Strictly enforce discipline.

(NB&CL) At the 2024 Journalism Review Conference, reporting on professional activities and the results of implementing the 10 Articles of the Code of Professional Ethics for Vietnamese Journalists and the Rules for Using Social Media by Vietnamese Journalists in 2024, the Vietnam Journalists Association stated: The phenomenon of reporters and collaborators of some media outlets (mainly magazines belonging to social organizations and socio-professional organizations) exploiting the name of journalism to engage in illegal activities and harass agencies, businesses, and localities is showing signs of increasing and becoming more complex.

Ethical issues remain a persistent problem, especially in the magazine industry.

In practice over the past year, there have been instances of some reporters and collaborators forming groups and exceeding their functions, duties, and authority, operating contrary to the principles and objectives stated in their licenses, providing one-sided, unverified information about the shortcomings and mistakes of agencies, businesses, and localities to suggest, pressure, or even threaten in order to subsequently request the signing of media or advertising contracts or to gain illicit profits, especially during the period leading up to the Lunar New Year and other major holidays.

In fact, many reporters and journalists have been prosecuted and arrested by authorities for exploiting their profession for personal gain… The case at the Vietnam Environment and Urban Magazine is a sad story, a warning bell, a wake-up call for individuals who still have misconceptions and exploit the name of journalism for personal gain, committing painful violations of the law. Journalist Nguyen Duc Loi – Standing Vice Chairman shared: “It is heartbreaking. One thing that is very thought-provoking is the phenomenon of some journalists violating professional ethics and even breaking the law. This is due to a lax management of journalists, especially contributors to media organizations, particularly magazines.”

To address ethical violations, at the beginning of 2024, the Council for Handling Professional Ethics Violations of Vietnamese Journalists issued Official Letter No. 01 dated January 9, 2024, requesting the Journalists' Associations of provinces and cities, and affiliated branches and chapters to: Strengthen political and ideological education, professional ethics, social responsibility, and civic duty for journalists; review and closely manage, regularly urge and remind reporters, especially resident reporters and collaborators in localities, to strictly comply with the regulations of the Press Law, the 10 Articles of the Code of Professional Ethics, and the Rules for Using Social Media by Vietnamese Journalists; closely monitor and manage the use of journalist cards, membership cards, and letters of introduction issued to staff and reporters; Urgently conduct a review, establish, and strengthen the Council for Handling Violations of Professional Ethics in accordance with the Regulations on the Operation of the Council for Handling Violations of Professional Ethics of Vietnamese Journalists...

The Vietnam Journalists Association inspects and monitors the implementation of the regulations at the Front Magazine Branch.

Simultaneously, in implementing the 2024 Regular Inspection and Monitoring Plan, the Standing Committee of the Association established independent inspection and monitoring teams for grassroots Association units. To date, they have worked with 16 units, including 2 Sub-Associations: the Banking Journalists' Association and the Dan Tri Newspaper Journalists' Association; 5 Provincial Journalists' Associations: Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Lang Son, Binh Dinh, and Phu Yen; 2 Journalists' Branches: Education Times Newspaper and VnExpress Newspaper; and 7 Magazine Branches: Management Magazine, Business and Trade Magazine, Social Insurance Magazine, Community Health Magazine, Securities Economics Magazine, Vietnamese Human Resources and Talent Magazine, and Corporate Finance Magazine.

In November and December 2024, the Vietnam Journalists Association continued its monitoring plan for 3 provincial and city Journalists Associations and 10 branches of the Journalists Association of Newspapers and Magazines. Generally, local media outlets strictly adhered to the Association's regulations and complied with legal provisions. Violations were mainly concentrated in central media outlets, particularly in the electronic magazine sector…

It can be seen that, with the functions and tasks of a political, social, and professional organization, the Vietnam Journalists Association regularly monitors and gathers information on complaints and denunciations at all levels of the Association to provide timely solutions. It strengthens inspection and supervision activities at the grassroots level to resolve difficulties and obstacles in the process of handling complaints and denunciations from members and journalists. It promptly addresses shortcomings and weaknesses, strictly handles individuals and organizations that violate regulations; and strictly corrects and handles cases where members, officials, reporters, and editors make inappropriate or hypocritical statements on social media, violating the Rules of Social Media Use and the 10 Articles of the Code of Professional Ethics for Vietnamese Journalists.

Efforts in monitoring, inspection, and handling.

To enhance the role and responsibilities of the Councils for Handling Violations, the Inspection Committee, as the permanent body of the Council, received over 100 letters of complaint, denunciation, and reports of false information and violations of the Press Law. 100% of these letters were studied, classified, and processed. Upon receiving conclusions from relevant authorities, the Council for Handling Violations of Professional Ethics handled or recommended strict disciplinary action against individual members and journalists who committed violations. In 2024, the Central Council for Handling Violations of Professional Ethics handled 8 cases involving 17 individuals, including reporters and collaborators, who violated the law and were arrested at the following publications: Giao Thong Newspaper, Bau Troi Rong Mo Magazine, Doanh Nghiep Magazine, Dai Doan Ket Newspaper, and Moi Truong va Do Thi Viet Nam Magazine...

According to a report from the Inspection Committee of the Vietnam Journalists Association, the Council for Handling Violations of Professional Ethics of Vietnamese Journalists has issued a decision to expel and revoke the membership cards of 5 journalists from the Vietnam Environment and Urban Magazine who violated the law; and is currently proceeding with the procedures to expel and revoke the membership cards of 2 other journalists who violated the law and have a legally binding judgment. The Councils for Handling Violations of Professional Ethics of Vietnamese Journalists at all levels also monitor and make timely recommendations regarding cases of journalists using social media to post false information that affects the reputation and honor of agencies, organizations, and individuals.

With the approach of using "construction" to "combat," the Standing Committee of the Central and Provincial Councils has prevented, exchanged views with, and reminded many members who have not followed the correct and complete operational procedures or have made inaccurate statements on social media. All those reminded have removed the information from their personal pages, seriously accepted the feedback, learned from their mistakes, and committed to not repeating the offense.

In particular, with effective coordination from relevant agencies, in 2024 there were 225 administrative penalty decisions in the field of journalism, with a total fine amount of over 3.5 billion VND. Some leaders of media agencies who committed violations were not reappointed due to requests for dismissal, some media agencies had their operating licenses revoked, and 7 journalists had their press cards revoked by the Ministry of Information and Communications. 80% of the penalties were handled by the Departments of Information and Communications, showing that localities are increasingly playing their supervisory role after being decentralized and empowered. Mr. Pham Van Bau – Chief Inspector of the Department of Information and Communications of Ha Tinh province shared: “In 2024 alone, the Inspectorate of the Department of Information and Communications of Ha Tinh province coordinated with the provincial police and other relevant agencies to issue 7 penalty decisions, including a 70 million VND fine against a magazine…”.

It can be said that tightening discipline is also aimed at purifying the journalistic environment and maintaining its leading position in the flow of news. In 2024, journalistic activities in general, and those of the Vietnam Journalists Association in particular, saw many positive and timely changes, including the rectification and handling of ethical violations, in the spirit of promoting the role and function of the Council for Handling Professional Ethics Violations of Vietnamese Journalists.

Ha Van

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/hoi-nha-bao-viet-nam-quyet-liet-siet-ky-cuong-post326342.html