Draft Law on Press (amended): Proposal to clarify the concept of "affiliated press agency"

Create conditions for press agencies to continue to develop

At the meeting, delegate Truong Trong Nghia ( Ho Chi Minh City Delegation) said that the draft revised Press Law has been carefully and detailedly drafted, in line with the direction of relevant Party resolutions.

Regarding the content of "press, radio and television agencies under provincial and municipal Party Committees" in Clause 6, Article 16 of the draft Law, delegate Truong Trong Nghia said: Clause 1, Article 16 of the draft stipulates "Press agencies carry out one or several types of journalism, have one or several press products, and have affiliated press agencies according to the provisions of this law".

The delegates agreed with such regulations, but Article 16, Clause 6 states: "The press, radio and television agencies are press agencies under the provincial and municipal Party Committees, with many types of press and press products", missing the phrase "having affiliated press agencies".

Delegate Truong Trong Nghia (Ho Chi Minh City delegation) discussed. *Photo: quochoi.vn*

According to delegate Nghia, if approved, this regulation will be applied to the press of 34 provincial and municipal Party Committees. Thus, "newspaper and radio and television agencies under provincial and municipal Party Committees" will not have "subordinate press agencies", meaning they cannot establish or develop into "key multimedia communication agencies" as stipulated in Clause 5, Article 16.

Delegate Truong Trong Nghia added that after the administrative unit arrangement, there are 8 provinces and cities with a population of 4 to 5 million people; 9 provinces and cities with a population of 3 to 4 million people; 3 provinces and cities with a population of 2 to 3 million people or more... In particular, in the two largest cities in the country, Hanoi with more than 8 million people (according to official records) and Ho Chi Minh City with more than 14 million people, there have appeared press agencies whose brands and reputations go beyond the local scope.

According to the delegate, local press is also the mouthpiece of the provincial and municipal Party Committees and a forum for local people, conveying specific issues that the central press cannot or does not need to fully handle.

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“The merged provinces and cities with such large populations are the market and resources for local press. If we do not create conditions for their development, it will be a waste,” delegate Truong Trong Nghia emphasized.

With that awareness, in the spirit of Resolution 66 of the Politburo , the delegates proposed to amend Clause 6, Article 16 as follows: “The press, radio and television agencies are press agencies under the provincial and municipal Party Committees, and may have many types of press, press products, and affiliated press agencies. Some provincial and municipal Party Committees may establish press agencies according to the model of a key multimedia media agency as prescribed in Clause 5 of this Article.”

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Delegation delegate, such a regulation is also consistent and consistent with Clause 1, Article 16, which is: "Press agencies carry out one or several types of journalism, have one or several press products, and have affiliated press agencies according to the provisions of this law."

Such regulation is also consistent with Clause 5, Article 16 which stipulates that “A key multimedia media agency is a press agency with many types of press and affiliated press agencies; has a specific financial mechanism; is established in accordance with the Strategy for development and management of the press system approved by the Prime Minister”.

Therefore, the establishment of key multimedia media agencies of some provincial and municipal Party Committees will be managed by the press system development and management strategy approved by the Prime Minister, avoiding the arbitrary establishment of this model.

According to delegate Truong Trong Nghia, such regulations will create conditions to maintain and continue to develop press agencies that have been financially independent for many years, in localities with millions of readers who can buy newspapers every day, such as the capital Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

At the same time, such regulations also create development opportunities for other localities to build press agencies according to this model when they have sufficient conditions, are approved by the Prime Minister and updated in the Strategy for development and management of the press system.

The National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft revised Press Law. *Photo: quochoi.vn*

Clarifying the organizational structure and affiliated press agencies

Discussing at the meeting hall, delegate Do Duc Hien, full-time member of the National Assembly's Committee on Law and Justice, said that compared to the provisions of the current Press Law, Clause 1, Article 16 of the draft Law does not explain the concept of a press agency, and at the same time adds the phrase "having a press agency under the provisions of this law".

However, through reviewing the regulations on types of press agencies in Article 16, only Clause 6 mentions the main multimedia media agency having a affiliated press agency; the regulations in Clause 5 on scientific magazine agencies and Clause 7 on press, radio and television agencies do not mention whether or not there is a affiliated press agency.

National Assembly delegate Do Duc Hien speaks during the discussion. *Photo: quochoi.vn*

Based on these grounds, delegate Do Duc Hien raised the question: if a press, radio and television agency is allowed to establish a public service unit, can that unit become a press agency? This is an issue directly related to the organizational structure, the authority to establish and ensure consistency with the provisions in Clause 1, Article 16.

Therefore, delegate Do Duc Hien suggested that the drafting agency should clearly stipulate in the Law to institutionalize it in accordance with the regulations of the Secretariat, avoiding conflicts in understanding and in the application process.

The content that Delegate Do Duc Hien is particularly interested in is the model of the main multimedia media agency added in Clause 6, Article 16. Currently, according to Decision 326 of the Prime Minister approving the Press Planning until 2025, the whole country has 6 agencies operating according to this model, but each place has a different organizational structure, management level and financial mechanism. That shows that the awareness and criteria of the multimedia model are not unified.

Therefore, delegates suggested that the drafting agency continue to review and revise to ensure that this model is truly leading, has a clear legal status and a transparent and feasible operating mechanism.

Previously, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism reported on the receipt and explanation of the opinions of National Assembly deputies at the group discussion session on this bill. Accordingly, there were 4 opinions proposing to pilot the model of a multi-media press group or corporation in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Based on the direction and approval of the competent authority, the Ministry will specify it in the Strategy for development and management of the press system.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/du-thao-luat-bao-chi-sua-doi-de-nghi-lam-ro-khai-niem-co-quan-bao-chi-truc-thuoc-724506.html