Press Law (amended): Avoid exploiting or commercializing the press

(Chinhphu.vn) - Some provisions of the Press Law (amended) need specific guidance to avoid exploitation or commercialization of the press, such as regulations on revenue from business activities, services, and affiliations of press agencies...

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man chaired the meeting.

On the afternoon of October 8, at the National Assembly House, under the chairmanship of National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, the National Assembly Standing Committee opened the 50th Session - the final session in preparation for the 10th Session of the 15th National Assembly.

At the meeting, the National Assembly Standing Committee will review, comment and decide on 37 contents.

Many regulations are added to the Press Law (amended)

Opening the 50th session, the National Assembly Standing Committee gave opinions on the draft Law on Press (amended).

This revision focuses on four major policy groups: Strengthening management of press activities; improving the quality of journalists and press agency leaders; promoting the development of the press economy and regulating press activities in cyberspace.

Presenting the draft law, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Nguyen Van Hung said that the draft stipulates principles on the operating model, press economics, and expanding the operating space of the press to develop the press in the context of arranging and streamlining the organization of the political system, meeting the requirements of information and propaganda in the new era.

Many regulations have been added, including that the main multimedia media agency is a press agency with many types of press, affiliated press agencies; and has a special financial mechanism according to Government regulations.

The draft also adds regulations that press agencies are 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 cooperation 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.

Another notable content is the addition of regulations on new sources of revenue for press agencies, including: revenue from selling the right to view press works; from allowing the exploitation and use of press works; from links in press activities; from providing public career services assigned, ordered, or bid by competent state agencies; from people who need to publish scientific research articles to have funding to review, complete, and improve the quality of articles.

Agree with the policy of comprehensively amending the Press Law

In a preliminary examination of the contents related to the press economy, the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society stated that the Draft Law has supplemented and completed a number of provisions to create conditions for press agencies to have more sources of income and remove difficulties in operations. Such as receiving investment and financial support from the State (Article 10), expanding the sources of income of press agencies (Article 21), regulations on association and cooperation (Articles 24 and 25), regulations on advertising (Article 38)...

Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee on Culture and Society Nguyen Dac Vinh reflected that the Standing Committee of the Committee found that the draft Law still lacks the concept of "press economics" to have a comprehensive and synchronous policy system on this issue.

Some regulations are not specific, have not really created big changes in "press economy", have not resolved the problems and difficulties facing press agencies, and still lack specific regulations related to public investment and autonomy mechanisms.

The National Assembly Standing Committee gives opinions on the draft Law on Press (amended)

Some regulations need specific guidance to avoid exploitation or commercialization of the press, such as regulations on revenue from business activities, services, and affiliations of press agencies and units under press agencies, and regulations on press agencies using public assets to carry out affiliations in accordance with legal regulations on management and use of public assets.

In addition, "it is necessary to add regulations related to linking with cross-border platforms that can generate large revenues, and at the same time, add regulations on the scope of linking to ensure copyright and independence of the press, on that basis, the Government will issue detailed regulations," said Mr. Vinh.

National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man noted this content: The draft needs to stipulate a streamlined organizational model, increase the effectiveness of public opinion orientation, and balance freedom of speech and social responsibility of the press. Regarding press activities in cyberspace, it is necessary to control fake information, protect national security, support and encourage the press economy, and reduce dependence on the budget.

Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Duc Hai suggested that in addition to regulations on revenue sources, it is necessary to study and supplement a number of other regulations on press economics such as finance, assets, etc.

If only regulated as public service units or public units, it will be difficult to operate because many press agencies are organized as economic units, accepting bank loans, doing business to make products effective and have revenue to cover costs and fulfill obligations to the state.

Minister Nguyen Van Hung said that he will study more about the economic content of the press. "When discussing with the press agencies, all domestic press agencies focused on clarifying this content, there were also many unified opinions and also agreed on the way of construction as in the Draft", Mr. Hung said.

In conclusion, Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Thanh stated that the National Assembly Standing Committee agreed with the policy of comprehensively amending the Press Law to continue institutionalizing the Party's viewpoints and policies, while overcoming limitations and obstacles, handling issues arising in practice and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of the press.

Ms. Thanh noted that it is necessary to continue to perfect more specific and feasible regulations on policies to support press development, especially for press serving political tasks, press in remote areas, border areas, islands and digital press.

At the same time, clarify resources and financial mechanisms to implement ordering, bidding, and task assignment mechanisms, ensuring consistency with laws on public investment, finance, budget, labor, and technology to avoid overlap and create conditions for press agencies, promote creative autonomy, and at the same time maintain the state's guiding role.

The draft Law on Press (amended) will be submitted to the National Assembly for consideration and approval at the upcoming 10th Session.

Phuong Lien

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/luat-bao-chi-sua-doi-tranh-loi-dung-hoac-thuong-mai-hoa-bao-chi-102251008180258503.htm