Amendment of the Press Law: Need for specific policies for the press in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

According to the meeting agenda, today (November 24) the National Assembly will discuss in the hall about amending the Press Law.

Hanoi reporter working at event A80 - Photo: NAM TRAN

Tuoi Tre had an interview with Mr. PHAM QUANG NGHI - former member of the Politburo , former Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee - about this content.

Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have national press brands.

* How do you evaluate the development of the press, especially the press in the two big cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City , in recent times?

- In recent times, the national press in general and the press in the two big cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have made very strong developments. In particular, the application of information technology and digital transformation has helped the press make great strides, enabling the press to carry out its mission in the best possible way.

Accordingly, in addition to traditional forms such as radio, television, and newspapers, newspapers now have electronic newspapers, fanpages, and information channels on social networks.

We see that multimedia is present in all newspapers. This helps the press today to provide information more and more quickly and almost instantly. In the past, due to technological limitations, readers who wanted to follow an event that took place in the morning had to wait until the next day for the newspaper to come out or had to wait for the television news program at noon or in the evening.

But nowadays, along with fixed programs, communication is done instantly - the event is immediately communicated with full images, language, sound, comments, reviews..., including communication and exchange of ideas with the public.

It can be seen that information nowadays is increasingly fast, sensitive, closely following every event, every breath of life and promptly transmitted to the public in many different ways. However, along with that sensitivity, the role and responsibility of journalists also need to be enhanced.

Fast, sensitive, timely but must ensure the honesty and accuracy of the information. The press at any time, anywhere must consider very basic questions: what to write, write for whom, how to write?... Those are the most typical and essential issues of the press.

Mr. Pham Quang Nghi - former member of the Politburo , former Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee

* How do you evaluate the contribution to the general development of the press in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City?

- In recent years, along with the national press, press agencies in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have made important developments and contributions to maintaining political stability, socio-economic development, and preserving and promoting national cultural identity.

The press has made important contributions and done well in propagating and disseminating the Party and State's policies and laws to the people; promoting the role of supervision and social criticism...

In particular, the press has made an important contribution to the country's major political, social and foreign affairs events, as well as playing a very important role in preventing the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters...

The press agencies in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City not only play a role at the local level, representing the two cities but also representing the country. Press brands such as Hanoi Moi, Saigon Giai Phong, Tuoi Tre, Kinh Te Do Thi, Hanoi Television, Ho Chi Minh City Television ... together with central press agencies have become national and international brands.

Besides transmitting information, the press agencies of the two cities participate in organizing many meaningful programs and events such as charity, humanitarian, calling for support for people in localities affected by floods, natural disasters...

There is a need for a key multimedia press agency in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

* With this amendment to the Press Law, what conditions do you hope to create for press development in the coming time?

- In short, it is hoped that this amendment to the Press Law will continue to improve the legal framework so that the country's press in general and the press of the two cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in particular will have the conditions to develop and increasingly better meet the diverse information needs of society. At the same time, the amendment to the Press Law also needs to set higher and clearer requirements in enhancing the responsibility of the press.

* The review agency and many National Assembly deputies have proposed considering adding key multimedia press agencies in some localities or some units that have built up prestige and have a certain position in press activities. What do you think about this proposal?

- I do not comment or go into detail about the specific organizational model, but I think it is necessary to propose considering and supplementing the model of a key multimedia press agency in some localities or some press agencies that have built up their position and prestige in social life. It is true that a specific mechanism is needed, suitable for the position, scale and number of press agencies in the two largest cities of the country.

There must be more press units here than elsewhere. This is an objective requirement, commensurate with the political and economic status, population size and daily activities in the two cities.

Firstly, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are the two largest cities in the country in terms of political status, economic scale, society, population, and information needs. If you look at many countries in the world, you can see that newspapers and media agencies named after capitals or large cities are not only of that capital or city but also represent the country. Such as Bangkok Post (Thailand), The New York Times (USA), Beijing Daily (China)... Therefore, the number of newspapers of the two large cities should not be equated with that of other provinces and cities.

Ho Chi Minh City press also has a representative role for the southern provinces and is currently the largest administrative unit of Vietnam in terms of population. These are objective, special, and specific factors of the two big cities.

Second, the team of people working in the field of journalism and media, from reporters, editors, collaborators, intellectuals, scientists, and researchers, also mainly operate, provide information, and research products in these two cities. In other words, the professional workforce in journalism and media living and working in these two cities is the most populous.

Third, these two cities have a very large population - readers, listeners, viewers. Hanoi has about 9 million people, Ho Chi Minh City after the merger is more than 14 million people. With such a large population, the need for information, business, and services in all aspects is also concentrated here... The press has the mission to serve the needs of society.

If we say that the press is a bridge, a voice of the Party - State, a forum for the people, then the "bridges" in these two cities must be more numerous and larger than those in other localities. Therefore, it is necessary to correctly perceive this objective aspect to create favorable conditions for the press agencies of the two cities to develop smoothly, avoiding leveling and equalizing with other localities.

Tuoi Tre newspaper reporters and reporters in Ho Chi Minh City work at the COVID-19 intensive care hospital (Oncology Hospital, branch 2) - Photo: HANH NGUYEN

* Many opinions support the need to preserve large local newspapers. Do you agree with this view?

- I think it is necessary to retain major newspaper brands. Because these are news agencies that have been established, operated, developed for a long time and have a deep connection with the public. This is similar to many other fields, famous brands and names with great prestige in commercial, business, service activities, or even in science, art... should be maintained and developed, not deleted.

The names of some press agencies such as Hanoi Moi, Saigon Giai Phong, Tuoi Tre, Lao Dong, Tien Phong, Thanh Nien ... have been associated with readers for many years. Preserving and developing these brands is necessary.

What needs to be emphasized is how to make the press continue to improve, innovate, enhance the quality of information, promote the social responsibility of the press, overcome shortcomings and weaknesses, and best perform the political and social functions of the press. Through press and media products, practical and useful knowledge can be provided, and social progress can be promoted.

Sometimes, faced with the phenomenon of some low-quality, sensational, clickbait news articles that cause reactions and discomfort to listeners and readers, there are opinions that want to reduce the number of sources and reduce the number of press agencies for easier management. That is the "if you can't manage it, ban it" mindset that we are trying to overcome.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen The Ky   (Chairman of the Central Council of Theory and Criticism of Literature and Art) :

Support additional key press and media agencies in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Mr. Nguyen The Ky

The arrangement of press agencies is a scientific matter of organization and personnel, and cannot be done hastily. After a period of implementation, there must be a review, experience, and correction of anything that is not working.

The two major press centers of the country, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, are two special localities. Just as administrative units have special zones, the press also has special areas that require special policies. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have central agencies and ministries there.

Second, the two cities have influence over the region and the whole country. The press in Hanoi has influence over the northern provinces. The press in Ho Chi Minh City has influence over the southern provinces, and there are even issues that have influence over the whole country.

When reorganizing press agencies as well as some other fields, it is necessary to have a master plan and determine the methods, criteria for implementation, implementation steps, how to centralize the press and how to localize the press. In the local press, it is also necessary to divide into several models for implementation. For example, in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Politburo has also had specific mechanisms for these two cities, so in the press, it is also necessary to take into account specific mechanisms for these two localities.

The Resolution of the 5th Central Conference of the 10th term nearly 20 years ago, in the section "On ideological, theoretical and press work in response to new requirements", mentioned the experimental establishment of a number of press groups. And then considered the concept of a central key press agency and a local key press agency. Accordingly, in some specific localities, in addition to the Party newspaper and the local radio and television stations, it is necessary to consider newspapers that have a wide influence on the public.

Recently, the Committee on Culture and Society proposed to consider adding key multimedia press agencies in some localities or some units that have built up prestige and have a certain position in press activities. I strongly agree with this proposal.

The world press has interesting stories. For example, Time magazine annually holds a vote for the most prestigious people in the world. It is just a magazine but it has a global influence on the public.

Another story: there are big newspapers, in the process of development and change, can make changes, including changes in form such as changing cufflinks. But then the newspaper receives feedback from readers showing that they love and miss the old familiar image of the newspaper too much. The story shows that the public's affection for big branded newspapers is very deep.

When making decisions about changes to these big branded newspapers, public sentiment towards the newspaper needs to be taken into account. I am not surprised that a large number of readers have recently expressed their support for allowing newspapers with strong brands to remain.

Some new points of the revised Press Law

Journalists working at the 24th Vietnam Film Festival in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: TTD

- Divide the press into 4 types but change the names of the press types to print press, radio press, visual press and electronic press.

- Add the concept of "magazine" to clearly distinguish between newspapers and magazines, and prevent "newspaperization" of magazines.

- Add more press publishing activities on cyberspace.

- Supplementing regulations on new sources of revenue for the press; amending and supplementing regulations on press import and export.

- Supplementing the content that press agencies are allowed to have affiliated press agencies.

- The concept of reporter was first introduced. A reporter is a person who works at a press agency, performs journalistic tasks, and writes news articles.

- Add a regulation on the condition for first-time issuance of a journalist card to have to pass a training course on journalism skills and professional ethics.

- Supplementing regulations that reporters and editors who have not been granted a press card must exercise the same rights and obligations as journalists when performing press activities and must present a letter of introduction issued by the press agency where they work when coming to the agency or organization to perform press activities.

- Decentralize 10 more administrative procedures to the provincial People's Committee for local press agencies, agencies, organizations and businesses.

Proposed new regulations on press agencies

- A press agency carries out one or several types of journalism, has one or several press products, and has affiliated press agencies according to the provisions of this law.

- Press agencies must have a press operation license issued by the state press management agency to operate.

- Press agencies have legal status, seals and accounts in accordance with the provisions of law.

- Press agencies must comply with the principles and purposes specified in the press operation license and assigned tasks.

- A key multimedia media agency is a press agency with many types of press and affiliated press agencies; has a specific financial mechanism; is established in accordance with the Press System Development and Management Strategy approved by the Prime Minister.

- Newspapers, radio and television agencies are press agencies under provincial and municipal party committees; there are many types of press and press products.

- The Government shall specify in detail the specific financial mechanism for each key multimedia media agency in accordance with the level of autonomy.

Tuoitre.vn

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sua-doi-luat-bao-chi-can-chinh-sach-dac-thu-cho-bao-chi-ha-noi-tp-hcm-20251123231122649.htm