This needs to be dealt with severely!

(Baonghean) - The Miss Ethnic Groups of Vietnam 2013 pageant, held in Hoi An (Quang Nam), has been the subject of controversy for several days since its conclusion, with rumors circulating that the winner was involved in a rigged competition and had a relationship with a minor. In today's information-rich and interconnected world, such information spreads rapidly, creating a tangled web of rumors—part fact, part fiction—that can be extremely harmful.

Capitalizing on this curiosity, some media outlets, while public opinion was focused on and awaiting every development, freely spread rumors, relying on the age-old argument of lazy and gossipy people: "where there's smoke, there's fire." Then, when the person who spread the rumors revealed themselves and admitted their mistake, the truth came out, but the price paid was too high. The reputation of the competition, the organizers, the judges, and the winners were all affected and implicated. The beauty queen – the central figure in the online backlash – could not withstand the cruelty of public opinion, suffered a breakdown, and had to be hospitalized.

Furthermore, the death of the Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee – Head of the competition organizing committee – after a stroke, right in the midst of public uproar… whether related to those malicious rumors to a greater or lesser extent, it is clear that the act of "throwing stones" with rumors is like spilled water, difficult to unsweep.

When some media outlets tried to "attract views" and sensationalize the incident, the authorities promptly intervened and quickly uncovered the truth. On the afternoon of July 8th, Thoong Cooc Dinh, a contestant of Hoa ethnicity who had participated in the Miss Ethnic Minorities pageant for the second time but had yet to win an award, confessed to leaking some information to the press that she had only "heard": "I heard" that Miss Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh bought the title for 1.5 billion VND, and "I heard" that this beauty queen was having an affair with a 15-year-old son of the pageant organizer. What's noteworthy is that this spreading of false rumors was orchestrated by someone, with many contestants behind the rumors acting in a planned and deliberate manner.

Currently, contestants Vu Tran Trieu Thu and Thoong Cooc Dinh have both admitted that the person behind these rumors is makeup artist Tran Anh Kiet. It's possible that Tran Anh Kiet isn't the last person involved; authorities are continuing to investigate. However, a national-level competition, aimed at promoting national unity and honoring the physical and spiritual beauty of young women from the diverse ethnic groups of Vietnam, has seen so much effort, intellect, dedication, and funding invested, with the official and legitimate participation of state agencies and various departments and forces. Yet, it has been subjected to seemingly simplistic, even absurd, criticism and sabotage. This is something that needs to be considered, as it appears those involved haven't fully anticipated the impact and harm of "external factors."

Those who spread these rumors are not only blameworthy, but truly reprehensible and deserve appropriate punishment. It's highly likely that negative traits and mindsets such as jealousy, envy of talent, ability, beauty, even luck, and opportunities, coupled with a lack of moral cultivation, character, and responsibility towards society, the organization they participate in, and the competition itself, led some contestants to spread malicious rumors with the ulterior motive of "destroying what they can't have."

Because things might have been different if Thoong Cooc Dinh, Vu Tran Trieu Thu, or others... would never have spread the bad news if they, or their people, had stepped onto the highest podium to receive the award at that competition. Those rumors were like arrows that flew, like stones thrown at public opinion surrounding the competition, at the top winner, and at the highest-ranking member of the organizing committee... and they caused consequences. Sadly, at that very moment, those who "threw stones" were "hiding their hands." And in life, the paradox sometimes lies in the fact that by the time one gets revenge, the damage is already done, and those with malicious intentions always exploit paradoxes and injustices to gain illicit profits.

Furthermore, it is necessary to acknowledge and consider the responsibility of some media outlets that have become inexhaustible tools for these rumors to thrive, giving them the power to attack and tarnish the reputation and honor of the competition and its winners. Aiming solely for creating scandals to attract readers, sell newspapers, and generate profits and royalties, some media outlets have lost their function of guiding public opinion and ideology. In this case, whether intentionally or unintentionally, they have become propagators of public opinion, escalating grievances, sowing doubt, and fostering negative thinking. This is a sign of the commercialization of journalism in sophisticated, complex, and insidious forms that seriously and promptly affect social life, and it needs to be dealt with promptly.

There is only one truth, but malicious individuals always try to create different "truths," which is called distorting the truth, concealing the truth, or fabricating stories in a way that benefits themselves and harms others. Therefore, the press not only has the mission of accurately reporting the truth and protecting the truth, but also the responsibility to criticize, condemn, and denounce those who conceal the truth and tarnish it, and spreading false rumors about awards and competitions is one specific example.

Ngo Kien