The National External Information Service Awards 2019 held recently in Hanoi attracted the participation not only of Vietnamese journalists but also of foreigners interested in the country, especially given the unprecedented situation facing the world and Vietnam - COVID-19.
While Vietnam was in the middle of its social distancing measures, Wayne Worrell, a British teacher, and his friends in Vietnam kicked off a project called “Vietnam We Thank You - Việt Nam cố lên”.
The project aimed at not only lifting the mood of those at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19 but also to introduce images to the world of Vietnam’s strong will in fighting the disease.
Wayne’s project touched domestic and foreign audiences so deeply that it received first prize in the “Initiatives” category at the 6th National External Information Service Awards, which saw the largest number of fo🍰r🅺eign entries.
Given that information on Vietnam is still limited around the world, articles and research by foreign scholars and journalists have delivered diverse, subjective, and reliable news on the domestic situation to foreigners and overseas Vietnamese.
The entries include an article by Indian journalist Rudroneel Ghosh published in the Times of India discussing the central role of ASEAN and Vietnam in settling the East Sea issue.
Despite growing in number, there could still be more foreign journalists competing at the awards. In order to encourage their participation, the Organising Board plans to target more foreign journalists in Vietnam, overseas Vietnamese, and foreigners with a special interest in Vietnam./.
