Amending the Press Law: New proposal on key multimedia press agencies

The revised Press Law corrects the phrase 'key multimedia media agency' to 'key multimedia press agency' to ensure accuracy and appropriateness.

Chairman of the Committee for Culture and Society Nguyen Dac Vinh - Photo: GIA HAN

On the morning of December 4, the National Assembly Standing Committee gave opinions on explaining, accepting, and revising the draft Press Law (amended).

Change "main multimedia media agency" to "main multimedia press agency"

Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Society Nguyen Dac Vinh presented a number of major issues in receiving, explaining and revising the draft Press Law (amended).

Regarding the main multimedia press agency, there is a proposal to change the term "main multimedia media agency" to "main press agency", or to change the name to "main multimedia press and communication agency".

Mr. Nguyen Dac Vinh said that taking into account the opinions of the delegates, the standing committee and the drafting agency agreed to revise the phrase "main multimedia media agency" to "main multimedia press agency" to ensure accuracy and conformity with the scope of the bill.

The full report also presented a number of proposals to pilot a model of a multi-media press group or consortium in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Regarding this content, the Standing Committee of the Culture and Social Affairs Committee would like to receive and report further.

Accordingly, the Government has directed the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to summarize the Press Development and Management Plan, and plans to propose competent authorities to continue implementing some of the planning's viewpoints and add new viewpoints, including the content that Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are allowed to establish key multimedia press agencies.

Based on the direction and approval of competent authorities, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism will specify these contents in the Strategy for development and management of the press system, ensuring feasibility, consistency and conformity with the national press development orientation.

Meeting scene - Photo: GIA HAN

Agencies, organizations and individuals using press works must reach an agreement with the press agency.

Regarding press activities in cyberspace, Mr. Vinh said that taking into account the opinions of delegates, the standing committee and the drafting agency have reviewed and revised the provisions in the draft law.

Specifically, in the direction of regulating state management measures for press activities in cyberspace similar to those for 4 types of traditional press.

At the same time, integrate online services, ensuring the integrity of information content posted and broadcast on the national digital press platform.

The full report also raised a number of suggestions that legally binding measures should be taken to require cross-border platforms (such as Google, Facebook, TikTok...) to pay copyright fees and share revenue with Vietnamese press agencies.

Clarify the responsibility of social networking platforms in preventing and handling toxic information, fake news, and misinformation on their platforms.

There are opinions suggesting that the protection of press copyright in cyberspace needs to be regulated more specifically to avoid illegal copying, which is widespread on social networks, which is greatly affecting copyright and information transparency.

The Standing Committee of the Committee stated that to ensure copyright and related rights, the draft law has added provisions. Accordingly, agencies, organizations and individuals using press works must reach an agreement with the press agency according to the law.

Information posted by cross-border platforms is not covered by the bill.

The handling of this information is regulated in Decree 147/2024 of the Government on management, provision and use of Internet services and online information, according to which cross-border platforms must remove violating information within 24 hours of receiving a request from Vietnamese authorities.

Regarding the contents related to "press economy", Mr. Vinh said that in response to the opinions of the delegates, the standing committee and the drafting agency have reviewed and revised the regulations related to public investment, autonomy mechanism, and regulations on revenue from business activities of press agencies in the draft law.

Presenting his opinions on the discussion, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man said that the opinions of National Assembly deputies focused on policy mechanisms to develop the press, manage the press in cyberspace, protect the safety of press operations, licensing conditions and management of collaborators, and definitions and legal status.

He suggested that research agencies discuss and unify the content of the explanation to be reasonable and understandable.

He stated that the revised Press Law this time is in the spirit of implementing a revolution in the organization of the two-level government apparatus. "The Fatherland Front and organizations must also arrange their teams as press units," he said...

Concluding this content, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Tran Quang Phuong stated that the National Assembly Standing Committee basically agreed with the contents of the draft law that had been received, explained, and revised.

At the same time, some contents are proposed, including supplementing and reviewing policies for press development and ensuring resources for implementation. Especially the financial mechanism to support the press in performing public service obligations and tasks assigned by competent authorities, then investing in infrastructure and tax incentives to ensure feasibility.

Review and complete regulations on the management of press activities in cyberspace, application of new technologies, including behavior regulation, then application and use of artificial intelligence; on the issue of safety of life and dignity of journalists; on training and fostering journalist capacity, fostering professional ethics of journalists, granting journalist cards...

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sua-luat-bao-chi-de-xuat-moi-ve-co-quan-bao-chi-chu-luc-da-phuong-tien-20251204104657865.htm