Rectifying the activities of press representative offices and resident reporters

From now until the end of the year, the Minister of Information and Communications will direct the inspection of all activities of representative offices and resident reporters of press agencies.

Recently, besides many representative offices and resident reporters of local press agencies that strictly comply with the provisions of the Press Law, proactively and actively follow the locality, grasp information promptly, and report fully and comprehensively on local current events, politics, economics, and society, there are still many cases where representative offices and resident reporters do not strictly comply with the provisions of the law on the press.

Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan.

That is the fact that many offices do not operate in accordance with their assigned functions and tasks and are not in accordance with their principles and purposes, and provide false information; the situation of reporters violating professional ethics, colluding with certain subjects to harass businesses to extort money, forcing them to sign advertising contracts, or even forming "press alliances", organizing in groups under the name of working together but in reality to harass businesses... causing public outrage, negatively affecting the team of genuine journalists, and at the same time causing difficulties in directing and implementing local political, economic and social tasks. This issue has been condemned by the press itself in recent times.

The Ministry of Information and Communications has repeatedly reminded, warned, and requested the governing body and press agencies to direct the review and rectification of the activities of representative offices and resident reporters under their management, ensuring that their activities comply with the provisions of the law on the press and regulations on professional ethics of journalists.

In March and July, the Ministry of Information and Communications on the one hand established an interdisciplinary team to inspect the representative offices of a number of press agencies in the Central provinces; on the other hand, the Ministry issued a document requesting the competent authorities and press agencies to self-review and rectify the activities of representative offices and resident reporters; requesting the Departments of Information and Communications of provinces and cities to organize inspections and guide representative offices and resident reporters in the area to properly carry out the registration procedures for operations according to regulations; and strictly handle violations of the law.

In parallel with reviewing, evaluating and strictly handling press agencies that violate their principles and purposes, this October and the following months of 2017, the Minister of Information and Communications has directed the Ministry's functional agencies to conduct inspections of all activities of representative offices and resident reporters of press agencies.

Specifically, the Minister assigned the Press Department to preside over the establishment of interdisciplinary inspection teams to inspect representative offices and resident reporters in some provinces in the North, Central Highlands and South; assigned the Ministry Inspectorate to inspect some provinces in the Southwest. The inspections will be carried out seriously, in accordance with regulations, and after the inspection, the units will have specific proposals. Any activities of representative offices and resident reporters that are contrary to the principles and purposes will be eliminated; if there are negative signs, the Ministry will coordinate with the competent authority to review, rectify and strictly handle depending on the level of violation.

According to VNN