On February 7th, Mr. Triệu Thế Hùng, Deputy Head of the Culture and Education Committee, chaired a meeting between the Standing Committee and the Vietnam Journalists Association regarding the draft amendment to the Press Law. This meeting aimed to review the draft law to ensure it aligns with current practices.
I. The Importance of Journalism in Society
Journalism is an essential tool in social life, serving as the voice of the Party, State, political-social organizations, and the people’s forum. The activities of journalism have always been of significant concern to the Party and State, supported by various policies. However, in today’s context, the practical operations of journalism have changed, necessitating updates and adjustments.
*Mr. Triệu Thế Hùng: Studying integrated press-media models – 1*Deputy Head of the Culture and Education Committee, Mr. Triệu Thế Hùng (Photo: Hồng Phong)
II. Prominent Issues in Current Journalism Practices
1. Economic Challenges and Journalists’ Livelihood
Mr. Triệu Thế Hùng emphasized that the economic aspect of journalism must both provide resources for better operations and ensure the livelihood of journalists. This is crucial because many media outlets are currently facing financial difficulties, impacting the quality of their work.
2. Researching Integrated Press-Media Models
Mr. Triệu Thế Hùng also mentioned the need to study integrated press-media models. These models will allow media outlets to leverage multiple communication channels, thereby enhancing their effectiveness. This approach will help media outlets meet readers’ demands in the digital age.
*Mr. Triệu Thế Hùng: Studying integrated press-media models – 2*After 8 years, the Press Law has become outdated, making its revision urgent (Illustrative photo: Mạnh Quân)
III. Inadequacies in the 2016 Press Law
1. Lack of Mention of New Media Outlets
Representatives from the Vietnam Journalists Association noted that the 2016 Press Law does not address new types of media outlets such as media conglomerates, integrated media groups, and converged newsrooms. This has caused difficulties for media outlets in applying the law to their operations. Therefore, specifying these models in the revised Press Law is necessary.
2. Absence of Regulations on Editorial Policies
The 2016 Press Law lacks specific regulations requiring media outlets, journalists, and journalistic activities to adhere to editorial policies. This has led to violations in adhering to these policies. Adding such regulations would help ensure the legitimacy and credibility of journalism.
3. Effectiveness of Representative Offices and Correspondents
Due to the lack of specific regulations on the coordination mechanism between representative offices and state management bodies for the press, local journalist associations, the effectiveness of these offices has been low, making it difficult to handle violations. Improving these regulations would enhance cooperation and oversight, ensuring that press activities comply with the law.
IV. Proposals for Press Law Amendments
1. Expanding the Scope of Regulation
The Vietnam Journalists Association proposes expanding the scope of regulation to include social networks. This would enable new media outlets to request assignments or tasks for content published on these platforms. This would require standards and principles for operation, enhancing the legitimacy and credibility of social media managed by media outlets.
2. Restricting Licenses for General Information Portals
Regarding general information portals, the Vietnam Journalists Association suggests restricting the issuance of licenses. This would ensure the quality and legitimacy of these online platforms.
3. Incorporating New Media Outlet Models
The Vietnam Journalists Association proposes incorporating new models such as media conglomerates, integrated press-media groups, and digital journalism. This would allow media outlets to develop under these models, meeting readers’ needs in the digital age.
*Mr. Triệu Thế Hùng: Studying integrated press-media models – 3*Mr. Nguyễn Đức Lợi, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association (Photo: Trần Hải)
4. Clarifying Types of Journalism and Establishment Conditions
Mr. Nguyễn Đức Lợi, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association, highlighted several critical issues that need to be addressed in the Press Law. He proposed clearly defining types of journalism and media models, establishing conditions for setting up media outlets, and becoming a journalist. This would ensure the quality and professionalism of journalism.
5. Enhancing Journalism Economics
Regarding journalism economics, the leadership of the Vietnam Journalists Association suggested studying mechanisms for social media platforms like Google and Facebook to share advertising revenue derived from using journalistic content. Many countries have implemented this, but it has not yet been done in Vietnam.
V. Conclusion
The revised Press Law draft is expected to address existing inadequacies and improve the effectiveness of journalism. It is anticipated that the draft will be reviewed by the National Assembly at the 9th session (in May) and approved at the 10th session (in October). With the participation of relevant authorities and the journalism community, the revised Press Law is hoped to meet the development needs and protect the rights of journalists.
