Minister Truong Minh Tuan: Strictly handle press that harasses businesses

Dear Minister, after the Prime Minister's meeting with the press and businesses on June 10, how does the Minister assess the relationship between the press and businesses in the current media context?

Enterprises and the press are entities that coexist and develop together, and have a close relationship with each other in modern society. The press is one of the "supports" of enterprises, and enterprises are one of the "sources of information" of the press. Enterprises rely on the press to build their brands and expand their markets. For the press, in addition to information about politics, culture, and society, it is indispensable to have economic and market information from enterprises to provide to readers.

The press plays a very important role in helping businesses develop production and business, especially in the process of international integration that our country is implementing. Information reflected in the press about shortcomings in policies and mechanisms, about unfair competition also contributes to making the business environment transparent, which is beneficial for businesses.

Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan

There is also a market relationship between the press and businesses, which is advertising. Businesses “buy” an area or a period of time on the media of a press agency to post/broadcast advertisements. This is an important source of revenue for print newspapers and almost the only source of revenue for electronic newspapers, radio and television (except for pay television). Without advertising, the press can hardly exist and develop. However, advertising on media of the press is not a journalistic activity and is not related to journalists.

In theory, the healthy relationship between businesses and the press is generally like that. But in reality, this relationship has many problems. In the face of the rapid progress of information technology and multimedia, traditional newspapers and even electronic newspapers are facing the challenge of survival. The explosion of advertising forms on mobile platforms (Mobile Ads), non-mobile videos (Non-mobile Video) and social media (Social Ads) has caused print newspapers and electronic newspapers to lose advertising market share. Instead of innovating to adapt to the changes in technology and media, many press agencies use non-market methods to attract advertising "milk" from businesses.

That is the cause of negative harassment of businesses by the press. This negative trend combined with long-standing negatives (such as the blatant harassment of businesses by some unethical journalists) is causing a part of the press agencies to become a burden to the state and a nightmare for businesses. And frankly, some press agencies and some journalists even use tricks to live as “parasites” on businesses, which is sad and shameful.

Minister, please let us know if you have received any negative feedback from businesses about the press?

A lot! Journalists go to businesses to force them to sign advertisements, press agencies organize “attacks” on businesses to negotiate advertisements, dig up small violations of businesses to post articles on online newspapers and then set prices… I heard about a newly established online newspaper whose editorial board only advocates “attacking” banks in exchange for real estate and advertisements, another newspaper only specializes in “attacking” public passenger transport companies… The most serious is that businesses bribe and collude with the press to eliminate competitors. This is truly a negative, distorted relationship between businesses and the press. The serious problem is that a part of press agencies and journalists have lost their image and reputation in society and violated the law. Of course, I do not deny that many press agencies and the majority of journalists maintain a very healthy relationship with the business community.

In today's press life, there is a situation where most businesses both fear and hate journalists but still have to sit in the same boat. As the state management agency of the press, what recommendations and measures does the Ministry of Information and Communications have to eliminate this situation?

Both the press and businesses have their own rights and obligations as prescribed by law. The rights and obligations of the press are to provide truthful information about the activities of businesses, to set good examples of good people and good deeds related to community activities, and to have the right to request businesses to answer questions that consumers and the public are concerned about. The press also has the right to denounce illegal acts of businesses through journalistic investigation and is legally responsible for the accuracy of the information.

But perhaps the press tends to use this power a lot but tries to avoid legal sanctions, which creates pressing problems for businesses as I mentioned above. Corrections and apologies are also not serious in many press agencies and as the folk saying goes, “when you get into trouble, your cheeks are swollen”, a piece of incorrect information in an article often has more readers than a correction, so even if there is a serious correction and apology, the damage to businesses due to the press’s incorrect information is still too great. That is also the reason why businesses “both hate and fear journalists” as you said.

To address this situation, I request the competent authorities and press agencies to strengthen the inspection and supervision of the activities of press agencies and journalists, and to develop and strictly implement the code of ethics for journalists. We will clarify and strictly handle the situation of journalists harassing businesses. For businesses, we recommend operating in accordance with the law, providing honest information to the press and competing fairly. We also encourage businesses to boldly report and denounce press agencies and journalists who have harassed them directly to the Inspectorate of the Ministry of Information and Communications.

On the part of the state management agency, we will soon inspect and re-examine the publishing process, especially the publishing process of electronic newspapers. Publishing on electronic newspapers and easily withdrawing content according to the editorial process often gives rise to negativity, we will supplement regulations and handle them strictly in the near future.

The relationship between the press and businesses is a blood relationship (Internet photo)

The measure that the Minister mentioned is very necessary, but even if the Ministry of Information and Communications strictly handles cases of press harassment of businesses, the damage to businesses caused by this harassment cannot be compensated, so it is difficult to end the situation where businesses "both hate and fear journalists"?

Our State is a State of law, all citizens are equal before the law. The activities of journalists are not only regulated by the Press Law but also by the Civil Code, the Criminal Code and other laws. Enterprises that are damaged by the press can completely sue in court to demand adequate material and spiritual justice. There are no special privileges for journalists or anyone else in court. The problem is that not many enterprises are persistent enough to follow up on lawsuits, so they have to get into the habit of relying on the law to protect themselves, doing that also contributes to cleaning up the country's press activities. Enterprises also need to increase communication, exchange information frankly, sincerely, openly with the press to strengthen cooperative relationships, respect, and support each other for the common good, for the brand, for enterprises, for Vietnamese products, creating mutual trust to build and develop the country together.

But Mr. Minister, many countries do not have a Press Law but rarely see journalists harassing businesses, but in our country, the Press Law seems to create more or less privileges for journalists?

Each country has its own unique circumstances, and the laws of one country are not exactly the same as those of another. The Press Law of our country was created to concretize the freedom of speech and freedom of the press as stated in the Constitution. The Press Law of our country regulates the specific activities of journalism, but not only for journalists but also to ensure the freedom of the press and the freedom of speech in the press of all citizens. There is no privilege for journalists as stated in the Press Law. Any genuine freedom of one person must not infringe upon the freedom and interests of another person, that is the fundamental spirit of the Press Law as well as other laws of our country.

Thank you, Minister.

According to Infonet