Perfecting regulations on press activities in cyberspace

National Assembly Deputy Pham Khanh Phong Lan: We need to create conditions for the press to develop and compete fairly.

The draft Law on the Press (amended) is generally very well-written and detailed. However, looking at it, I feel it's somewhat "bureaucratizing" journalistic activities, while today's press operates in a fiercely competitive environment. Press agencies must race against each other every minute and second to grasp news promptly, as the development of social media has completely changed the way information is received compared to traditional print media.

Some regulations in the draft Law focus on controlling mainstream media outlets, inadvertently creating an unhealthy and unequal competitive mechanism between mainstream media and freelance journalists, because now everyone has Facebook, and they can post any breaking news immediately. Another challenge for traditional journalism is the issue of copyright. A journalist might write a very good and heartfelt article, but just 30 seconds after it's published, it can be copied and widely distributed online. In this context, I sincerely hope that we will create conditions for the development of journalism; ensuring that journalists compete with each other based on expertise and in a healthy manner.

National Assembly Deputy Trang A Duong ( Tuyen Quang ): Add regulations on ensuring copyright and related rights when using AI to create journalistic works.

I agree with the necessity of drafting a revised Press Law to perfect legal regulations and promptly institutionalize the Party's guidelines and policies on "building a professional, humane, and modern press and media" in the current context.

Regarding press agencies, Clause 7, Article 16 of the draft Law stipulates that "local press and broadcasting agencies are press agencies under the provincial or city Party committees, encompassing various types of media and journalistic products." I propose reconsidering the specific regulations on this matter. Because in the context of continuing to refine and reorganize the organizational structure, regulations on the position and organizational structure of press agencies should only be stipulated as general principles in the draft Law. This is also consistent with the policy outlined in Resolution No. 66-NQ/TW of the Politburo on reforming the work of lawmaking and implementation to meet the requirements of national development in the new era.

Regarding the permanent offices, representative offices, and resident reporters of Vietnamese press agencies in Article 22, I believe that the provision in point c, clause 1 of this Article should only stipulate a general principle, not specifying a particular number of "no more than three reporters." This is because the number of resident reporters depends on the specific needs and conditions of each press agency, and should be regulated in a sub-law, delegating the authority to the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism to make such a regulation (as stated in point d, clause 1, Article 22 of the draft Law).

The provisions on copyright in the field of journalism (Article 39) of the draft Law are inherited and retained from the corresponding article of the 2016 Law on Journalism. However, through my research, I have found that this provision only cites and applies the provisions of the Law on Intellectual Property and does not create new value for the field of journalism.

The regulations as drafted in the Law will lead to gaps in determining the responsibility of media organizations and delineating copyright and related rights for journalistic works that use artificial intelligence (AI), such as using AI to write news, edit photos, and create videos.

Therefore, I suggest that the drafting agency consider revising the provisions in Article 39 in the following direction: researching and adding the responsibility of press agencies in ensuring copyright and related rights when using AI to create journalistic works, while clearly defining the principle of transparency and determining legal responsibility.

National Assembly Deputy Doan Thi Thanh Mai (Hung Yen): Strict regulations on journalistic activities in cyberspace.

The Press Law is a very important law, especially in the current context where the media has a huge impact on social life. Amending the Press Law in this new context is appropriate and very necessary.

However, the draft Law contains 25 articles that delegate the authority to the Government and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to provide detailed regulations, which is a relatively large number. The drafting agency needs to carefully review and ensure that the authority is exercised correctly according to regulations and that the implementing guidelines are finalized on schedule.

In practice, online journalism is a complex, wide-ranging, and difficult-to-control and manage issue. Information is incredibly diverse, multifaceted, and ubiquitous, penetrating every level of society. Given its complexity and broad scope, I propose that the drafting agency continue to research and supplement the draft Law with stricter and more comprehensive regulations on online journalism in Section 1, Chapter III, to ensure its inclusiveness and completeness.

Clause 19 of Article 3, regarding the definition of terms, states that " Information products of journalistic nature are information products expressed in journalistic genres, published in newsletters and special editions of agencies, organizations, and enterprises." Thus, the draft Law includes special editions and newsletters of agencies, organizations, and enterprises as information products. Therefore, it is requested that the drafting agency provide a supplementary report regarding any difficulties or obstacles encountered in the implementation of newsletters and special editions in the past. At the same time, the provisions in the draft Law should be reviewed to clarify whether their application to information products of journalistic nature, such as newsletters and special editions, is comprehensive enough.

Regarding the conditions for granting press operating licenses, point b, clause 1, Article 17 of the draft Law stipulates that the entities eligible to apply for a press operating license are higher education institutions as prescribed by the Law on Higher Education; science and technology organizations organized in the form of academies or institutes as prescribed by the Law on Science, Technology and Innovation; and provincial-level hospitals or equivalent or higher.

While educational institutions and scientific and technological organizations have clear legal basis and regulations, the legal basis for the category of "provincial-level hospitals or equivalent and above" is unclear. Therefore, we request that the drafting agency clarify these points further.

In addition, consideration should be given to the provision in Clause 1, Article 26, regarding "press agencies submitting five printed copies of their publications and one digitized copy for safekeeping at the National Library of Vietnam" to align with the reform of archiving methods, the reduction of paper documents, and the enhancement of digital archiving.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/hoan-thien-quy-dinh-ve-hoat-dong-bao-chi-tren-khong-gian-mang-10392658.html