Vietnam Pictorial marks 65th anniversary

Hanoi VNA) – Vietnam Pictorial, a magazine published by the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), should continue its efforts to promote the image of a modern and dynamic Vietnam among international friends, VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi said at a ceremony marking 65 years since the magazine issued its first edition.

At the event held in Hanoi on October 15, Loi said that Vietnam Pictorial is a leading provider of external information services in Vietnam, and is the only print press product of Vietnam to make its appearance in many countries in the region and the world.

The magazine has been developed into a multimedia complex with print and online editions as well as social network engagement, he said, adding it needs to take on a more modern approach to spread information in a more effective and persuasive fashion.

According to Editor-In-Chief of Vietnam Pictorial Nguyen Thang, the magazine has printed 730 editions since the first edition was launched on October 15, 1954, with more than 50 million copies issued internationally.

At present, it comes in five periodical editions: the monthly print version in Vietnamese, English, Spanish and Laotian with 24,000 copies sent to readers in 150 countries and territories worldwide; and the online version in 10 languages - Vietnamese, French, Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Japanese, Laotian, English, Thai and Korean - with 15 million readers from 140 countries and territories.

The magazine also cooperates with its partners to publish Dep (Beauty) Magazine and the weekly Vietnam-Korea Times to provide information for the over 100,000-strong Korean community in the country.

Vietnam Pictorial has been honoured for its contributions to promoting Vietnam abroad with the Independence Order, first, second and third class in 1994, 2004 and 2009 from the Party and State.

The VNA is a government agency which functions as the state news agency. It publishes and broadcasts official information and documents of the Party and State; provides information on the Party’s leadership and the State’s management; and collects and provides news through various forms of press and multimedia for media agencies, the public and readers at home and abroad.

The VNA operates under the consortium model with 15 news units for domestic and foreign services (consisting of five editorial departments, two source news centres and eight editorial offices), along with five news support centres, a publishing house, two printing companies, the VNA representative office in the south, the VNA representative office in the Central – Central Highlands region; and functional units to support the VNA’s Director General./.