On the afternoon of November 17, in Hoa Binh, the Vietnam Journalists Association held a Conference to summarize 6 years of implementing the 2016 Press Law, along with 10 regulations on professional ethics and rules for using social networks for Vietnamese journalists.
Speaking at the opening of the Conference, Comrade Nguyen Duc Loi - Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association emphasized that, as a political - social - professional organization of journalists, in recent times, the Vietnam Journalists Association has closely coordinated with the functional agencies of the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Information and Communications to implement many practical and effective activities in the work of coordinating press management, member management, building and implementing the 2016 Press Law in conjunction with 10 articles of the Code of Professional Ethics for Vietnamese Journalists, and Rules for the Use of Social Networks by Vietnamese Journalists.
Conference scene.
Comrade Nguyen Duc Loi assessed that, along with achievements, press activities still have some shortcomings and inadequacies. Some press agencies and journalists violate professional ethics, follow trivial tastes, seek ways to profit, including distorting the nature of the matter.
In some localities, there is still an overlap in the functions and tasks of direction and management between the direction agency and the press management agency. Press management has not kept up with reality and has not met the development of the press and media.
"The number of press agencies is increasing rapidly - but most of them have to be financially autonomous, many management agencies are lax in management, leaving their subordinate press agencies to their own devices, and their principles and purposes are being overlooked. Many levels of the Association still lack close supervision in managing the team of collaborators and resident reporters in localities, leading to many negative behaviors of taking advantage of their profession to threaten and blackmail businesses and people," said comrade Nguyen Duc Loi.
Regarding the use of social networks, the Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association said that the phenomenon of journalists - members exploiting and using social networks for non-professional purposes, behaving and speaking without standards, violating ethical standards and even violating the law is becoming an issue of great concern and concern not only to the press but also to public opinion.
At the Conference, Comrade Nguyen Duc Loi pointed out many limitations and shortcomings in the implementation of the Press Law as well as regulations on professional ethics of journalists in the current period.
Assessing the self-inspection and supervision work at some levels of the association, comrade Nguyen Duc Loi commented that this work is still weak, many local association inspection boards operate ineffectively, and their roles are vague. The coordination between local associations and the Central Inspection Committee member in charge of the area is still not close, there is little information exchange and coordination in handling. Inspection work, especially the procedures for handling cases at the grassroots level at some association levels, is still weak, with a tendency to push cases to the Central level for resolution.
Mr. Nguyen Manh Tuan - Deputy Head of the Inspection Committee, Vietnam Journalists Association informed that up to now, there have been 90 cases of violations by journalists, members, and reporters. Of these, 75 cases violated the law and 10 regulations on professional ethics for Vietnamese journalists. The Council for Handling Violations of Professional Ethics for Journalists at the Central and local levels and units has reviewed and handled more than 30 cases of violations of regulations on professional ethics for Vietnamese journalists, from criticism and warning to expulsion and revocation of membership cards.
In the above data, in most of the incidents, the reporters were not members of the Vietnam Journalists Association.
Journalist Ta Bich Loan - Head of VTV3 Entertainment Program Production Department said that the figures of the Inspection Board mentioned above are really heartbreaking and alarming numbers, especially in 2023. Some of the actual causes of the violations mentioned by journalist Ta Bich Loan could be, "because of hunger, the knees have to crawl", "the house leaks from the roof" - due to the governing body forcing the quota or maybe due to the professionals themselves - "first blame yourself, then blame others".
"Social trust is the most valuable thing that the press needs to preserve. If there is still trust from the public and readers, the press still has value. If we lose trust, then we will lose everything," emphasized journalist Ta Bich Loan.
Conference Organizing Committee.
Based on practical operations, Mr. Nguyen Bao Lam - Chairman of Thai Nguyen Journalists Association proposed a solution: in addition to regulations on journalists and resident reporters, it is necessary to add strict regulations on representative offices, duties and powers of collaborators at representative offices in localities to avoid loopholes in coordination with localities in collecting and providing information.
There should be regulations on representative offices and resident reporters. The Press Law stipulates the conditions and operations of representative offices and resident reporters, but in practice, there have been many shortcomings and inadequacies in their implementation.
Journalist Pham Duc Thai - Member of the Editorial Board of the Communist Party of Vietnam Electronic Newspaper expressed the view that it is necessary to strengthen the role of the Vietnam Journalists Association in participating in the process of amending the Press Law. The opinions shared at today's and previous conferences do not stop at stating the current situation but need to be expressed and specified in documents.
In particular, journalist Pham Duc Thai suggested that the 10 regulations on professional ethics for journalists should be condensed into a short, easy-to-understand, and easy-to-remember "Journalism Manifesto".
Journalist Pham Duc Thai shared at the Conference.
At the Conference, the delegates expressed their wish that the local Journalists Association strengthen close coordination with the authorities in directing and managing the press, handling violations of the law and professional ethics of journalists. Emphasizing the role of the Journalists Association at all levels in promoting proactiveness and determination in preventing and correcting violations by members in participating in social networks.
The recommendations also emphasize the need for strict regulations on press economics in the Press Law. In-depth analysis of the relationship between the task of implementing the emulation movement "Building a cultural environment in press agencies" and the implementation of the Press Law, the Code of Ethics for Journalists and the Rules for Using Social Networks by Vietnamese Journalists.
Delegates share opinions at the Conference.
Concluding the Conference, comrade Nguyen Duc Loi commented: "Through the exchange of opinions of delegates, we see more clearly the important role and responsibility of the Vietnam Journalists Association in the work of political and ideological education, law associated with professional ethics education, in the context of the strong development of digital media and ensuring that press agencies fulfill their political tasks, social responsibilities and preserve the purity of professional ethics of journalists".
Comrade Nguyen Duc Loi said that in-depth analysis and discussion of existing issues in press law and policy, reflecting on difficulties and obstacles in implementing the Code of Ethics for Journalists in order to promptly propose solutions to amend and overcome existing issues is an urgent requirement in the life of journalism and the team of journalists.
From there, contributing to building a Green, healthy, and active press, worthy of the trust of the Party, the State, and the people in revolutionary journalism and the team of journalists, is a solid foundation to build a team of Vietnamese revolutionary journalists who always keep "Bright mind, pure heart, sharp pen".
Hoa Giang - Son Hai
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