What does the law say about the functions, duties and powers of the press?

Readers asked: Could you please tell us what the law stipulates about the functions, duties and powers of the press?

Answer: The content of your question is regulated in Article 4 of the Press Law. Specifically as follows:

1. The press in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is an essential means of information for social life; is the mouthpiece of Party agencies, state agencies, socio-political organizations, socio-political-professional organizations, social organizations, socio-professional organizations; and is a forum for the people.

2. The press has the following duties and powers:

a) Provide truthful information about the situation of the country and the world in accordance with the interests of the country and the people;

b) Propagating, disseminating, contributing to building and protecting the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, the achievements of the country and the world according to the principles and purposes of the press agency; contributing to political stability, socio-economic development, improving people's knowledge, meeting the people's healthy cultural needs, protecting and promoting the nation's fine traditions, building and promoting socialist democracy, strengthening the great national unity bloc, building and protecting the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland;

c) Reflect and guide public opinion; act as a forum to exercise people's freedom of speech;

d) Discover and promote good people, good deeds, new factors, and advanced models; fight against law violations and negative phenomena in society;

d) Contribute to preserving the purity and developing the Vietnamese language and the languages of Vietnam's ethnic minorities;

e) Expand mutual understanding among countries and peoples, participate in the cause of the world's people for peace, national independence, friendship, cooperation and sustainable development.

* Readers ask: How does the law regulate the speaking and providing information to the press in urgent and unusual cases by state administrative agencies?

Answer: The content of your question is regulated in Article 6, Decree No. 09/2017/ND-CP dated February 9, 2017 of the Government. Specifically as follows:

1. In the event of a national incident related to national defense, national security, social order and safety, or public health, except in cases where a state of emergency is declared, the Prime Minister or the Government spokesperson shall make statements and provide information to the press immediately after the incident occurs and regularly during the incident handling process.

2. For incidents involving many ministries, branches, provinces, cities, ministries, ministerial-level agencies or People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities assigned by the Government to preside over the handling, they must make statements and provide information to the press regularly during the incident handling process.

3. The spokesperson or authorized spokesperson is responsible for speaking and providing timely and accurate information to the press in the following sudden and unusual cases:

a) When important events or issues occur that have a major impact on society or when public opinion has many inconsistent opinions on an issue within the scope of management of a state administrative agency, the spokesperson or authorized spokesperson must make statements and provide information to the press to promptly warn and guide public opinion.

In case of an incident that requires immediate initial information from a state administrative agency, the spokesperson or authorized spokesperson is responsible for proactively speaking and providing information to the press within 24 hours at the latest from the time the incident occurs.

b) When a press agency or a state agency directing and managing the press requests a statement or information provision about events and issues of the agency or field under the management of the agency that have been mentioned in the press or about events and issues mentioned in Point a, Clause 3 of this Article.

c) When there is reason to believe that the press publishes or broadcasts false information about the field or area under the management of the agency, the spokesperson or authorized spokesperson shall request that the press agency to publish or broadcast a response or correction in accordance with the provisions of law.

According to People's Army Newspaper

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