“Short-form video, infographics, and podcasts are more effective than long-form text for communicating political ideology to modern audiences in Vietnam.”

The Son La Provincial Portal features infographics for communicating political information, such as the biography of the General Secretary and President, and information related to the National Assembly and People's Councils elections for the 2026-2031 term. This indicates the government's use of visual, concise formats for political communication.

A notable new feature of the strategy is the first-time requirement to develop communication content and messaging. This includes identifying the key pillars shaping Việt Nam's image, building a system of core and priority messages, flexibly adjusting them by phase, market and target audience and leveraging Việt Nam stories, role models, figures, events, initiatives and outstanding products across sectors, to spread the country's image and develop a national visual identity for Việt Nam. At the same time, the strategy establishes a comprehensive digital communications ecosystem, strongly applies digital technologies, artificial intelligence and big data in the production and distribution of communication content and builds a multilingual digital content ecosystem across cross-border digital platforms.

High-quality digital media products with wide reach will be important tools for shaping awareness, consolidating faith, and fostering revolutionary ideals among young people. According to the Central Committee of the Youth Union, despite significant innovation in methods, the core of ideological work remains the connection between theory and practice. One of the key solutions is to develop an official digital communication channel system, including platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, websites, and mobile applications.

Social media has fundamentally changed information flow in Vietnam, with 76.95 million users in 2022. The article notes that while YouTube was dominant in 2021, TikTok, a short-video platform, emerged as a replacement in 2022, indicating a trend towards shorter, more dynamic content for political communication. It stresses that political communicators need to grasp this trend to reach a wider audience.

In the context of strong digital media development, the use of modern formats such as short videos, podcasts and infographics helps official content become more attractive and accessible, while also creating conditions for young people to participate in creating and disseminating positive information. When properly guided, each young person will not only be a recipient but also become a “communication agent” contributing to spreading positive values in society.

In the context of strong digital transformation, cyberspace has become a new 'front' for ideological work, requiring not only the prevention of harmful information but, more importantly, the proactive creation and dissemination of positive values. From this reality, political and ideological education for youth is clearly shifting from a 'combating' mindset to a 'building' one, with a focus on leading the way with technology and innovating approaches.

Communication products such as short videos, infographics, and political analysis podcasts with a youthful, easy-to-understand style, while maintaining scientific accuracy, can become 'soft weapons' in ideological work, helping to spread correct values and create positive influence on social networks. However, the core remains to maintain political orientation, ensuring content reflects the correct views and guidelines of the Party, without 'softening' or diminishing the revolutionary nature.

The survey results show that both Infographics and Short Videos play a positive role in helping readers receive information in a visual, condensed, and attractive way. However, to maximize communication effectiveness, especially with young readers, newsrooms like VnExpress and Tuổi Trẻ Online need to consider making adjustments and further optimization. For the statement 'Short Videos help to understand content more clearly than traditional articles,' the average score was 3—the lowest of the three statements, indicating that while Short Videos are popular for being dynamic and accessible, they still have limitations in conveying in-depth content.

Psychologists suggest that the success of this kind of content lies in its simplicity and repetition. Short videos reduce complex political issues to a single claim or argument, making them easier to process and remember. Therefore, repeated exposure to the same message, even in a casual or entertaining format, can increase its perceived legitimacy. Younger audiences are more receptive to political messages when they feel authentic rather than scripted.

With an estimated 72 million Vietnamese on Facebook, the country is the seventh-largest user base in the world. This social media platform alone has created a virtual public sphere outside of and beyond the scope of the ruling Communist Party and its state-owned media outlets. The authors analyse the paradox of a complicated balancing act of digital participation in an authoritarian state.

Decision Lab's latest Connected Consumer Report for Q2 2025 reveals Vietnam's digital landscape entering a new phase of convergence. While consumers have continued to rely on familiar digital platforms, younger audiences have increasingly gravitated toward more interactive, video-driven spaces. TikTok has continued to rise as a key platform for Gen Y and Gen Z, reflecting a shift toward entertainment-led engagement.

Social media dominates their media consumption at 7 hours 38 minutes weekly, more than any other media type. And platform preferences are shifting rapidly, with TikTok claiming 42% of Gen Z as their favorite social platform, nearly double Facebook's 24%.

Research evaluates content from multiple publishers across platforms including TikTok, Instagram Reels, and other short-form video channels to assess how news and information are presented in condensed formats and their audience reception.

The popularity of social media in Vietnam continues to increase, highlighting the importance of political communication on social media to reach a wider audience, especially young people who are sensitive to technology and new media platforms. For example, many press agencies have used podcasts, such as VOV's 'Events and Discussions' podcast, the National Assembly's podcast, and Nhan Dan Newspaper's 'Ethnicities and Religions' podcast. However, political propaganda on new media such as podcasts and social media may initially face certain difficulties due to varying public needs, habits, and information reception on these new media.

Facebook, which was officially banned in Vietnam two years ago, is now the most popular platform for citizens to access a wide range of information and voice opinions. It has the most users in Vietnam, accounting for more than 75% of all Internet users. The Vietnamese are no longer hesitant to debate political issues and topics previously regarded as taboo or politically incorrect.

Precisely thanks to the voluntary formation of more plural, alert, and vocal publics through Facebook's constant and contingent feeds of the quotidian, intimate, and controversial stories of a common life, the collective momentum of political disruption is greatly strengthened. Facebook and the blogosphere thus well complement each other, albeit with different political functions and effects.

In February this year, the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) announced a plan to leverage the power of social media for a new way of policy communications. This prompted the Party to conclude that in some areas, the government communications were “not convincing enough” and must change from the [old way of] one-sided propaganda to “multi-dimensional interaction”. The implementation of this new plan is, however, hindered by very tight media control, the plan's lack of compatibility with social media, and the public's low trust in the government's messages.

Podcasting truly became legitimate - or at least more mainstream - when Voice of Vietnam (VOV) came into the mix. VOV is Vietnam's National radio broadcaster, directly related to the government. VOV has a rich history, dating all the way back to French colonial times, and was instrumental in transmitting state propaganda during some of the more turbulent periods of Vietnam's past. Their current affairs podcast has over 356,000 listens, while the financial podcast has over 240,000.

The National Political Publishing House Truth reported a significant increase in political-theoretical book revenue by 167.9% in 2025 compared to 2024, a rare surge in this field. While the publisher also embraced digital platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Zalo, and developed over 700 e-books and 210 audiobooks, the substantial growth in traditional book sales suggests a continued demand for long-form political text.

Survey respondents showed a preference for Short-form videos over Long-form videos. According to survey data 96 out of 123 Thai respondents watch short-form videos, demonstrating audience preference for condensed video content in Southeast Asian contexts.

In the wave of Podcast development, Vietnam has seized the opportunity based on digital technology platforms and innovative thinking in communication. Radio is a mass medium that emerged very early, quickly becoming important and popular with many advantages such as fast information, easy reception, simple listening devices, and vivid information forms using a combined audio language of speech, sound, and music.

Social media has also changed the online media environment in Vietnam. Distinguished from print and broadcast media which are controlled by the state, social media plays a role in independence of thought and discourse and thus becomes a new battlefield for political activity. It engages citizens in political discussions and social activism.

Short-form videos have helped TikTok become one of the world's biggest apps and gain a huge user base in Vietnam. Due to its popularity, other social media platforms have launched their own versions of short-format videos to capitalize on this growing market. He watched the video and ended up spending the whole night immersed in short-format clips as the algorithm automatically kept coming up with interesting videos. 'It entices me to keep watching. I have to admit that short-form videos are addictive,' he says.

Vietnam's political communication landscape is heavily controlled by state media and the Communist Party. Political ideology is traditionally disseminated through official channels, state television, and party-controlled newspapers. Modern Vietnamese audiences, particularly youth, increasingly consume news through social media and short-form platforms, but research specifically examining the effectiveness of different formats for political ideology communication in Vietnam remains limited.

This dissertation examines the role of media and the mediascape of contemporary Vietnam some 40 years after national reunification as provocation, palimpsest, and portent to a number of citizen-subject formations, sociopolitical negotiations, and cultural upheavals.

This book examines how social media, particularly Facebook, influences political participation among young people in Vietnam. It explores the concept of a "reactive public sphere," where social media provides a platform for discussing political issues but often lacks the depth and sustainability of traditional public debates. The book highlights how young Vietnamese use Facebook to express opinions, engage in political discourse, and challenge state narratives within a controlled media environment.

In the age of digital transformation, social media has emerged as a powerful force shaping various aspects of society, including journalism and political participation.

By leveraging new techniques such as long-form storytelling and interactive visuals, both outlets have rendered state-sanctioned narratives more accessible and credible to readers. Merging these outlets would narrow the channels through which state-aligned messages are effectively tailored and distributed, weakening the party-state's ability to engage diverse audiences, particularly digital-savvy young Vietnamese.

Long-form content provides a depth of information that is simply unattainable in short-form media. This suggests that for complex topics requiring nuanced explanation, long-form formats may be more effective at conveying comprehensive information.