06/20/2023 13:30
Recently, two of my friends argued about the terms “journalist” and “reporter”. A insisted that a journalist is a reporter, while B said that a reporter is not necessarily a journalist. Actually, I have heard this topic of debate many times. On the occasion of the anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, I would like to share a little about this term.
According to Mr. A's explanation, the reason he insists that journalists are reporters is because journalists are people who write for newspapers. And if you write for newspapers, you are clearly a reporter.
Mr. B, on the other hand, believes that reporters are not necessarily journalists. In theory, according to him, the 2016 Press Law stipulates that “journalists are people who engage in press activities and are granted press cards.” In reality, when press agencies recruit reporters, they clearly engage in press activities and no one denies that they are reporters, but they cannot be called journalists because they have not been granted press cards.
The debate is endless, because everyone has their own arguments to defend their point of view. But considering that Mr. B cited the provisions of the law, anyone who heard it would find it more reasonable.
According to Article 25 of the Press Law 2016, a journalist is defined as a person working in the press who is granted a press card.
And according to Article 26 and Article 27 of the Press Law 2016, to be eligible for a press card, a reporter must meet the following conditions and standards: The reporter must work for a press agency or news agency; must be a Vietnamese citizen with a permanent address in Vietnam; must have a university degree or higher; in the case of an ethnic minority person who is producing printed publications, radio and television programs, or specialized pages of an online newspaper in an ethnic minority language, must have a college degree or higher.
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In the case of first-time issuance of a press card, the reporter must have worked continuously at the press agency requesting the card for at least 2 years up to the time of card issuance (except for editors-in-chief of scientific journals and other cases as prescribed by law); the press agency or working agency must request the issuance of a press card.
Thus, according to the law, what Mr. B said: "A reporter is not necessarily a journalist" is completely correct. Because if a reporter is accepted to work at a press agency or news agency but does not meet the conditions and standards to be considered for a press card according to the provisions of the Law, then he is clearly not called a journalist.
As for Mr. A's opinion that "A journalist is a reporter" because "a journalist is a person who writes for the newspaper", how should it be understood?
In fact, there are quite a few people who understand "journalist is reporter" like Mr. A. And clearly this is a mistake.
In fact, in the past, the definition of a journalist was briefly understood as: A person who writes for newspapers (Vietnamese Dictionary by Thanh Nghi (Thoi The Publishing House, 1958) or "a person who specializes in writing for newspapers" (Vietnamese Dictionary edited by Hoang Phe, Da Nang Publishing House 2003). However, the Press Law 2016 has come into effect, so to have an accurate definition of a journalist, we should cite the Law, as the concept that Mr. B mentioned.
And so, if you are a journalist, of course you must be granted a press card. As for who is granted a press card, Article 26 of the 2016 Press Law also clearly stipulates this. Those who are granted a press card include: General Director, Deputy General Director, Director, Deputy Director, Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of a press agency or news agency; Head (department), Deputy Head (department) of press operations of a press agency or news agency; reporters and editors of a press agency or news agency; cameramen and directors of radio and television programs (except feature films) of units licensed to operate in the fields of radio, television and documentary production by the State; reporters, editors, and people in charge of reporter and editor work at district-level radio and television stations and equivalent.
People who have been granted a press card but are transferred to do other jobs, continue to have press works used, are confirmed by the press agency, and are considered for a press card in specific cases such as: Being transferred to work at units that do not directly perform press operations of the press agency; being transferred to teach journalism at highereducation institutions according to the provisions of the Law on Higher Education; being transferred to work as a full-time officer at the press association at all levels, directly doing state management work on the press.
That is to say, journalist is a noun that refers to all those who work in the field of journalism; while reporter is a noun that refers to a job title, the person who directly writes news and articles. And of course, if a person is called a journalist, he or she must obviously have a press card and they may not be a reporter, but may hold another position, such as an editor.
As for reporters, they may not be journalists because they have not been granted a press card (because they do not meet the conditions for a press card according to the provisions of the 2016 Press Law); or they may be journalists (if they meet the conditions for a press card according to the provisions of the 2016 Press Law).
On Vietnam Journalists Day, I would like to share a little about the way of calling the profession. Hopefully, through this article, it will reduce confusion in the way of calling and understanding journalists and reporters.
Con River
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