“The press must contribute to creating a democratic atmosphere and urgently solving social matters and struggles against corruption,” noted Truong Tan Sang, a senior Party official.

VietNamNet Bridge – “The press must contribute to creating a democratic atmosphere and urgently solving social matters and struggles against corruption,” noted Truong Tan Sang, Political Bureau member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee Secretariat at a national meeting to review journalism over the past three years on May 5.

Find your own voice, says top journalist

Mr. Truong Tan Sang.

The meeting, held by the Popularisation and Training Commission of the Ministry of Information and Communications and the Vietnam Journalists Association, was a chance for governing authorities and journalism organisations to exchange experiences and ponder new directions.

Sang observed that reporters had made significant contributions in popularising Party and Government policies in the three years since the decree on journalism was issued.

“Rational suggestions of the press and the people’s opinions reflected through the press have been considered and solved by government agencies,” Sang asserted.

“Journalist agencies need to play a more active role in unifying public awareness and encouraging people to implement the Government’s policies,” Sang added.

However, Sang pointed out some problems with the press, such as the “commercialization” of some newspapers and the shortage of sensitivity and social responsibility.

He also said the press didn’t report positive aspects and events, but instead focused on the adverse side of society, claiming that many articles harmed businesses, producers and consumers.

Another member of the Politburo, To Huy Rua, who is also head of the Party Central Committee’s Popularisation and Training Commission, characterized 2010 as a year celebrating many significant events, creating a heavy task for media organisations.

Sang and Rua both asked journalists and their organisations to help defend the country against wrongful opinions and information from hostile forces, particularly from outside Vietnam.

They also pointed to reporting on the implementation of the resolutions of the 10th National Party Congress held four years ago and the preparation for the 11th scheduled for early next year as the core task for journalists this year.

The two asked media organisations to extend television and radio access to regional countries to help overseas Vietnamese better understand their native country.

According to the MoIC, there were 17,000 journalists working at more than 700 print groups that produced 178 newspapers and hundreds of magazines in Vietnam by the end of 2009.

There were also 21 online papers and 160 web sites for printed publications.

PV