New Press Law: Necessary and sufficient conditions to be granted a Press card?

The 2016 Press Law clearly states that a person who is granted a Journalist card must basically be a participant in the news production apparatus, but must also meet a number of other conditions, including working continuously for 2 years at an agency, compared to 3 years in the 1999 Press Law.

To have a Journalist card, journalists usually have to have a certain amount of time working and contributing to a press agency. Photo illustration from the internet

So before having a Press card, how will reporters work? In fact, reporters who do not meet the requirements for a Press card still work with a letter of introduction from the press agency. This is still considered a press activity of the press agency. However, the legal awareness of many individuals and organizations about the press is still limited, leading to many unfortunate incidents such as hindering the work of journalists and reporters.

The most recent incident, reported by a reporter from Giao Thong Newspaper, was that while reporting on traffic accidents, a reporter from Giao Thong Newspaper was obstructed by the Traffic Police of Binh Tan District Police and Tan Binh Commune Police, not allowed to work even though he had presented an introduction letter issued by Giao Thong Newspaper and his ID card. According to Giao Thong Newspaper, the reason for the obstruction was because the police believed that the reporter from Giao Thong Newspaper did not have a press card.

In practice, although the Press Law has not mentioned reporters working with a letter of introduction, Decree 159/2013/ND-CP has mentioned this subject when using the two words "reporter" and "journalist" together. Specifically, Article 7 of Decree 159/2013/ND-CP provides regulations on protecting reporters' rights to work as follows: "A fine of VND 5,000,000 to VND 10,000,000 for acts of illegally obstructing the professional activities of journalists and reporters" or "A fine of VND 10,000,000 to VND 20,000,000 for acts of insulting the honor and dignity of journalists and reporters while they are performing their professional activities".

More specifically, Decree 159 also stipulates "A fine of 20,000,000 VND to 30,000,000 VND for one of the following acts: Threatening the life of journalists and reporters; Destroying or intentionally damaging journalistic means and documents; Illegally seizing journalistic means and documents".

So who is granted a Journalist card, according to the new Press Law? Based on Article 26 of the new Press Law, the subjects granted a Journalist card include: General Director, Deputy General Director, Director, Deputy Director, Editor-in-Chief, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of press agencies and news agencies; Head (department), Deputy Head (department) of press operations of press agencies and news agencies; Reporters and editors of press agencies and news agencies; Cameramen and directors of radio and television programs (except feature films) of units licensed to operate in the fields of radio, television and documentary film production by the State; Reporters, editors, and persons in charge of reporter and editor work at district-level radio and television stations and equivalent; People who have been granted a Journalist card but are transferred to other jobs and continue to have press works used, confirmed by the press agency.

And of course, in order for those working in the press field to be granted a Journalist card, they must comply with other regulations such as: Having worked for 2 consecutive years at a press agency (except for editors-in-chief of scientific magazines and other cases as prescribed by law), being a Vietnamese citizen, having a permanent address in Vietnam, having a university degree or higher; in the case of ethnic minorities who are producing printed publications, radio and television programs, and specialized pages of electronic newspapers in ethnic minority languages, they must have a college degree or higher; and must be proposed for a journalist card by the press agency or working agency.

In particular, the subjects who are reporters, editors, and people in charge of reporter and editor work at district-level radio and television stations and equivalent must ensure other conditions such as: Being a regular collaborator of a provincial or centrally-run city's radio and television station; Having at least twelve press works that have been broadcast on a provincial or centrally-run city's radio and television station within 01 year from the time of card issuance consideration; In the case of first-time card issuance, must have worked continuously at a district-level radio and television station or equivalent for 02 years or more from the time of card issuance consideration; Being proposed for a press card by a provincial or centrally-run city's radio and television station.

According to Infonet