Improving leadership and press management capacity in response to new requirements

Dr. Nguyen The Ky - Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda Department

(Baonghean)- The press is an important component in the entire ideological and cultural work of the Party; is one of the sharp and effective tools to build and foster the Party's political and ideological foundation; propagate Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's thought, the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws; and mobilize and encourage the people to carry out the two strategic tasks of successfully building and firmly defending the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.

Based on the viewpoint of Marxism-Leninism, our Party always affirms and promotes the leadership of the Party and the management of the State over the press, considering it an objective and scientific principle and requirement. In his speech at the 3rd Congress of the Vietnam Journalists Association, President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: “Journalists are also revolutionary soldiers. Pens and paper are their sharp weapons.

Comrade Phan Dinh Trac - Provincial Party Secretary visited the computer room of Nghe An Newspaper.
Photo: Sy Minh

The cause of innovation, promoting industrialization, modernization of the country and international economic integration is increasingly going into depth. The scientific and technological revolution, especially information technology and the globalization trend are taking place more and more strongly and deeply, creating many great opportunities and challenges that cannot be ignored. The way of receiving and exchanging information (global internet, websites, blogs, personal weblogs, multi-dimensional interaction in information); ideological trends and tendencies are penetrating and affecting our country more and more strongly, multi-dimensionally and fiercely. Opportunistic, reactionary and hostile forces are intensifying their sabotage against us in many aspects, especially in the fields of politics, ideology, culture and press, implementing the "Peaceful Evolution" plot more and more insidiously and sinisterly.

In that context, strengthening the Party's leadership and State management of the press is increasingly urgent.

Up to this point, the whole country has over 730 print press agencies, including 178 print newspapers (Central, departments, ministries, branches, and organizations have 79 newspapers; provinces and cities have 99 newspapers); over 550 magazines (Central, departments, ministries, branches, and organizations have 436 magazines; local 117 magazines); 1 national news agency; 2 national radio and television stations, 1 industry television station, 63 provincial and city radio and television stations, over 500 district-level radio and television stations, thousands of commune-level radio and television stations; the whole country has over 60 electronic newspapers, nearly 300 news sites of press agencies and over 280 general electronic information sites; 63/63 provinces and cities, 22/22 ministries and branches have electronic information portals or electronic news sites. The Voice of Vietnam has covered 97.5% of the country and broadcasts via satellite to many countries around the world. Vietnam Television has covered nearly 90% of households in the country and broadcasts via satellite to many areas abroad.

The whole country has more than 17,500 professional journalists with press cards, thousands of cadres, engineers, artists, employees working in press agencies and tens of thousands of others who are collaborators, employees, and laborers participating in printing, marketing, advertising, and distribution, living mainly on journalistic services. Compared to 1986 - the time when our country began to carry out the renovation process, the number of press agencies, newspapers, radio stations, magazines and the current team of journalists has increased from 3 to 4 times; compared to 2001, these indicators have increased from 1.3 to 1.5 times.

In the first months of this year, our country's press focused on propagating the implementation of the Party, National Assembly and Government's resolutions on curbing inflation, stabilizing the macro-economy, maintaining growth at a reasonable level, restructuring the economy, and innovating the growth model towards improving quality, efficiency and competitiveness; propagating the Study and Follow the Moral Example of Ho Chi Minh; Resolution 4 of the Central Committee (11th tenure) "Some urgent issues on Party building at present"; propagating the amendment and supplementation of the 1992 Constitution; summarizing the implementation of Resolution 7 of the Central Committee (9th tenure) on land policy innovation; the fight against corruption, waste, bureaucracy and many other important and practical contents. The Party and State always consider the propaganda work of the press as one of the tasks and solutions to successfully carry out the two strategic tasks of successfully building and firmly defending the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Our country's press is under the direct and comprehensive leadership of the Party, and is both the voice of the Party, the State, political, social and professional organizations, and a forum for the people. The Party and the State need to constantly innovate and improve the quality and effectiveness of press leadership and management, especially innovating the content, thinking, style and methods of leadership and management.

Regarding innovation in leadership content: Our Party, directly the agencies advising the Party on press work, need to be active, proactive, sharp, and timely in forecasting and orienting political ideology, especially in the face of important, complex, and sensitive issues in social life; both widely propagating the Party's guidelines and viewpoints, and the State's policies and laws to the people, and paying attention to reflecting the people's thoughts and aspirations to the Party and the State.

In terms of principles: Leadership, direction and management of the press must be timely but must ensure scientific, convincing and reasonable nature, avoid imposition and orders, and must achieve voluntary and thorough compliance by press agencies and journalists.

Regarding methods: In addition to many important resolutions, directives and regulations issued by the Central Executive Committee, the Politburo and the Secretariat such as Directive 22-CT/TU, Notice of Conclusion 162-TB/TU, Directive 52-CT/TU, Notice of Conclusion 41-TB/TU, Notice of Conclusion 68-TB/TU, Regulation 75-QD/TU, Regulation 155-QD/TU, Regulation 157-QD/TU, especially Resolution of the 5th Central Committee (10th tenure)..., the Party needs to continue to develop and supplement regulations and statutes to create a political basis for press leadership and direction. Continue to institutionalize the Party's guidelines and viewpoints by supplementing and amending the Press Law, the National Information Strategy to 2020, with a vision to 2030 and beyond, and developing and perfecting legal documents; Build strong enough sanctions to both create conditions for the press to develop in the right and steady direction and promptly and decisively handle violations, especially major, repeated, and prolonged violations.

Based on reviewing the functions and tasks of each governing body and press agency, urgently develop a project to innovate and rearrange the system of press agencies nationwide, of each ministry, branch, organization, locality and unit in a reasonable, streamlined, practical and effective direction. Resolutely handle and reduce newspapers and magazines that are deemed unnecessary, have duplicate content, operate inconsistently with their principles and purposes or have prolonged violations.

Pay attention to building strong party organizations in all aspects of press agencies; promote the role of party members of journalists, especially those holding leadership positions; on that basis, improve leadership capacity, direction, and orientation of activities in accordance with the principles, purposes, functions, and tasks of press agencies and journalists. Improve the ideological, political, cultural, and scientific quality of each press agency, so that the press is truly the voice of the Party, the State; socio-political, socio-professional organizations; and a trusted forum for the people.

Continuously improve the quality of training and fostering of leadership and management staff of press; train reporters and editors of press agencies. Expand research and exchange of experience in press management and training with countries in the region and around the world.

Strengthening the coordination between press management and direction agencies and press management agencies; the leadership, direction and management of party committees, party delegations, and leaders of management agencies with press agencies. Improving the quality of content, form and ability to control information of key newspapers and radio stations. Investing appropriately in foreign information activities. Continuing to expand radio and television waves to other countries and regions using modern information technology; bringing books and newspapers with good content in the country to serve our compatriots abroad; increasing the introduction and promotion of the image of the country and people of Vietnam to many countries around the world.

Resolutely fight against false and hostile information and viewpoints with a team of dedicated, knowledgeable and experienced journalists and experts, using appropriate forms and means. Effectively prevent the infiltration of our country's press by hostile and reactionary forces from outside.

Strengthening the infrastructure, technology and operating conditions for press agencies. Researching and innovating technology, machinery and equipment in a modern direction; prioritizing radio and television coverage, and publishing press publications for young people, ethnic minorities, religions, remote areas, border areas and islands.