Proposal to add key press agencies in some localities

The draft Law on Press (amended) has added 5 new sources of revenue for press agencies. Photo: Dinh Ha .

On the morning of October 23, authorized by the Prime Minister, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung presented to the National Assembly the draft Press Law (amended) with many new points.

One of the notable contents of the new draft Law is the addition of regulations on key multimedia communication agencies, press and radio and television agencies (Article 16 of the draft Law).

Specifically, according to the report, the main multimedia media agency is a press agency with many types of press, affiliated press agencies; with a specific financial mechanism according to the Government's regulations. This agency is established in accordance with the press system development and management strategy approved by the Prime Minister . The press, radio and television agency is a press agency under the provincial and municipal Party Committees, with many types of press and press products.

5 new sources of revenue for press agencies

The Draft Law also supplements a series of regulations related to press economics to create conditions for press agencies to have additional sources of revenue and increase financial resources to ensure and improve the quality of operations.

Specifically, 5 new sources of revenue for press agencies are added, including: Revenue from selling the right to view and listen to press works; Revenue from allowing the exploitation and use of press works; Revenue from linking in press activities; Revenue from providing public career services assigned, ordered, and bid by competent State agencies; Revenue from people who need to publish scientific research articles to have funds to review, complete, and improve the quality of articles.

According to the draft new Law, press agencies are also allowed to cooperate in producing content (except for content on political news, security, national defense, and foreign affairs) to promote press agencies to exploit the value from joint activities to serve press development, while ensuring orientation in political news information (information on activities of Party and State leaders, important events of the country...), security, national defense, and foreign affairs.

The Government is assigned to provide detailed regulations on linkages in press activities, transparency of responsibilities and benefits of parties participating in linkages, and promotion of linkages that bring value to press development.

The draft Law also fully stipulates the methods by which the State assigns tasks, places orders, and bids for the press to serve political, security, defense, cultural, emergency information and propaganda, foreign affairs information, policy communication, etc., and other important tasks as decided by the Prime Minister. The State will allocate budget to purchase public services and provide regular support to press agencies.

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Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung, authorized by the Prime Minister, presented the draft Law on Press (amended). Photo: Quochoi.vn.

In particular, the draft has added regulations on the activities of press agencies in cyberspace. In particular, the activities of press agencies in cyberspace must comply with the laws on press, cyber security, regulations on the principles and purposes of press agencies and be consistent with international treaties to which Vietnam is a member.

To clarify this new regulation, the draft Law has added the concept of Press Publishing on Cyberspace, added the regulation of National Press Digital Platform; Content channels of press agencies on cyberspace are press products.

The State will invest in the National Digital Press Platform, Digital Press Data Infrastructure and develop human resources for digital press transformation, with the Government assigning detailed regulations.

Proposal to add key press and media agencies in some localities

Presenting the review report on the draft Law on Press (amended), Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society Nguyen Dac Vinh said the Committee agreed with the regulations to create conditions for press agencies to have more revenue and increase financial resources to ensure and improve the quality of operations as in the draft Law.

However, the review agency proposed to continue researching, supplementing, and clarifying the concept of "press economy" and regulations related to public investment, autonomy mechanism, and regulations on revenue from business activities of press agencies.

Regarding the content of the main multimedia media agency, the review agency basically agrees with the addition of related regulations. However, it is recommended to continue researching and clarifying the content, criteria for determination and specific financial mechanisms of the main multimedia media agency.

In particular, there are opinions that in addition to the 6 press agencies identified under Decision 362/QD-TTg of the Prime Minister on approving the national press development and management plan until 2025, it is necessary to consider adding key multimedia press agencies in some localities or some units that have built up prestige and have a certain position in press activities.

Regarding press activities in cyberspace, the Committee for Culture and Society proposed to study and supplement some contents to promote press activities in cyberspace; regulations on legal responsibility of foreign social networking platforms in case the content channel in cyberspace of a press agency is hacked, information is modified with illegal content; and handling of cases where illegal content appears on this channel.

The review agency also requested the drafting agency to study and stipulate principles on the mechanism for implementing the agreement, responsibilities of press agencies and relevant agencies and organizations in ensuring copyright and related rights for press works on cyberspace and press works using artificial intelligence (AI).

The Committee recommends continuing to improve and supplement regulations in the direction of creating a legal corridor to build mechanisms and policies to encourage the development of domestic digital technology platforms and the distribution of press information content; on the rights and legal responsibilities of journalists and press agencies when using artificial intelligence (AI) in press activities.

Source: https://znews.vn/de-xuat-bo-sung-co-quan-bao-chi-chu-luc-o-mot-so-dia-phuong-post1595932.html