The Birth and Development of Electronic Newspapers in Vietnam

spread all over the world. Some researchers have defined the present era as the internet era and proposed to use this concept to replace the concept of globalization. The internet is now commonly used through telephone lines, broadband, wireless, and mobile phones.

There are many names in the world such as: “online newspaper”, e-journal (electronic journal), “e-zine” (electronic magazine)…

In Vietnam, electronic newspapers are associated with the names of many electronic newspapers belonging to print press agencies, such as Nhan Dan Electronic , Lao Dong Electronic , Que Huong Electronic ... In the State's legal documents, the term "electronic newspaper" is also used. In Decree No. 55/2001/ND-CP dated August 23, 2001 of the Government on management and provision of internet services, Article 12 states: "Information services on the internet are a type of internet application service, including press distribution services (printed newspapers, visual newspapers, electronic newspapers), publishing publications on the internet and services providing other types of electronic forms on the internet" [41, p.2].

The term “electronic newspaper” is used in Article 3 of the 1999 Press Law. According to the definition in this Law, “electronic newspaper is a type of journalism carried out on a computer system” [84, p.2]. The term “electronic newspaper” currently in use is translated from the terms “Online newspaper”, “Internet Newspaper” or “Electronic Newspaper”. The most popular names today are “electronic newspaper”, “electronic information page”, “electronic online newspaper”, “ online newspaper” (in relation to the names of printed newspapers, radio newspapers, television newspapers, etc.); less popular are the names “internet newspaper”, “online newspaper” or “online newspaper”. The name “electronic newspaper” has been used in many legal documents of the State and has been almost recognized in practice.

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Electronic newspaper is a type of journalism built in the form of a website and published on the internet.

An electronic newspaper is a newspaper of a certain political or socio-political organization, which must be registered and approved by state management agencies before operating; is a political activity, serving the ideological work and interests of the Fatherland and the people; operates according to the Press Law. Electronic newspapers provide official, directional information sources, which are censored and strictly checked before posting, contributing to social management. The information production team on electronic newspapers are professional journalists.

Electronic newspapers are different from social networks. Social networks of social organizations, companies, economic units, individuals; may or may not be allowed to operate. Social networks - also known as virtual social networks - are services that connect members with similar interests on the internet for many different purposes (mainly for personal purposes), regardless of space and time. Social networks have features such as chat, e-mail, movies, voice chat, file sharing, blogs and society. Social networks refer to a set of connections between members in a community, while electronic newspapers refer to the form of content production and distribution. Social networks are virtual societies with two main components: members and connections between those members. Information on social networks is not considered a legitimate source of information like electronic newspapers, because there may be information with unhealthy motives and purposes, even not beneficial to the Party and the State. Social media information production teams are organizations or individuals who need information about themselves.

When they first appeared, most online newspapers were the websites of printed newspapers, only transferring news articles from printed newspapers to the online pages, which meant they were extensions of printed newspapers. Recently, the online pages of printed newspapers have changed, not only transferring news articles from printed newspapers, but also organizing and writing new articles to post on the online pages, which are read by more readers than printed newspapers. Independent online newspapers are not the websites of printed newspapers at all. These online newspapers are completely independent and autonomous in organizing and implementing news articles to post on the newspaper.

Electronic newspapers are a type of journalism in which information is transmitted by a combination of two solutions: information technology solutions and communication solutions. In the simplest terms, electronic newspapers are a type of information transmission - including: news, information and advertising (according to Wikipedia) on electronic information networks. Like other types of journalism, electronic newspapers are also divided into many sections with the meaning of orienting information collection for readers. The number of sections reflects the scale of the newspaper page; the content and form reflect the specific nature of the newspaper page.

2.1.2. The birth and development of electronic newspapers in Vietnam

The strong development of information technology is the scientific and technological premise for the birth of electronic newspapers. In turn, electronic newspapers promote the development of information technology, changing the face of journalism in many countries. Although the development of electronic newspapers in Vietnam has only reached the average level of the Southeast Asian region and is still at a low level in the world, its development has opened up great advantages for the integration and development process, but also poses great challenges.

In October 1993, the Journalism Department of the University of Florida (USA) published a special electronic news page on the Internet and considered it the first electronic newspaper in the world. Next, the electronic version of Hotwired magazine ran the first advertising banner, attracting the attention of the public, opening the explosion of electronic newspapers in the US and around the world such as the Los Angeles Times , the USA Today newspaper , the New York Times , etc.

In 1995, many Asian newspapers also appeared on the Internet such as China Daily , Utusan (Malaysia), Asahi Simbun (Japan), Kompat (Indonesia)... By mid-1996, the US had about 768 electronic newspapers, Europe had 169, Asia had 54, South America had 25, Australia had 20, Africa had 6. Since 2000, major news agencies such as AFP, Reuters..., television stations such as CNN, NBC..., newspapers such as New York Newday , Washington Post ... all had their own electronic newspapers and considered them as a means to

develop more press public. The number of electronic newspapers increased rapidly.

fast

In the early days, electronic newspapers still faced some barriers such as the small number of people with computers, technical limitations, and readers' fear of using machines... However, with the rapid development of the internet and its outstanding advantages, electronic newspapers have become an important utility, an inseparable part of the internet and modern society. Currently, most major print newspapers, radio and television stations are available on the internet.

In Vietnam, in 1997, the first online newspaper in Vietnam was born, the Electronic Homeland Magazine . This is a magazine of the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, published its first issue on February 6, 1997, and officially launched on December 3, 1997. The main target audience of this magazine at that time was the Vietnamese community living abroad, foreigners who wanted information about Vietnam, and interested people in the country. After the Electronic Homeland Magazine , in 1999, two major Vietnamese newspapers, Nhan Dan and Lao Dong, also put their websites online. Electronic newspapers have quickly affirmed their position and advantages since their inception. Since then, along with existing types of journalism such as print newspapers, radio newspapers, and television newspapers, the Vietnamese press has had another modern type of journalism - online newspapers on the internet, integrating all three existing types of journalism with many utilities.

Realizing the strengths of electronic newspapers, right after the launch of the electronic Que Huong magazine , a series of press agencies conducted experiments and published their publications on the internet. In 1998, the electronic newspaper Vietnamnet was launched; in 1999, the electronic Nhan Dan newspaper was launched, the Voice of Vietnam radio station connected to the network with the domain name http://vovnews.vn; in 2000, Vietnam Television launched an electronic news site. The years 2003 and 2004 were the time of the "explosion" of electronic newspapers and news sites in Vietnam. Printed newspapers were already very popular.

Famous newspapers in Vietnam such as Tuoi Tre City Ho Chi Minh, Thanh Nien, Tien Phong, Cong An Nhan Dan ... also launched electronic news pages on the Internet. Next is the Website of the Communist Party of Vietnam, in the form of a static website, which has put online an official database of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the political system in Vietnam. That is the entire document of the Party Central Committee (resolutions, directives, conclusions, announcements of the Politburo, Secretariat), documents of Party committees through the periods. Up to now, most of the major newspapers and magazines of the Central Committee, ministries, branches, unions, provinces and centrally-run cities have additional electronic news pages or electronic newspapers and magazines.

In particular, the emergence of independent electronic newspapers has created a new wind to promote the development of Vietnamese electronic newspapers. According to the report of the Ministry of Information and Communications, as of December 2013, the country had 92 electronic newspapers and magazines (including 20 independent electronic newspapers and magazines), the number of general electronic news sites of press agencies was 265.

Based on the nature and characteristics, electronic newspapers in our country can be divided into two types. The first type is electronic newspapers and magazines - the extended arm of printed newspapers and magazines, located in an editorial office such as: nhandan.org.vn ( Nhan Dan Newspaper ), quandoinhandan.org.vn ( People's Army Newspaper ), tienphong.vn ( Tien Phong Newspaper), anninhthudo.vn (An ninh Thu do Newspaper ) , Vnagency.com.vn (Vietnam News Agency), vov.org.vn (Voice of Vietnam Radio)... The second type is electronic newspapers licensed to operate independently such as the Electronic Newspaper of the Communist Party of Vietnam , VnMedia, VnExpress, Vietnamnet, VTC News ...

E-newspapers can also be divided according to the readers' access methods such as: popular e-newspapers ( Vietnamnet, VnExpress, tienphong.vn, thanhnien.com.vn ...) and e-newspapers that automatically update and synthesize news from famous online e-newspapers in Vietnam (without the need for editors such as Baongay.com, Thegioitin.com, Baomoi.com ...).

After nearly 15 years of formation and development, electronic newspapers in Vietnam have affirmed their position in the mass media system;

Newspapers have diverse and rich content, "eye-catching" forms, attracting millions of visitors every day, proving that this is an effective and useful means of information, at the same time performing well the functions of information, propaganda and education.

2.1.3. The current position and role of electronic newspapers in Vietnam

Firstly , as a form of journalism, but a new form of journalism, electronic newspapers have the position and role of journalism in general and some special features. Many advantages of journalism types are converging in electronic newspapers. Some electronic newspapers not only have great social impact domestically, but also have international influence. Electronic newspapers have the functions and tasks of journalism in general and some special functions. Electronic newspapers have become a rapidly developing form of journalism and increasingly have an important position in the mass information system in Vietnam.

Second , electronic newspapers play an active role in disseminating and propagating the Party's guidelines and policies; the State's policies and laws, effectively expanding foreign information, improving people's knowledge and meeting people's information and cultural needs. Although it is a new form of journalism on the internet, with good and bad information intertwined, and many changes in the audience, electronic newspapers are still a force in the Party's shock troops in the field of information and culture, together with printed newspapers, radio and television, doing well the task of being the voice of the Party, the State and a trusted forum for the people; actively contributing to the cause of innovation; contributing to the successful completion of the Party's and State's domestic and foreign political tasks; encouraging good examples, actively participating in the ideological and theoretical struggle, fighting against the plots and tricks of "peaceful evolution" of hostile forces; improve people's knowledge, protect and promote the nation's fine traditional cultural identity, absorb the quintessence of world culture; contribute to strengthening political stability, creating a democratic and open atmosphere in society; expand cooperative and friendly relations with friends around the world.

Third , electronic newspapers play an important role in meeting the needs of cultural enjoyment, improving people's knowledge, aesthetic education, especially for the young generation, contributing to the discovery, preservation, and promotion of national cultural identity, creating new cultural values, building modern Vietnamese people according to the requirements of the Resolution of the 8th Central Committee on developing an advanced Vietnamese culture with strong national identity; developing and socializing education, while serving the normal life of a large part of our country's population.

Fourth , electronic newspapers also play an important role in foreign information. Promoting the strength of being able to quickly reach anywhere in the world in the shortest time, without being hindered by the political goals of hostile forces against Vietnam, electronic newspapers, especially English, French, German newspapers..., are sharp weapons in the fight against "peaceful evolution" on the ideological front; promptly exposing the distortions and slanders of hostile forces outside and of discontented, opportunistic people inside the country. Electronic newspapers are becoming an important and most effective means of foreign information compared to other means of information and - in the near future - will become the leading channel of domestic and foreign political information.

Fifth , some other subjects such as students, officials, and researchers often use search tools on electronic newspapers to serve their study, research, and production work. Thanks to electronic newspapers - with useful, fast, and accurate search tools - people save a lot of time looking up and searching through books and printed newspapers, improving the intellectual productivity of workers. Electronic newspapers also effectively perform electronic services and accompanying commercial services, playing an important role in commercial exchange in modern life.

From these advantages, in terms of political and social information alone, electronic newspapers become one of the effective means of propaganda.

The Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws; are indispensable spiritual food for intellectuals, students, etc., including more than four million Vietnamese people living and studying far from the Fatherland and Vietnamese people residing abroad who lack information about the situation in the country and wish to communicate with their homeland and relatives; foreigners who want to follow the situation of innovation in our country through the press.

Electronic newspapers have gradually built foreign language information pages, mainly in English, such as: Nhan Dan, Vietnam News Agency, Communist Party of Vietnam, Vietnamnet, VnExpress, Que Huong ...

2.1.4. Characteristics of electronic newspapers in Vietnam

2.1.4.1. General characteristics of electronic newspapers

Born after other types of journalism, electronic newspapers have all the basic characteristics of printed newspapers, spoken newspapers, and visual newspapers (reading, listening, watching, or performing all three types of information simultaneously). In addition, with the help of information technology, electronic newspapers have completely new characteristics, raising the level of information to a much higher level. Due to the characteristics of the type of information on electronic newspapers, which can be accessed at any time, through many types of media such as text, still images, moving images, sound, or a combination of these media, news on electronic newspapers is often fast, vivid, rich, and welcomed by readers. Currently, readers, especially young people, often follow information through electronic newspapers more than through printed newspapers or television, especially with hot news such as accidents, football, music, outstanding events, etc.

With the above advantages, electronic newspapers have developed rapidly and strongly in many countries around the world. The development of electronic newspapers has also promoted the change in reading culture, especially for civil servants, reading newspapers online every day has become a habit of a large part of the population and the number of readers is increasing day by day. There are even opinions that this increase is one of the reasons leading to the "crisis" of printed newspapers. Electronic newspapers have not only attracted readers, but also attracted services.

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