The draft Law on Press (amended) is built on the spirit of creation for press development.

On the afternoon of October 8, at the National Assembly House, Hanoi, the National Assembly Standing Committee reviewed and gave opinions on the draft Press Law (amended).

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man chaired the meeting. National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Thanh chaired the meeting. Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan attended the meeting.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man chaired the meeting.

Representing the drafting agency are member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung; alternate member of the Party Central Committee, Permanent Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Hai Binh.

Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan (second from right), Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung, Permanent Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Le Hai Binh at the meeting.

Presenting the basic content of the draft Law, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said that compared to the current Press Law consisting of 6 chapters and 61 articles, the draft Press Law (amended) is expected to have 4 chapters and 50 articles (reducing 2 chapters and 11 articles), including: Maintaining the content of 9 articles, amending the content of 38 articles, adding 3 new articles, and removing 6 articles.

The structure of the Draft Law is as follows: Chapter I: General provisions (13 articles); Chapter II: Press organization (3 sections, 16 articles); Chapter III: Press activities (5 sections, 20 articles); Chapter IV: Implementation provisions (1 article).

The draft Law on Press (amended) closely follows the four policy groups approved by the Government in Resolution No. 148/NQ-CP dated September 22, 2024 and new issues arising in practice according to the Party and State's policies on restructuring and streamlining the apparatus, including restructuring and streamlining press agencies; on decentralization and delegation of power to local authorities when implementing the 2-level local government model.

The Minister also said that the 4 policy groups include: Policy 1: Strengthening management of press activities (7 issues); Policy 2: Improving the quality of journalists and press agency leaders (5 issues); Policy 3: Promoting press economic development (4 issues); Policy 4: Regulating press agency activities in cyberspace.

Minister Nguyen Van Hung presented the basic contents of the draft Law.

Minister Nguyen Van Hung also emphasized that the draft Law was drafted in the spirit of continuing to ensure citizens' freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the press, according to the provisions of the Constitution and laws.

Regarding the new additional contents, Minister Nguyen Van Hung informed that the draft Law on Press (amended) stipulates cases of license revocation, authority to revoke licenses and assigns the Government to specify details; press agencies must cease operations when their licenses are revoked (Article 20).

According to the Minister, the reason and basis for the proposed new addition is, firstly, that the regulations on managing press operation licenses are not complete (there is still a lack of regulations on cases of revocation of press operation licenses and termination of press agency operations when the license is revoked). Second, Article 59 of the 2016 Press Law stipulates the form of license revocation, but there are no specific regulations on cases of revocation in case of violation.

Third, the provisions of the law on handling administrative violations do not include the form of license revocation, so there are no sanctions that are more deterrent and completely prevent violations. Fourth, the draft Law stipulates cases of revocation of press operation licenses and termination of operations when the license is revoked, which is a concrete implementation of Policy 1 of the Proposal for Law making.

Overview of the meeting.

The Draft Law also adds regulations on press activities in cyberspace (Article 30), and the responsibilities of press agencies when opening content channels in cyberspace (Article 31).

The draft Law on Press (amended) stipulates the principles for managing press activities in cyberspace, the responsibilities of press agencies when opening content channels in cyberspace, the responsibilities of agencies operating national digital press platforms; assigns the Government to specify the integration of online service activities in the press and the implementation of online connection with the depository system of the state press management agency to serve the measurement and control of information trends in cyberspace according to the Government's regulations.

Regarding the new issues of the draft Law, Minister Nguyen Van Hung stated that there are issues that the draft Law assigns to the Government, ministries, branches, and localities to regulate to ensure flexibility, suitability with reality, and the spirit of decentralization. Accordingly, it is expected to decentralize 10 more administrative procedures to the provincial People's Committees for local press agencies, agencies, organizations, and enterprises.

It is expected that during the process of developing the Decree and Circular detailing the Law, 20 administrative procedures will be cut, from 68 procedures to 48 administrative procedures; simplifying, reducing conditions, reducing processing time, and reducing costs of complying with administrative procedures.

The Draft Law also adds provisions on the position of the press: "The press in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is revolutionary press..." to affirm the historical and revolutionary nature of the press, aiming to build a professional, humane, and modern press as proposed by the 13th Party Congress.

At the same time, it also stipulates principles on operating models, press economics, and expanding the press's operating space to develop the press in the context of arranging and streamlining the political system's organizational apparatus, meeting information and propaganda requirements in the new era.

Regarding regulations to strictly manage press activities, ensure efficiency, effectiveness and efficiency in management work, the draft Law expected to be promulgated will include 7 issues including expanding the space for press activities on cyberspace to orient and guide information; forming large and strong key agencies; promoting social resources for press development; overcoming the shortcomings and obstacles of the 2016 Press Law pointed out in the 04 policies proposed for the Law; decentralizing and delegating power to local authorities, creating favorable conditions for agencies and organizations to implement the law; improving the effectiveness, efficiency and efficiency of state management of the press; strengthening the management of magazines and reporters' activities, limiting the situation of press harassment of businesses; improving the quality of the press team.

"The draft Law on Press (amended) is built on the spirit of creating a foundation for press development," Minister Nguyen Van Hung emphasized.

It is expected that the draft Law on Press (amended) will be considered and approved by the National Assembly at the 10th session of the 15th National Assembly.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/thoi-su/du-thao-luat-bao-chi-sua-doi-duoc-xay-dung-tren-tinh-than-kien-tao-de-bao-chi-phat-trien-20251008190146292.htm