Many enthusiastic opinions contribute to amending the 2016 Press Law

On June 10, in Hanoi, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and Communications (Department of Press, Information and Communications Magazine, VietNamNet Newspaper) and Hanoi Law University (Ministry of Justice) organized a national scientific conference: "Scientific basis and practice of amending the 2016 Press Law".
This is a conference to review the implementation of the 2016 Press Law, one of the 2023 work programs of the Ministry of Information and Communications assigned by the Government, associated with the task of amending and supplementing the 2016 Press Law.
Speaking at the conference, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam said that the 2016 Press Law and its implementing documents have created a legal corridor for press activities and press-related activities to develop; the people's freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the press are guaranteed and promoted within the framework of the Constitution and laws. The Law also promptly and promptly adjusts many arising issues; meets practical requirements in press activities; gradually improves the effectiveness and efficiency of State management of the press in the recent period; creates favorable conditions for the Vietnamese revolutionary press to develop strongly.
According to Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Lam, after more than 6 years of implementing the Press Law, in the context of strong and rapid development of science, technology, and modern communications, some provisions of the Press Law have revealed limitations and inadequacies, failing to meet practical requirements.
“I believe that, whether viewed from the perspective of state management agencies from central to local levels and press agencies, or from the scientific perspective of researchers, lecturers specializing in journalism and law, these will be the most dedicated voices with the goal of contributing to an increasingly developed Vietnamese revolutionary press,” said the Deputy Minister.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tinh, Deputy Minister of Justice, agreed with the above opinion and said that it is necessary to study and amend the 2016 Press Law soon and carefully.
  The Ministry of Justice is very interested in perfecting legal regulations on the press in general and on the responsibilities of press management agencies in particular, in order to promote decentralization, promote autonomy, and create initiative and flexibility for press agencies.
But on the other hand, it is also necessary to clearly define the responsibilities, leadership and guidance of the governing body towards the press, ensuring that press agencies operate in accordance with their principles and purposes, fully comply with legal regulations and are under the absolute and comprehensive leadership of the Party.
Building a media complex model
Mr. Nguyen Van Hieu, Deputy Director of the Press Department (Ministry of Information and Communications) said that we should consider building a press and media complex model as a public service unit of the State. The complex can have many press agencies and affiliated publishers, operating in multiple forms, platforms, and services.
At the same time, the title of press agency leader is regulated in the direction of "newspaper owner" and "editor-in-chief". This is also the direction to form large press agencies of the country and continue to implement the Press Development and Management Plan until 2025 for the governing agencies and localities with many press agencies with tradition, prestige and the role of leading and orienting public opinion. On the other hand, the regulation of press titles in the direction of "newspaper owner" and "editor-in-chief" is suitable for large press agencies with many types and press products, aiming to individualize responsibility for each product of the press agency.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Dung suggested not to call it the Press Law but rather the Law on Mass Media. The law will regulate everything, not only the press but also subjects such as KOLs, addresses on social networks in public mode...
The speech of Ms. Nguyen Thi Mai Huong, Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Information and Communications, pointed out the difficulties in the implementation of the 2016 Press Law.
Ms. Mai Huong stated: Allowing press agencies to publish citizens' petitions, respond to or request agencies and organizations to respond to the press about citizens' petitions, complaints and denunciations leads to a situation where press agencies publish citizens' opinions without verifying the information, taking advantage of the situation to send documents to put pressure on agencies and organizations to request explanations and provide information.
Meanwhile, press agencies do not have the function of handling petitions but must forward them to competent authorities for settlement according to the provisions of the Law on Complaints and the Law on Denunciation.
In reality, many press agencies (magazines) rely on readers' petitions to send documents and send reporters to provinces and cities to request records and documents for investigation and verification of local socio-economic development programs and projects, causing trouble for agencies, organizations, and businesses and showing signs of exceeding the functions of press agencies.
Dr. Dong Manh Hung, Head of the Editorial Secretariat of the Voice of Vietnam (VOV), raised the question: The products of the economy are goods and services. So are press products considered goods or not? Can the public be considered customers of the press economy or not? These things are not yet regulated in the Press Law.
According to Mr. Hung, there are no regulations on the business functions of the press. Therefore, it is necessary to regulate and distinguish the main functions of the press, which are propaganda and business functions.
It is necessary to consider press products as a special type of goods. These products also have competition, supply-demand, prices, operate according to the laws of the market economy, and the press public is the customers of the press agency.
The relationship between the press agency and the governing body
Concluding the workshop, Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Lam, on behalf of the Ministry of Information and Communications, thanked scholars, experts, scientists, and leaders of press agencies for their interest, intellectual contributions, and contributions to the success of the workshop.
According to Mr. Nguyen Thanh Lam, the press has two roles. One is the role of the team participating in protecting the regime. But besides that, the press is also an agency providing public services such as essential information and propaganda.
So what is the scientific basis to clarify and level the relationship between the press agency and the owner, and above all, the State in the role of the major customer of the press? There needs to be a scientific basis so that when presented, it can convince all levels, sectors, and society, when the story of the press and the press economy is still a painful issue.
"Meanwhile, other forms of social information will quickly replace some of the roles of the press if we do not consider raising the level of the revolutionary press. We hope that universities, training and research institutions will help us with many such issues so that we can conduct research projects," Deputy Minister Nguyen Thanh Lam stated.

Prof. Dr. Hoang Anh Tuan, Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, affirmed: The development of journalism in the new context is one of the main topics for the school to develop training programs, research topics, as well as connect with the domestic and foreign journalism community. That is also the orientation to create the content of today's scientific workshop on the issue of amending and perfecting the Press Law in 2016. This is the most important legal corridor for the development of press activities, so that the people's freedom of the press and freedom of speech are guaranteed and promoted within the framework of the Constitution and laws, in accordance with the spirit of the resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Party: "building a professional, humane and modern press and media".

Press coverage of the event:
Vietnamnet Newspaper: Many enthusiastic opinions contribute to amending the 2016 Press Law
Communist Party of Vietnam Newspaper: Clarifying the scientific and practical basis for amending and supplementing the 2016 Press Law
Capital Youth Newspaper: Creating a legal corridor for press activities to develop rapidly
Labor Newspaper:Nearly 80 experts, journalists, and lawyers contribute ideas to amend the 2016 Press Law
Capital Youth Newspaper:There needs to be a special mechanism for essential press products.
Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper:The 2016 Press Law has 27 contents, groups of contents have inappropriate regulations.
Capital Labor Newspaper:Amending and supplementing the 2016 Press Law to suit reality is necessary.
Ho Chi Minh City Law Newspaper: Amending the Press Law: New regulations on 'press economics' needed
Construction Newspaper:Workshop on scientific basis and practice of amending the 2016 Press Law