Press planning and the problem of human resources and income of journalists today

Reporters work at a regular press conference of the Ministry of Information and Communications.

From 2019 to present, the Ministry of Information and Communications has organized work, issued many documents guiding, urging, and requesting ministries, ministerial-level agencies, agencies under the Government; Provincial Party Committees, City Party Committees, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to implement Decision 362/QD-TTg dated April 3, 2019 of the Prime Minister, Plan 1738/KH-BTTTT dated June 4, 2019 of the Ministry.

The Ministry has coordinated with the functional units of the Central Propaganda Department to implement phase 2 (2023 - 2025) of the Press Planning, based on lessons learned from phase 1, clearly identifying the important goals of "management" and "development"; harmoniously combining arrangement solutions and solutions to promote healthy and correct press development, while also further tightening management, handling violations, and thoroughly resolving negative issues in press activities.

The Ministry of Information and Communications is assigned to preside over, be responsible for guiding, organizing, monitoring, urging, and inspecting the implementation of the Plan. However, some governing agencies are slow in implementing and arranging the plan, the Ministry can only urge and remind. There are no specific regulations on the competent authority to approve the Project of the main multimedia media agency of Vietnam News Agency, Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam, Nhan Dan Newspaper, People's Army Newspaper, People's Police Newspaper; in which: Nhan Dan Newspaper is under the direct and regular leadership of the Politburo, Secretariat; 03 agencies under the Government; 02 agencies under the Ministry. Currently, only the People's Army Newspaper has had its Project approved by the Ministry of National Defense.

Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union all have their own characteristics. Hanoi is the capital, regulated by the Law on the Capital, with over 10 million people. Ho Chi Minh City has about 9 million people and is subject to a special mechanism according to Resolution No. 98/2023/QH15 of the National Assembly on piloting special mechanisms and policies for the development of Ho Chi Minh City. The Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union has a strong force of different ages... When implementing the press planning, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union have not provided any basis (political, legal) for maintaining the current press agencies.

In the next press planning period until 2025, Hanoi City, Ho Chi Minh City and the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union can study the direction of ensuring there is only one model of press agency, in which it is possible to study maintaining the operations of existing agencies, demonstrating unity in diversity.

Hanoi City, Ho Chi Minh City and the Central Youth Union preside over and closely coordinate with the Central Propaganda Department and the Ministry of Information and Communications to develop their own Projects that clearly demonstrate the specificity, necessity, and current status of press agencies' operations... and propose to competent authorities for consideration. The Ministry of Information and Communications determines to accompany Hanoi City, Ho Chi Minh City and the Central Youth Union of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in implementing the press planning, as well as other tasks assigned by the Party and the State.

Regarding the human resource problem, the income of journalists is becoming more and more difficult when facing many new challenges. As the state management agency of the press, the Ministry of Information and Communications is urgently developing the Press Law (amended) according to the plan after the Government and the National Assembly approved the proposal to develop the Law, to fundamentally resolve the shortcomings and problems that have existed in the past and promote the press to develop in the right direction and do a good job of state management; at the same time, develop a Decree regulating royalties in the press and publishing fields (replacing Decree 18 regulating royalties for the press and publishing).

The Ministry will also continue to closely follow and promote the adjustment of a number of regulations on the financial autonomy mechanism of public service units, the ordering mechanism, and pricing of public service services using the State budget to remove difficulties for press agencies. In particular, the policy of assigning tasks and ordering press agencies to provide information and propaganda to serve political tasks, communicate policies, and provide essential information; improve operating conditions and equipment for professional work, and improve the operational capacity of press agencies according to current regulations./.

Source: https://mic.gov.vn/quy-hoach-bao-chi-va-bai-toan-nhan-luc-thu-nhap-cua-nhung-nguoi-lam-bao-hien-nay-197241224210037572.htm