The specific characteristics of newspapers that have a great influence on social life will be considered when planning the press.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son said that in the process of implementing the National Press Planning, the specific characteristics of some press agencies with large scale and great influence on social life such as Tuoi Tre, Dan Tri... will be considered.

There is no such thing as "erasing" Tuoi Tre and Dan Tri...

Speaking at the conclusion of the Conference on Dissemination of the Basic Content of the Project on Planning for the Development and Management of the National Press to 2025 (abbreviated as the Press Planning) which took place this morning, September 25, 2015 in Hanoi, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son affirmed: “Our country’s press has developed strongly, but besides the advantages, there are still many disadvantages. There are many reasons leading to the shortcomings and limitations in press activities, one of which is that the press planning work has not been done well. Press planning is a difficult and very complicated issue.

Building and implementing the Press Planning is not the sole responsibility of the Government and the Ministry of Information and Communications, but of all governing agencies from the central to local levels, and is the shared responsibility of the entire political system in the process of press management.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son delivered the concluding speech at the National Press Planning Conference on the morning of September 25, 2015 in Hanoi. Photo: Hong Chuyen

Also according to Minister Nguyen Bac Son: “In the process of implementing the National Press Planning, there will be conflicts and difficulties. For example, Tuoi Tre Newspaper of the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, not only has influence on the youth and the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union but is also a newspaper on the political economy of the whole city and the whole country, but this is a newspaper of the department level, while according to the Press Planning Project, the department level does not have a press. Or Dan Tri Electronic Newspaper has a large tiara, has many readers, is in the top 5 of the electronic newspaper village, but is a newspaper of the Vietnam Association for Promoting Education, while according to the Press Planning Project, the Professional Association does not have an electronic newspaper, only a magazine.

Or Ho Chi Minh City currently has 18 different press agencies, if implemented correctly according to the National Press Plan, there will only be 1 press agency under the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee (the city-level governing body). This is a difficult problem, we must work together to solve it.

When comrades go into specific press planning for each industry and field, they will find it very difficult. A locality that only merges a few newspapers into one will also find it very difficult. It is not easy to do like the Ministry of Transport, merging 7 newspapers into 1. It will not be possible without determination and resolve.

Overview of the Conference. Photo: Hong Chuyen

Planning for further development

“When implementing the Press Planning Project, sectors and localities must ensure the quality of information and pay attention to human resource management. Press management is not only aimed at dissolving and reducing the size of press agencies, but more importantly, to create conditions for the press to develop further, improve the qualifications of managers, reporters, and editors, so that press works become more and more valuable for propaganda work, fighting against corruption, negativity, and fighting to protect the sovereignty of the Fatherland...”, Minister Nguyen Bac Son added.

Minister Nguyen Bac Son also frankly pointed out some conflicts that may arise during the implementation of the Press Planning. For example, there are press agencies that are subject to regulation but have tiara and large social influence, while there are newspapers that are not regulated (allowed to exist), but have small tiara, the State must subsidize, and even have to spend money to buy those newspapers.

According to Minister Nguyen Bac Son, the conflicts and problems mentioned above will be considered and resolved in the coming time.

According to Infonet