Journalism ethics becomes even more important as society faces the rapid spread of fake news and misinformation through cyberspace.
 |
| National Assembly Deputy Bui Hoai Son believes that journalistic ethics not only affect the journalism industry but also affect society in general. (Source: Quochoi) |
That is the opinion of National Assembly Deputy Bui Hoai Son, Standing Member of the National Assembly's Culture and Education Committee, with The World and Vietnam Newspaper on the occasion of the anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21).
As a National Assembly member, how do you view the importance of journalistic ethics today?
I believe that journalistic ethics still play an important and necessary role in today's society. The press plays a central role in providing information to the public and helping to shape people's views and opinions. From there, it builds trust in the Party and the State, contributing to the sustainable development of the country.
The importance of journalistic ethics lies in ensuring the integrity, honesty and reliability of the information published. It requires journalists to adhere to professional principles and standards, such as independence, objectivity, equality, and respect for privacy. Journalists need to ensure that the information they provide is accurate, verifiable and not influenced by personal interests or specific interest groups.
Journalism ethics also require honesty and transparency in handling information. Journalists need to disclose the source of information and avoid insulting or distorting the truth.
Journalistic ethics are becoming more important as society faces the rapid spread of fake news and misinformation through social media and other online platforms. In this context, journalists have a responsibility to ensure that the information provided is reliable and valuable, guiding public opinion in the right direction.
Journalism ethics affect not only journalism but also society at large. Ethical journalism can help promote transparency, fairness and the general welfare, while also checking power and preventing its abuse.
Therefore, the importance of journalistic ethics must be respected and promoted in today's society. We need to support and encourage journalists to adhere to professional ethics to ensure quality and responsible journalism.
The Vietnamese press is increasingly affirming the irreplaceable role of journalism in the digital media era. In a healthy press, how is ethics necessary to enhance the social responsibility of journalists, sir?
To build an ethical and healthy press, enhancing the social responsibility of journalists is extremely important. To achieve that, journalists need to adhere to professional ethics, not deviate or turn truth into falsehood, "distort" content, and should not be dominated by pressure or influence from personal interests as well as specific interest groups.
Journalists should provide multi-dimensional information, ensuring that different viewpoints are reflected fairly and without bias. At the same time, they need to provide in-depth analysis and objective assessment of events and issues.
In addition, journalists must respect the right to privacy and not invade the privacy of individuals, except in cases of consent or when there is an important public interest. They must verify information before publishing it and are responsible for the accuracy of the information they publish.
In my opinion, journalists should avoid discrimination based on gender, ethnicity, religion, nationality, class, or any other factor to ensure that views are represented and reflected in their content. Journalists should build relationships of trust and engage positively with the public. Listen to opinions and feedback from readers, partners, and other stakeholders, and handle dissenting opinions appropriately.
Finally, they need to continuously improve their knowledge and skills to be able to meet the requirements of the digital media era, understanding the latest technology and working methods. These factors will help build an ethical and healthy press, contributing significantly to the development and progress of society.
 |
| The 4.0 Industrial Revolution is having an increasingly profound impact on Vietnamese journalism. (Photo: Internet) |
But in reality, under the negative impact of the market mechanism, our country's press has been revealing many limitations and weaknesses. One of them is the deterioration of professional ethics of some journalists. In your opinion, what are the current problems with journalistic ethics?
In the market mechanism, our country's press has been facing a number of limitations and weaknesses related to the professional ethics of some journalists. They may be affected by pressure from economic interests, affecting the honesty and objectivity of the information they provide.
We understand that, in a highly competitive environment, the need to report news quickly can put pressure on journalists to publish information that has not been fully verified or authenticated. This can lead to the spread of false or inaccurate information.
In addition, some newspapers or online news sites may use catchy headlines and controversial content to attract attention and increase traffic. This results in inaccurate or inconsistent reproduction of information, with the main purpose of attracting views rather than providing quality information.
Along with that, some journalists may violate privacy and personal dignity by providing private information, distorting or insulting others, causing harm to individuals, affecting the professional ethics of journalism.
In addition, in some cases, journalists do not ensure objectivity in representing and reflecting different viewpoints and interests, which can lead to discrimination and unfairness in informing and analyzing issues that the press publishes.
In my opinion, these are just some of the shortcomings and limitations of professional ethics in the market mechanism. To build an ethical and healthy press, there needs to be attention and promotion from journalists themselves and society, in order to ensure objectivity, honesty and social responsibility in press activities.
Currently, there are still some newspapers that are commercialized, following cheap tastes, reporting sensational news, and attracting readers. What solutions do you recommend to improve the ethics and courage of journalists today?
To improve the ethics and character of today's journalists and solve the problem of commercialization, clickbait and sensational reporting in some newspapers in our country, I think it is necessary to seriously implement regulations, principles and professional ethical standards for the press.
Press organizations and regulatory agencies need to promote compliance, enforce professional ethics, strictly handle violations, provide training and support for journalists to raise awareness and knowledge of ethics while working. In particular, pay special attention to strengthening supervision and inspection of the activities of newspapers and journalists, and at the same time provide appropriate disciplinary measures and penalties for ethical violations.
In addition, we also need to pay attention to the role of the public. The public needs to be facilitated and encouraged to participate in the communication process, demonstrate their social responsibility by demanding accurate and reliable information; and at the same time participate in activities of public evaluation and feedback on the activities of newspapers.
Another important and indispensable factor is the need to take more care of the lives of journalists and press agencies to create conditions for journalists to operate objectively, without pressure from commercial interests, helping to provide accurate, reliable and non-profit information.
On the other hand, has the current awareness of preserving and promoting the cultural identity and traditions of journalism met expectations?
In recent times, especially since the National Cultural Conference was held in 2021, our Party and State have made many efforts and successes in preserving and promoting national cultural values, in which the press has played an important role.
Revolutionary press has informed and promoted good people, good deeds, inspirational stories as well as reflected issues related to national identity and cultural heritage. From there, it has raised the awareness of the whole society in this field, forming national pride and cultural confidence for the country in the process of international integration.
Not only the newspapers of the cultural sector, major information channels such as VTV , VOV , VNA , Nhan Dan newspaper and television, Thanh Nien newspaper, Tuoi Tre newspaper, our World and Vietnam newspapers have also devoted a lot of time and in-depth columns to culture such as Cultural Perspectives , Cultural Stories , Cultural Heritage ...
In the context of the development of digital media, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has also recognized and adapted very quickly. Media such as electronic newspapers and online television channels have expanded access to information and interaction with the public, creating favorable conditions for conveying messages about preserving and promoting cultural identity and traditions.
These efforts really help national culture to be recognized and loved more, especially among young people, so that they have more confidence, exploration, and creativity to create new vitality for national cultural traditions.
Thank you!
Source
Comment (0)