Standards for appointment of head of press agency in Vietnam

Standards for appointment of head of press agency in Vietnam (Internet image)

Regarding this issue, LawNet would like to answer as follows:

1. Who is the head of press agency?

According to Clause 1, Article 23 of the Press Law 2016, the head of press agency is the editor-in-chief (for the printed newspaper and the online newspaper) or the General Director or Director (for the talking newspaper and photo newspaper).

2. Standards for appointment of head of press agency in Vietnam

According to Clause 2, Article 23 of the Press Law 2016, standards for appointment of head of press agency are:

- Is the Vietnamese citizen with permanent address in Vietnam;

- Graduated from university or higher education. For the head of press agency of religious organization, this standard does not apply;

- Has a valid press card. For the head of press agency of religious organization or scientific organization, this standard does not apply;

- Has good moral quality and is not under the exercise of discipline from the form of reprimand or heavier in accordance with the regulations of law on public servants and officials and labor law.

3. Duties and powers of the head of press agency in Vietnam

Duties and powers of the head of press agency in Vietnam under Article 24 of the Press Law 2016 are as follows:

- Takes responsibility before the press line agency and before law for all activities of the press agencies within its duties and powers.

- Develops and implements the activity plan of the press agency.

- Approves the structure of contents of publications, channels, broadcasting and television programs, newspapers and special column of online newspaper.

- Directs the compliance with the principles, purposes and provisions specified in the permit.

- Manages the personnel, provides training and retraining for journalists, reporters, employees; manages the assets and material facilities of the press agency.

- Must not assume the position of head or deputy head of other press agencies.

4. Prohibited behaviours regarding the press in Vietnam

Prohibited behaviours regarding the pressunder Article 9 of the Press Law 2016 are as follows:

- Posting and release of information against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam with the contents:

= Distort, defame and deny the people's government;

= Fabricate and cause panic among people;

= Cause the psychological warfar.

- Post and and release information with the content which:

= Causes division among classes of people, among the people with the people's government, the people's armed forces, political organizations, political - social organizations;

= Causes hatred, discrimination, divisions, ethnic separatism, infringement of equal rights of ethnic communities in Vietnam;

= Causes the division between religious people and non-religious people, between the followers of different religions, division of religious believers with the people's government, political organizations, political – social organizations and insults the religious beliefs;

= Undermines the implementation of policies on international solidarity.

- Posts and and releases information inciting war against the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

- Distorts history; denies the revolutionary achievements; offends the nation and national heroes.

- Discloses information included in the list of state secrets, privacy and confidentiality of individuals as prescribed by law.

- Provides information advocating the bad practices, superstition; provide information about the mysteries causing puzzle in society, adversely affecting the order and social safety and health of the community.

- Incites violence; propagandizes the depraved lifestyle; meticulously describes lewd acts, criminal behaviour; provides information which does not match the habits and customs of Vietnam.

- Provides false information, distorts, slanders or hurts the prestige of organizations, agencies, honor and dignity of individuals; attributes guilt upon no judgement from the Court;

- Provides information which affects the normal physical and spiritual development of children.

- Prints, releases, transmits and broadcasts the journalistic products, works or contents of information in the journalistic works suspended from release, revocation, confiscation, banned from circulation, removed, destroyed or the contents of information which the press agency has corrected.

- Obstructs the printing, distribution, transmission and broadcasting of journalistic products, information products with legal journalistic characteristics to the public.

- Threatens or intimidates life, hurts the honor and dignity of journalists, reporters; destroys, seizes vehicles, documents and obstructs journalists, reporter from professional activities in accordance with regulations of law.

- Posts on the products the information with journalistic characteristics specified in Clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of Article 9 of the Press Law 2016.

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