14 press agencies fined for reporting false information about baby suicide
The Press Department, Ministry of Information and Communications has just issued a decision to administratively sanction 14 press agencies for publishing false information in the case of "11-year-old boy commits suicide because he doesn't have a new shirt for school."
Accordingly, 14 press agencies were fined for providing false information, causing serious impacts, violating the provisions of Point a, Clause 3, Article 8 of Decree No. 159/2013/ND-CP dated November 12, 2013 of the Government regulating administrative sanctions for violations in press and publishing activities.
The violating press agencies include: Dan Tri Electronic Newspaper, Nguoi Lao Dong Electronic Newspaper, Vietnam Business Electronic Magazine (each press agency was fined 13 million VND); VOV Electronic Newspaper, Dan Viet Electronic Newspaper, Ho Chi Minh City Women Electronic Newspaper, Dat Viet Electronic Newspaper, Giao Thong Electronic Newspaper, Ho Chi Minh City Police Electronic Newspaper (each press agency was fined 15 million VND); Tien Phong Electronic Newspaper, Tuoi Tre Thu Do Electronic Newspaper, Cong Ly Electronic Newspaper, Construction Electronic Newspaper, Saostar Electronic Magazine (each press agency was fined 10 million VND).
In addition to being fined, press agencies must also take remedial measures such as correction and apology according to the provisions of law.
Previously, at the end of August 2016, many press agencies published a series of articles with false content such as: "Feeling sorry for 6th grade students because they don't have new clothes to go to school," "11-year-old boy commits suicide because he doesn't have new clothes: Scene of extreme poverty in a tin-roofed house," "11-year-old boy commits suicide: Tragedy exists in life"...
On September 6, the Ministry of Information and Communications issued a document requesting the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee to direct relevant agencies to clarify the contents related to the above incident. On September 20, 2016, the Ministry of Information and Communications received document No. 4333/UBND-KGVX from the Gia Lai Provincial People's Committee requesting to correct the press information about the incident.
The reason Ksor Son committed suicide was due to disagreements with his family and the psychology of puberty, the cause of the suicide was not due to not having new school clothes as some newspapers have stated. On that basis, the Ministry of Information and Communications invited press agencies to work, make a record of violations and handle violations in accordance with the provisions of the law./.
According to Vietnamplus
