New legal track for the Vietnamese Press train

Reporter of Journalist & Public Opinion Newspaper had an interview with Mr. Luu Dinh Phuc - Director of the Press Department - Ministry of Information and Communications about the orientations for press agencies to operate better, more professionally, and meet practical requirements in the new period.

Supplementing regulations on press agency activities in cyberspace

+ Dear Director, the Ministry of Information and Communications is proposing to develop a Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Press Law. This is expected to help the press have a clearer legal "rail" to overcome difficulties and challenges, and develop multi-platforms in the digital transformation process. However, the digital media environment requires measures to protect information and combat cyber attacks, fake information, etc. In your opinion, what specific regulations should be added to the Press Law to ensure information security as well as help the press operate better in the digital environment?

- Director Luu Dinh Phuc: To prevent cyber attacks and fake information, there are regulations in the Law on Cyber ​​Security, regulations on information security, and regulations on managing information content on the Internet.

In order for the press to operate better in the digital environment, in addition to current legal regulations, the upcoming revised Press Law is expected to add regulations on the activities of press agencies in cyberspace. Expanding the space for press activities to cyberspace to spread press content more widely and deeply, thereby improving policy communication and solving the problem of diversifying press revenue sources.

Director of the Press Department - Ministry of Information and Communications Luu Dinh Phuc at the 2023 Editor-in-Chief Forum organized by the Journalists & Public Opinion Newspaper. Photo: Quang Hung

In order for the press to operate better in the digital environment, in addition to current legal regulations, the upcoming revised Press Law is expected to add regulations on the activities of press agencies in cyberspace. Expanding the space for press activities to cyberspace to spread press content more widely and deeply, thereby improving policy communication and solving the problem of diversifying press revenue sources.

Now, the press opens channels and accounts on cross-border social media platforms, reaching the public faster and more widely. Therefore, press content on cyberspace must also comply with legal regulations on the press, regulations on the principles and purposes of press agencies; and provide strict regulations to manage press content posted on cyberspace.

Social networks using news articles from press agencies must have an agreement with the press agency; do not stipulate that a general information website is a journalistic information product to overcome the situation of "newspaperization" of general information websites; expand the regulation of activities that affect journalism on social networks to overcome the situation of "newspaperization" of social networks.

Forming key national press agencies that play a leading role

+ Regarding the economic development model of press agencies, there are suggestions that it should be regulated in the direction of expanding other business activities according to the provisions of law, not just limiting the fields as in the current Press Law, to create conditions for press agencies to have financial resources to support content activities. What is your opinion on this issue?

- Director Luu Dinh Phuc: The current Press Law has stipulated that the revenue sources of press agencies are quite diverse, including revenue from business and service activities. However, there are things that businesses are allowed to do that press agencies are not yet allowed to do, for example, providing paid radio and television services, which only businesses are allowed to do. The issue is how to do business and to what extent, which is related to many other regulations.

Now, a new perspective is needed for the press to develop multi-platform and multi-service. Even in China, the press has business activities like enterprises, some business sectors are even listed on the stock exchange, so they have large press agencies, going abroad, becoming information pillars not only domestically.

When the State cannot support everything, it needs to support the big things to play a leading role and maintain the direction. To have a big press agency, along with the current content management mechanism, it requires the business sector to have an operating mechanism like that of an enterprise, following the market to catch up with current development practices.

The Press Law is an important legal corridor for the press to promote its freedom of speech, and at the same time to limit the use of this right to infringe upon the legitimate interests of organizations and individuals. Management regulations therefore need to be institutionalized in the law to ensure effective management tools. What is lacking now is that we must see information trends in a sea of ​​information to orient, regulate, and handle well to limit violations.

+ One of the very new proposals on amending the Press Law and receiving public attention is to develop a press group model with the goal of forming large press agencies with sufficient resources to play a leading role, as a pillar for information orientation. So, what will the operating mechanism and connection between press agencies in the "press group" be like to be able to develop stably and reach out internationally, sir?

- Director Luu Dinh Phuc: It is true that the policy's goal is to form large press agencies with sufficient resources to play a leading role and act as pillars to orient information. Because the law amendment policy is in the process of being passed, many new issues still need to be discussed and thoroughly evaluated.

From management practice, I see that since 1996, China has piloted the establishment of print newspaper corporations, and now there are over 60 print newspaper corporations at the central and local levels. We have surveyed and found that print newspaper corporations such as Guangzhou Print Newspaper Corporation, Beijing Daily Newspaper Corporation, Shenzhen Print Newspaper Corporation, and Tan Dan Lien Hoi Print Newspaper Corporation... are all operating and doing business well, thoroughly implementing the principle of taking journalism as the main profession, serving the Party and the People, combining social and cultural efficiency, in which social efficiency is the top priority, competing with media corporations in the world.

The model of a newspaper group in China is to take a large newspaper with political influence, social influence, and brand as the core, and the subsidiary newspapers and economic units form an ecosystem, linked in a concentric circle, including both the content department and the business department.

For example, Guangzhou Printing Newspaper Group, in addition to the main newspaper Guangzhou Daily, the group also owns 14 other subsidiary newspapers with diverse content, such as: Football Newspaper, Traffic and Tourism Newspaper, Guangzhou Literature and Excerpts Newspaper, Modern Children's Education Newspaper, Elderly Newspaper... The business department includes advertising companies, publishing companies, real estate development companies, press service centers for domestic and foreign customers, printing centers...

Mr. Luu Dinh Phuc and delegates visited the photo exhibition "Journalism Moments" organized by the Journalist & Public Opinion Newspaper. Photo: Son Hai

Our press practices have many similarities with yours, but they are nearly 3 decades ahead of us. And the result, as we see, is that they have formed large and powerful press groups, have international television channels, and even own foreign press publications. They strictly control content, but business regulations are very flexible and market-oriented. Of course, conditions in each country are different, but it is time for us to have a broader vision on this issue.

In my opinion, a press group in our country is a public service unit, not an economic group, but should be funded and assigned assets; have business activities, separate from content production activities, generate revenue from business to serve press activities (business to make newspapers); a press group can have many press agencies; can contribute capital to enterprises.

In fact, many major press agencies now have business-based service provision activities to generate revenue to support press activities. Allowing large, qualified press agencies to be organized under the Press Group model will help press agencies have additional revenue sources to serve press activities; on the other hand, separating economic functions and press functions, to ensure that press activities are in the right direction, not commercialized, and to form key national press agencies.

Enhancing the role and responsibility of the Vietnam Journalists Association

+ Journalistic ethics is the core of journalism activities. Without ethics, it is impossible to build a humane journalism for people. So, how is the core orientation in improving professional ethics for reporters and leaders of press agencies reflected in the amendment of the Press Law, Mr. Director?

- Director Luu Dinh Phuc: Journalism ethics is the core issue for the public to stay with the press. Improving the professional ethics of journalists is one of the important policies when considering amending the law this time.

It is expected that regulations on conditions for granting press cards will be added to further improve the quality of journalists, such as first-time press card holders must attend training courses on journalism skills and professional ethics organized by the Ministry of Information and Communications in coordination with the Vietnam Journalists Association; enhance the role and responsibility of the Vietnam Journalists Association in monitoring, supervising, inspecting and concluding violations of professional ethics by journalists in general; handling violations by members who violate professional ethics; recommending competent authorities to handle violations of ethics by journalists who are not members.

Because there is currently no such regulation, the effectiveness of handling violations in practice is not yet commensurate with the role and position of the Vietnam Journalists Association; or adding new regulations on the press work of those who work in the press but have not been granted a press card, because the current Press Law only stipulates the rights and obligations of journalists but has no regulations for reporters who have not been granted a press card.

Mr. Luu Dinh Phuc and delegates visited the photo exhibition "Journalism Moments" organized by the Journalist & Public Opinion Newspaper. Photo: Son Hai

Orient, regulate and process information well to limit violations

+ Can you tell us what major changes will be proposed to be applied in the management of press activities when the Law is amended?

- Director Luu Dinh Phuc: The Press Law is an important legal corridor for the press to promote its freedom of speech, and at the same time to limit the use of this right to infringe upon the legitimate interests of organizations and individuals.

Management regulations therefore need to be institutionalized in law to ensure effective management tools. What is lacking now is that we must see information trends in a sea of ​​information to orient, regulate, and handle well to limit violations.

Therefore, the State needs to supplement regulations on investment in digital tools so that management agencies can effectively carry out supervision; supplement regulations requiring press agencies to connect online with the state management agency on press so that managers can see general information trends; regulate press activities in cyberspace; regulate conditions for granting press cards, revoking press operation licenses when the press does not meet the conditions, has committed repeated violations, and handle the termination of press agency operations when the license has been revoked; clearly define what is a newspaper and what is a magazine.

We also plan to propose increased decentralization of management to local levels to help improve management efficiency and ensure consistent management responsibility.

+ We would like to thank the Director for the above discussion!

Nguyen Huong (Implementation)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/duong-ray-phap-ly-moi-cho-con-tau-bao-chi-viet-nam-post299572.html