Technology cannot replace the heart, commitment and criticism of journalists

(Dan Tri) - Amidst the fluctuating information flow and the explosion of technology, every reporter needs commitment, a humane heart and a critical spirit to protect the truth and public trust.

The "backpack" of journalism in the 4.0 era

In the era of journalism 4.0, a reporter's backpack becomes a place to hold a series of devices, serving a fast, flexible and multi-platform working process: high-resolution cameras and camcorders; The smartphone integrates many functions; laptops process images, videos, documents at high speed...; even devices such as drones to operate in special conditions.

Advanced technology products and applications are appearing in many links in the news product production process, content management and press distribution.

The development of technology has helped devices become increasingly compact and smart and can temporarily "replace" offices and studios, helping reporters record, process and transmit information quickly, and produce high-quality journalistic products in a short time under different conditions.

A smartphone can replace an audio recorder, camera, camcorder, video editing tool, text editor, and live streaming media all at once. A thin and light laptop can become an editing table, a recording studio, a data storage warehouse, and a tool for connecting to the newsroom.

Thanks to that, reporters can take photos, record videos, record interviews, write news, edit images, edit videos and send articles right from the scene.

The backpack therefore reflects the changes in modern journalism. Now, reporters are not only news reporters but also have to be proficient in using technology, processing data, producing multimedia content and competing directly with the speed of information spread in the digital environment.

Therefore, a journalist's "backpack" is not only heavy because of machinery and equipment, but also somewhat "heavier" because of the pressure of constant updates, accuracy requirements and social responsibility of each reporter.

Reporters are not just "present" at the scene

Technology can help reporters approach events faster, without necessarily being present at the scene, but many important factors can only be felt and confirmed when directly present: These are the actual context, emotions of characters, community reactions, signs that can only be obtained through the reporter's perspective, observation, and professional experience - important factors that help reporters identify the authenticity of the incident.

According to journalist Pham Tuan Anh, Editor-in-Chief of Dan Tri newspaper, independent, multi-dimensional verification and on-site authentication are the most important professional principles.

Meeting characters and witnesses directly helps reporters verify multi-dimensional information, avoiding dependence on secondary data sources, especially at the risk of content that may have been cut, intentionally distorted, or with incomplete information causing the public to misunderstand the nature of the incident.

"In the context of fake news and misleading information becoming more and more popular, the need for on-the-ground verification becomes even more important. In particular, many issues and topics require the commitment of reporters, who need to persevere for a long time, overcome pressure and constantly search for evidence to clarify the situation. Technology can assist in collecting information, but the ultimate responsibility for verification still belongs to the reporter," he emphasized.

In her keynote speech at the Overseas Press Club Awards on the evening of April 21 in New York (USA), Associated Press Editor-in-Chief Julie Pace emphasized the urgent need for original, direct reporting in today's volatile information landscape.

"News will not be understood properly and fully without seeing it with your own eyes," Ms. Pace emphasized.

AP Editor-in-Chief expressed admiration and gratitude for war reporters who died in war hotspots around the world. According to her, a reporter's work requires a lot of time and resources, and sometimes entails unforeseen risks. The role of the reporter is the biggest difference in the information created on technology and journalism platforms.

Human empathy and critical thinking triumph over complex machines

According to Dr. Phan Van Kien, Director of the Institute of Journalism and Communication Training, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi National University, although technology in general and artificial intelligence in particular are developing at a fast pace and have widespread influence, there are still many human capabilities that AI can hardly replace.

One of the greatest values ​​of journalism is finding stories that society needs to know but no one has seen or no one has asked questions about. This is a competency associated with practical experience, social observation and professional responsibility of each journalist.

Second is the ability to interact with people. Each reporter needs to access news sources, build trust with the characters, reach different social groups and exploit information that pure data tools cannot do.

Third is critical thinking and judgment. In a world awash in data, the important thing is not to have more information but to know what information is valuable, reliable and meaningful to the public.

"AI can process data very quickly but does not really understand the context, social life and human psychology. It is the knowledge of journalists in many fields and personal experiences that has helped journalism become not only a profession of producing information but also a profession of explaining society and serving the public," Dr. Phan Van Kien said.

AI can imitate voice, style or storytelling, but that's just copying. Meanwhile, human creativity, emotions and personal experiences are limitless. That uniqueness makes a journalist's work more vivid, capable of touching emotions and evaluating issues in a humanistic spirit - this is also something AI cannot replace humans.

Beyond the scope of their reporting duties, each reporter also demonstrates his or her role by creating positive impacts on society, accompanying the community, contributing to spreading humanistic values, and connecting social resources to support difficult circumstances.

According to journalist Pham Tuan Anh, this is also one of the characteristics of modern journalism: not only reporting news but also creating positive impacts for society.

"I believe that in an era of increasingly developing technology, human values ​​become even more important. That is also the path that Dan Tri chooses: not only reflecting life but also contributing to making life better, through responsible and in-depth journalistic products that bring positive values ​​to the community," said Editor-in-Chief of Dan Tri.

Not only Dan Tri, public trust is the most valuable asset of any press agency. In a context where everyone can access information from countless different sources, what helps a newspaper maintain readers' trust is its consistency with core values: accuracy, objectivity, humanity and social responsibility.

From "worry" to the proactive spirit of mastering technology

Looking more broadly at the context of newsrooms, many technology applications, including artificial intelligence, have been applied in some stages of content production and management; Gradually build and perfect a multi-platform journalism ecosystem to fulfill its social role and serve readers.

Many managers commented: Technology helps produce journalistic products faster in repetitive stages; expand public access; in-depth analysis of reader data; Helps manage newsrooms smarter and safer thanks to continuously updated security software...

Many technology applications in the production of journalistic works and editorial management have shown positive effects (Illustration: Getty).

Not only in Vietnam but many news agencies and editorial offices around the world are also adapting to the trend of using scientific and technological advances and AI in management and production of journalistic products. There is no denying the positive applications of technology, but these applications still cause the press to make many debates about the nature of journalism.

AI can help reporters work faster but cannot replace writers in taking responsibility for posted content. According to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2024, the public is more likely to accept AI when the technology is used for behind-the-scenes work such as transcribing interviews, summarizing documents or translating.

However, they are clearly skeptical when AI participates in producing topical content, sensitive topics and major social consequences such as politics, conflict or social evils. This also clearly shows the readers' attitude in respecting and trusting the abilities and work of each reporter.

The question is no longer "Will AI replace journalists?" but is gradually changing to "How to adapt to both exploit the power of AI and protect the core values ​​of journalists in the technology era."

"I think that today, the commitment of every reporter is not only reflected in investigative topics and issues that reflect complex social realities, but also in continuously learning new technology, mastering data, multimedia, artificial intelligence and new media platforms to meet the increasingly high and demanding needs of readers," said journalist Pham Tuan Anh.

Just like persistently pursuing thorny topics, a proactive spirit, and accepting to experiment with new ways and forms of conveying information will help reporters no longer "worry" about technology, effectively applying it in producing high-quality journalistic products to serve readers.

AI can imitate storytelling, but cannot replace the emotions and unique impression of journalists (Illustration: Getty).

According to Dr. Phan Van Kien, in the future, AI and technology will partly change the work structure in journalism, requiring adaptation and application to each reporter's work.

"Like all areas of social life, journalism cannot be left out of the development of science and technology. Journalists who do not adapt to technology may face difficulties, but journalists who know how to effectively combine human intelligence and the power of AI will have many advantages in the new media environment," Dr. Kien said.