Improving professional ethics of journalists in Vietnam

On the afternoon of November 17, the Vietnam Journalists Association held a conference to summarize 6 years of implementing the 2016 Press Law, along with 10 Articles regulating the professional ethics of Vietnamese journalists and rules for using social networks by Vietnamese journalists.

Comrade Nguyen Duc Loi, Permanent Vice President of Vietnam Journalists Association chaired the conference.

After 6 years of implementation, the 2016 Press Law, with 10 Articles regulating professional ethics and Rules for using social networks for Vietnamese journalists, has received many positive reviews from journalists and the whole society. With many new progressive regulations, suitable for the practical life of the press, and contemporary press work, the 2016 Press Law has created an important legal corridor for the Vietnamese revolutionary press to continue to develop sustainably, providing a support for journalists to carry out political tasks, better serving society and the people. However, in reality, there are still some shortcomings that need to be comprehensively revised to meet the requirements of press development in the coming period.

Since the implementation of the 2016 Press Law and 10 Articles regulating the professional ethics of Vietnamese journalists, the press has made strong strides in terms of quantity, scale as well as innovation, improvement of quality and effectiveness of information and propaganda work.

The team of journalists nationwide has grown up, is steady, and confidently follows in the footsteps of previous generations of journalists in mastering technology, applying practical life experience and theoretical foundations, creating excellent journalistic works, making important contributions to the cause of building and defending the country. The team of journalists has seen the emergence of many examples of journalists and members who are morally pure, professionally proficient, hard-working, and ready to sacrifice and contribute for the benefit of the people and the country.

However, there are still some shortcomings and inadequacies in press activities. The phenomenon of press agencies not properly implementing their objectives, providing false information, exaggerating and distorting the truth is on the rise. There have been negative phenomena in press activities with many sophisticated methods, dealing with the management measures of the authorities for the purpose of extortion or for other impure motives...

At the conference, delegates discussed a number of contents: Solutions to enhance the responsibility and role of State management agencies in implementing the 2016 Press Law and 10 Articles regulating professional ethics and Rules for using social networks for journalists.

From the practice of local press activities, some proposals and recommendations are made on amending and supplementing the 2016 Press Law; proposing solutions to effectively implement the 10 articles regulating the profession of journalists; analyzing the current situation, proposing solutions to ensure the rights and obligations of attracting members who are resident reporters and representative offices to participate in activities at the local Journalists Association.

Opinions also expressed the wish that local Journalists Associations strengthen close coordination with functional agencies in directing and managing the press, handling violations of the law and professional ethics of journalists, emphasizing the role of Journalists Associations at all levels in promoting proactiveness and determination in preventing and correcting violations of members in participating in social networks; recommending the need for strict regulations on press economics in the Press Law; in-depth analysis of the relationship between the task of implementing the emulation movement "Building a cultural environment in press agencies" and the implementation of the Press Law, the Regulations on professional ethics of journalists and the Rules for using social networks of Vietnamese journalists.

According to comrade Nguyen Duc Loi, in-depth analysis, discussion, and dissection of existing issues in the press law and policy, reflecting on difficulties and obstacles in implementing the Code of Professional Ethics for Journalists to promptly propose solutions to amend and overcome existing problems is an urgent requirement in the life of journalism and the team of journalists, contributing to building a Green, healthy, and positive press, worthy of the trust of the Party, the State, and the people in the revolutionary press and the team of journalists, and a solid foundation for building a team of Vietnamese revolutionary journalists who always maintain "a bright mind, a pure heart, and a sharp pen".

Through the discussion process, the Conference proposed a number of recommendations and solutions that need to be implemented in the coming time. Accordingly, amend and supplement Article 8 of the Press Law in the direction of enhancing the role and responsibility of the Vietnam Journalists Association in educating and fostering professional ethics for journalists; regularly monitoring, supervising, inspecting and concluding violations of professional ethics and strengthening the handling of violations by members and journalists.

There are additional regulations on the Journalists Association and press agencies in political and ideological education, training, and professional development in journalism. In addition to regulations on journalists and resident reporters, it is necessary to add strict regulations on representative offices, duties, and powers of collaborators at representative offices in localities to avoid loopholes in coordination with localities in collecting and providing information.

Continue to closely coordinate between the Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Information and Communications, and the Journalists Association at all levels in directing and managing press activities; educating, training, and building a team of reporters and editors with steadfast character, clear ethics, and civic awareness and responsibility in professional activities.

Thoroughly grasp, comply with and strictly implement the Party's regulations and State laws on press work, press activities, 10 regulations on professional ethics for Vietnamese journalists, and the Code of Conduct for Vietnamese journalists on the use of social networks. Strengthen training and improve the political capacity, professional ethics and expertise of journalists. Propose and recommend timely measures and solutions to overcome difficulties and obstacles in the implementation of press laws and related laws, in order to improve operational efficiency, fulfill the mission of revolutionary journalism, and maximize its advantages in orienting and leading social information.

The law needs to strictly regulate the recruitment of reporters by press agencies (in terms of awareness, politics, professional qualifications, journalism skills, foreign languages, and information technology) to improve quality and limit mistakes by reporters. It is necessary to regulate the activities of those who have been working as reporters in press agencies for less than 2 years and are not yet eligible for a press card...

There needs to be specific regulations on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in journalism activities to contribute to orienting communication in the digital environment, while preventing negative effects that may arise from this strongly developing trend.

Coordinate the organization of conferences and seminars; open training courses to improve professional qualifications, especially improving theoretical qualifications for management staff, reporters and editors of press agencies, focusing on representative offices and resident reporters to meet the requirements of tasks in the new situation. Agencies need to coordinate and provide guidance to representative offices on the use of collaborators; whether or not to directly recruit collaborators, and in what cases collaborators can be used...

The Association at all levels shall promote the role of the Council for Handling Violations of the Code of Professional Ethics for Vietnamese Journalists in preventing and handling violations as well as promptly intervening to protect the right to practice of members - journalists; strengthen thematic inspections of the implementation of the Association's Charter and the Code of Professional Ethics for Vietnamese Journalists in association organizations./.

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