Project Leader: Dr. Dinh Thi Thuy Hang
Recipient Institution: Institute of Journalism & Communication Ho Chi Minh National Political Academy
Amount: USD 19 269
Duration: 16 Months
Commencement Date: August 2005

Project Abstract

Key contributors of ICTs to journalism are in: (a) providing updates of news, such as the tsunami disaster in December 2004; (b) expanding accessibility to global information resources; (c) enhancing connectivity among journalists, their sources and readers, thus journalistic accountability; and (d) catalysing fundamental changes in the dissemination of public interest news and participatory politics, specifically in developing countries. While the offspring of ICTs - the Internet - has been widely used by governments in Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia in disseminating its party politics, the systematic integration of ICTs into the news industry is not evident. This proposal is a direct response to the lack of research on ICTs’ effects on the Indochinese media, which today are operating in an increasingly free market economy. The three countries are selected because they share similar political history and economic experience.

This research will survey the current ICT infrastructure in the media, and how ICTs have been integrated into the media industry. It will identify the strategic applications of ICTs in expanding the reporting of public interest issues in a state-controlled media environment. The expected outputs are: (1). An assessment of ICT application needs by Indochinese journalists; (2) a profile of the journalists’ strengths, limitations and opportunities in ICT application; (3) an industry report on existing ICT support systems for journalists; (4) a regional training and education model for ICT-assisted journalism. (5) a learning resource manual; and (6) a 30-minute edited digital video recording of interviews with journalists and government representatives.