Committee, Can Tho Department of Information and Communication, Can Tho Association of Journalists, and representatives of national and local press agencies.

Speaking at the conference, Mr. Do Hoang Trung, Director of Can Tho Information and Communication Department, highlighted that Can Tho’s newspapers associated with Vietnam press development, are constantly developing. Up to the second quarter of 2017, Can Tho has had more than 60 national and local press agencies having resident offices and correspondents in the city with about 1.000 officials and reporters. The press agencies have closely coordinated with the local authorities and unions. The press, including four types: printed paper, radio, television and electronic paper, plays an important role in implementing political tasks and becomes an essential information channel in social life to reflect in time political events, socio- economic achievements, security and defense of the city. In general, national and local press in Can Tho always develops both quality and quantity. However, there are still a number of press agencies, especially electronic papers and sub-publications running under trivial tastes, one- way and untrue information. The other press agencies are in the right ways but they are still slow in innovation of contents and forms so they are not attractive and effective in the propagation.

At the conference, the senior journalists, representatives of press agencies have shared many essential experiences on task of providing information and propagation. In the age of critical information competition as present, the press must ensure the objective and righteous as well as attract the interest of the community. The journalists must have stable political standards and professional competence. “Getting the beauty, throwing away the bad” does not mean propagation, one-way reflection, or just saying the good, ignoring the bad. The problem is to understand the nature of things in order to have a comprehensive and objective view. To do this, representatives of press agencies have suggested that the city and state management departments should create a favorable information environment for journalists having official information. Then they provide it to the public in the fastest and the most accurate way to build a wholesome information society.

In conclusion, Mr. Le Van Tam, Permanent Vice Chairman of Can Tho People’s Committee suggested that units and localities should closely cooperate with the press agencies to carry out the tasks of information and propagation and clarify the issues that the press reflects. Through the conference, he hopes the press agencies continue to associate with the development of the city, reflect the true situation of local activities. Basing on this, the city leaders will continue to direct the activities developing the city better.