Accordingly, the validity period of journalist cards for the 2011-2015 period will be extended until March 31, 2016.

Currently, there is public opinion suggesting that the reason for the card renewal is that the printing of cards using the new technology did not meet the required deadline, resulting in the cards not being replaced by the December 2015 deadline.

Illustrative image. Source: Internet.

However, in an interview with Infonet this morning, December 23, 2015, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan affirmed that the above information is inaccurate.

"The new cards have now been applied for. However, because press agencies submitted applications for renewal of journalist cards for the 2016-2020 period to the Ministry of Information and Communications later than the deadline, more time is needed to review, verify, and print names for management purposes," Deputy Minister Truong Minh Tuan said.

As reported by the press, in mid-October 2015, the Ministry of Information and Communications sent a document to the Departments of Information and Communications of provinces and cities, and press agencies, providing guidance on the procedures for issuing and renewing journalist cards for the period 2016-2020, as journalist cards for the period 2011-2015 were due to expire on December 31, 2015.

The Ministry of Information and Communications has requested media agencies to prepare applications for the issuance or renewal of journalist cards for the period 2016-2020. Accordingly, the application dossier must include a declaration form completed by the applicant according to the mẫu prescribed by the Ministry of Information and Communications, signed and stamped by the head of the media agency.

Additionally, a certified copy of the journalist's card issued between 2011 and 2015, authenticated by the media agency, is required; a summary list of requests for issuance or renewal of journalist cards from media agencies, signed and stamped by the head of the media agency, the representative of the managing agency, the representative of the Journalists' Association, and the representative of the Department of Information and Communications (for local media agencies). The application also needs to include a certified copy of the media agency's operating license.

The Ministry of Information and Communications requests that press agencies and provincial/city Departments of Information and Communications submit applications for the issuance and renewal of journalist cards for the period 2016-2020 before November 10, 2015 (based on the postmark).

However, in reality, many media organizations have failed to meet the deadline for submitting applications for journalist card renewals.

In further discussion with Infonet regarding this round of journalist card renewals, Mr. Dang Khac Loi, Chief of the Office of the Press Department, said that the new journalist cards will be in plastic form (previously they were paper cards).

According to Infonet