Press Law 2025: Strengthening discipline to ensure the press develops in the right direction.
From July 1st, 2026, the 2025 Press Law will officially come into effect with many new regulations on managing journalistic activities. In an interview with reporters, Mr. Nguyen Ba Hao, Deputy Director of the Nghe An Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated that strengthening discipline must go hand in hand with building a transparent and healthy journalistic environment, creating conditions for journalists to work legally and play a role in supporting the development of the locality.
PV:From July 1st, when the 2025 Press Law officially comes into effect, what solutions will the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism implement to improve the effectiveness of managing the activities of representative offices and resident reporters in Nghe An province?
Mr. Nguyen Ba Hao - Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Nghe An Province:Nghe An is a large province with many socio-economic, defense, and security issues that are of interest to the press, resulting in quite vibrant journalistic activities in the area. Currently, there are 76 media outlets operating in the province, including provincial media agencies as well as representative offices and resident reporters of central, sectoral, and other local media agencies.
The 2025 Press Law has more clearly defined the responsibilities of provincial People's Committees and specialized agencies advising on press management at the local level; based on this, the Department will continue to advise the Provincial People's Committee to implement many solutions synchronously, such as reviewing and updating management data for representative offices and resident reporters; building a digital database to serve monitoring and inspection work; and strengthening coordination with relevant agencies to promptly detect and handle violations.
Our perspective is to manage and facilitate the development of the press in the right direction; ensuring both legal discipline and effectively promoting its role in disseminating information, reflecting social life, and contributing to local development.
Some notable new points of the 2025 Press Law (effective from July 1st)
- Increase the management responsibility of local authorities over resident offices, representative offices, and resident reporters operating in their areas. Provincial People's Committees are responsible for inspecting operating conditions and have the right to request press agencies to cease operations if they do not meet the prescribed conditions.
- Stricter controls should be implemented to prevent magazines from becoming like newspapers. Magazines should only publish specialized, specific information; they should only update news and events related to the field of activity of their managing agency.
- The regulations clarify the role of representative offices and resident correspondents. Representative offices do not have legal personality; their personnel are directly managed, recruited, and overseen by the media organization.
- Limits on the number of independent resident reporters. News agencies without a local representative office are only allowed to send a maximum of 3 independent resident reporters.
- The regulations should be supplemented to manage journalistic activities in the digital environment, while also increasing accountability for handling false and infringing information in cyberspace.
PV:According to him, what are the signs that indicate a representative office or resident correspondent is operating improperly?
Mr. Nguyen Ba Hao:Although the majority of press agencies, representative offices, and resident reporters operate seriously and in accordance with the law, there are still some deviations from the norm that need to be identified early in order to be corrected promptly.
These issues can be identified through several signs such as: operating contrary to the stated principles and objectives; reporting beyond the scope of permitted activities; exploiting journalistic activities to pressure or harass businesses or localities; using unqualified collaborators; publishing unverified information, using sensational headlines to attract views, or using social media in a manner inconsistent with professional standards.
Notably, the phenomenon of online magazines publishing a large volume of investigative and factual information, similar to online newspapers, still persists in some places, distorting the function of this type of magazine and affecting a healthy journalistic environment.
The 2025 Press Law has more clearly defined the responsibilities of governing bodies, press agencies, and heads of press agencies. This is an important legal basis for localities to strengthen management and strictly handle violations in order to maintain a professional, transparent, and lawful press environment.
PV:The 2025 Press Law tightens the enforcement of the principles and objectives of magazines to address the issue of magazines becoming like newspapers. In your opinion, how will this regulation impact journalistic activities in the area?
Mr. Nguyen Ba Hao:Recently, the phenomenon of "magazines becoming newspapers" has occurred in many places, distorting the function of magazines and affecting a healthy journalistic environment.
The new law clarifies the scope of activities for magazines, allowing them to publish only information relevant to their specialized field, principles, and licensed objectives, thereby creating a more stringent legal framework for management.
This regulation also helps to limit unverified information on the internet, protect legitimate media outlets, and create a healthier competitive environment.
PV:The new law stipulates that representative offices do not have legal personality, and all activities fall under the direct responsibility of the parent media agency. In your opinion, what practical shortcomings will this regulation address?
Mr. Nguyen Ba Hao: This regulation is very important in tightening the management responsibility of press agencies over the activities of their representative offices.
Previously, in some places, the responsibility was still entirely delegated to representative offices or resident reporters, lacking regular inspection and supervision, and in some cases, even exceeding their authority. Therefore, the Law clearly stipulating that all activities of representative offices are the direct responsibility of the media agency will force the managing agency to more closely control the personnel, content, and operational procedures of the local reporting team.
This regulation contributes to increased transparency, clearly defines accountability when violations occur, and protects journalists who work honestly and lawfully.
PV:In the context of rapid information dissemination online, what are the biggest challenges currently facing local press management?
Mr. Nguyen Ba HaoThe biggest challenge today is the extremely rapid spread of information in the digital environment, while verifying and confirming information requires rigorous professional procedures. Much unverified information spreads rapidly, easily impacting public opinion and government management.
The trend of multi-platform media, along with the emergence of AI and increasingly sophisticated fake content creation technologies, poses many new challenges for media management.
In this context, localities must both strengthen press management and improve the capacity of official media; proactively provide early, accurate, and transparent information to guide public opinion in a timely manner.
PV:According to him, how can we both strengthen discipline and create conditions for journalists to work in accordance with the law?
Mr. Nguyen Ba Hao:Our view is that media management must go hand in hand with supporting and guiding the press to develop in the right direction; strengthening discipline is not aimed at restricting legitimate professional activities but at building a more professional, transparent, and healthy journalistic environment.
In our management practices, we prioritize openness and transparency in handling violations; strengthen dialogue with the press and journalists; and proactively provide information to minimize communication gaps.
At the same time, we will resolutely deal with acts of exploiting journalistic activities for personal gain, exerting pressure, or violating the law.
When the journalistic environment is transparent, adheres to the law, and there is close coordination between regulatory agencies and media outlets, discipline will be ensured, and the press will better fulfill its role in supporting local development.
PV:Thank you very much, sir!
