Joys and sorrows with Vietnamese press in 2016

2016 is the year that the press has transformed itself to become a truly essential means of information for social life. However, the press still has some problems that need to be quickly overcome to become increasingly healthy.

Journalists and reporters at work.

True joy

2016 is the year the press transforms itself to become truly "an essential means of information for social life; a mouthpiece of Party agencies, state agencies, socio-political organizations, socio-political-professional organizations, social organizations, socio-professional organizations; a forum for the People".

Although some negative aspects of the press in the past year were serious, they could not distort the revolutionary press. Our country's press system, including television, radio, print and electronic newspapers, with a strong team of more than 18,000 journalists with practice cards and tens of thousands of technical and professional staff working in 857 print press agencies, 125 electronic press agencies, 66 radio and television stations with 182 promotional channels, 82 paid channels, etc.

There, the majority of journalists are upright authors, and most press agencies strictly comply with the Party's guidelines and the State's laws. Activities are always conducted transparently and in accordance with their purposes.

The two most important political events of the country in the past year were the 12th National Party Congress (Congress), the election of deputies to the 14th National Assembly and the election of deputies to People's Councils at all levels for the 2016-2021 term (Election). These were the two biggest events of the year that attracted the attention of the people of the whole country, and became important topics in the activities of the press system.

Before the Congress and before the election, the press system successfully completed two important tasks: both propagating and highlighting the significance of the event, affirming the spirit of democracy and fairness in society, affirming the achievements that have been made, conveying positive contributions from the entire population...; and contributing to repelling all kinds of distorted propaganda information from bad and hostile forces, some political opportunists who took advantage of these two events to distort the leadership role of the Party and the State, deny the achievements of the revolutionary cause, causing suspicion and confusion in public opinion... thereby carrying out plots to cause instability in life.

During the Congress and Election, through the press, the entire population had full access to the country's appearance and issues that were discussed and decided at the highest leadership body of the Party, and at the National Assembly sessions - the highest state power body, the highest representative body of the people. After the Congress and after the Election, the press contributed to quickly bringing the Party's resolutions and the National Assembly's resolutions into life.

Although social networks and internet communication tools have developed rapidly, causing many people to worry about the role of the mainstream press, the reality shows that the mainstream press has always maintained its leading role, providing the most reliable information to the people. Information in the press is always authentic, processed professionally, with clear sources and completely verifiable, all false information is subject to legal sanctions.

When the truth is conveyed in the press, it is powerful enough to push back fake information and distort the country's situation, contributing to strengthening people's trust and consensus in the leadership of the Party and State, consolidating political stability to promote the country's development in all fields. And that is the greatest joy of journalists. Among them, there are events that seem small but have great significance.

The incident involving Xin Chao Coffee Shop in Binh Chanh District (Ho Chi Minh City) was reported by the press and attracted widespread public attention. The fate of this small business would be to suffer injustice forever if the press did not speak up. Based on the information in the press, the Prime Minister directly directed that law enforcement agencies must intervene to bring justice to the people.

That is also what VI Lenin once said, the Soviet government must not only do great things to change the old and renew it, but also care about the specific fate of each individual. Our press has accompanied the Party and the State to defend many vulnerable people who have been pushed to the end by bureaucracy.

Returning justice to Mr. Nguyen Van Chan, Huynh Van Nen, etc. for cases like Xin Chao Coffee Shop has contributed to pushing back bureaucracy, bringing peace to the people, strengthening people's trust in the Party and the regime, which is a great joy for journalists.

The Trinh Xuan Thanh case also started with a news report in the press. From this news report, the General Secretary directly directed the Party agencies and the State's law enforcement agencies to get involved. Although Trinh Xuan Thanh has fled and the case has not ended, through this incident, the Party and the State continue to send out the message that there are no "forbidden zones" for the press, and that no one who breaks the law or aids and abets criminals can escape the law.

Sadness needs to be shaken off

It can be said that the fact that 50 press agencies were punished by the Ministry of Information and Communications, many journalists were disciplined, and their press cards were revoked in the "arsenic-contaminated fish sauce" case is the biggest press incident of the year. It is truly a sadness, a shameful incident for the country's mainstream press.

50 press agencies were punished in the fish sauce media case.

This is a typical example of collusion between corrupt and corrupt journalists and an "interest group", seriously affecting the healthy business environment of the country, causing discontent among the majority of people. This incident is a "minus point" for the reputation of the press.

It must also be mentioned that the appointment of former US Senator B. Kerrey as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Fulbright University Vietnam and the debate in the press is also a sad press incident, when the issue was pushed too far by some newspapers to the point of confusing right and wrong in history.

Mr. B. Kerrey is a veteran who commanded and directly participated in the brutal massacre of innocent people in Ben Tre during the American invasion of our country. Those crimes were exposed by the American press, Mr. B. Kerrey himself admitted, some evidence of this event is still on display in the War Remnants Museum in Ho Chi Minh City. However, because of the policy of "closing the past, looking towards the future", the Vietnamese Government and people not only did not pursue the case but also recognized and welcomed some of his positive activities that contributed to the normalization of relations between the two countries.

We simply do not approve of his appointment to the position of head of a university whose mission is to educate the younger generation of Vietnam. That disapproval is part of our Vietnamese ethics, and it is also an ethics that the American people and the world certainly aspire to.

Finally, the sad story that has been going on for many years without stopping is the situation of sensational reporting and writing articles to attract readers and views, following the unhealthy curiosity or deviant tastes of a part of the public.

News, articles and images of this type are published with high frequency in many online newspapers and some printed newspapers, describing behaviors and images that go against the nation's fine customs, in the name of fighting violence to stimulate violence. Many cases are described in gruesome detail not to make the public condemn the crime but to stimulate curiosity.

Some businessmen, artists and showbiz figures have had their private lives exploited excessively by the press, even fabricating, adding salt and pepper to attract readers and views. Most recently, also for this purpose, a series of newspapers "praised" an artist who had just returned home after serving a prison sentence in the US for pedophilia, creating a very dangerous trend, causing insecurity for parents facing the risk of sexual assault of millions of children by the type of sick characters promoted by the press.

This is a manifestation of moral degradation beyond the limits of civilization among a segment of journalists. This situation must definitely end not only through self-awareness of journalists' responsibility towards readers, but also through decisive measures by authorities.

Dealing with negative behavior of some journalists and some editorial offices is synonymous with protecting upright journalists who are dedicated to the country, the people, and the right, and is the responsibility of press management agencies and law enforcement agencies. Pointing out sad stories in the press is not "looking for a needle in a haystack" to be pessimistic, but to resolutely shake off. Shaking off sad stories and eliminating negative behavior in the press is also to make the joy of press activities in the coming year more complete and multiplied, so that readers continue to trust and place their faith in us.

According to Infonet