PRESS LAW 2016

After 16 years of implementation of the revised Press Law, many limitations have been revealed,
which are no longer consistent with practice, so the need to continue revising the Press Law is a
necessary and objective requirement following the new situation set by the Constitution of
2013.

1. How is the structure of the 2016 press law different from the 1999 press law?
- The Law on Press 2016 contains 6 chapters, and 61 articles, an increase of 25 articles compared
to the Law on Press in 1999.
- Including 32 new construction articles, 29 articles revising and supplementing the provisions
of the current Law on Press.
+New Law on Journalism abandons the chapter on State Management of Newspapers
+Change the structure of Chapter III (Journal Authority), Chapter IV (Journal and Journalist
Organization) of the Law on Press in 1999 to Chapter III (Journal Organization) and Chapter
IV (Journal Activities).

2. How is the content of the 2016 press law different from the 1999 press law?
-First: Regulations on freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the press of citizens
+This Press Law is structured in Chapter II with four articles with specific regulations on
freedom of the press and freedom of speech in the press of citizens, which stipulates that
citizens have the right to:
● Creative journalistic works
● Provide information for the press, feedback information in the press, approach Press
information, link with press agencies that produce press products, print and distribute
printed newspapers
● Feedback, criticism, requests, complaints, and denounce in the press for Party
organizations, State agencies, socio-political organizations, socio-political organizations,
job; social organization; socio-professional organizations, and members of those agencies
and organizations

-Second: Add several subjects to establish scientific journals

+Regarding subjects establishing press agencies, in addition to subjects establishing press
agencies according to current law, the new Press Law has added a number of subjects allowed to
establish scientific magazines, such as:
● Higher education institutions according to the provisions of the Law on Higher
Education
 ● Organization scientific research, scientific research and technological development
organizations organized in the form of academies or institutes according to the
provisions of the Law on Science and Technology
● Hospital from provincial, centrally run city level or equivalent or higher.

-Third: Supplementing regulations on links in journalistic activities

+Which specifically stipulates:
● Field, Content Press agencies are allowed to associate with other press agencies, legal
entities, and individuals with business registration appropriate to the field of
association.
● Maximum allowed link duration in radio channels, television channels serving
political tasks, essential propaganda information according to regulations and general
news-political channels
● The maximum duration that the news agency said, reported on videoThere are joint
production activities All radio and television channels.

-Fourth: Specific regulations on responsibility for providing information to the press

+Regarding the press's right to operate, in addition to the provisions of the current Press Law,
this Press Law specifically stipulates the responsibilities of providing information to the press:
● Agencies, organizations, responsible people
● Information that authorized agencies, organizations, and individuals have the right to
refuse to provide information to the press.
+To protect journalistic sources and journalists' working rights:
● The new Press Law stipulates that press agencies and journalists must only disclose
information providers upon a written request from the Director of the People's
Procuracy or the Chief Justice of the Provincial People's Court. and equivalent or more
necessary for the investigation and trial of very serious or especially serious crimes.
● At the same time, the Chief Procurator of the People's Procuracy, the Chief Justice of
the People's Court at the provincial level and equivalent or higher are responsible for
organizing the protection of information providers after their names are revealed.

-Fifth: supplement and legislate mandatory regulations on the professional ethics of

journalists
+Along with clearly defining the rights and obligations of journalists in the law, to enhance the
role of journalists and the civic responsibilities of journalists, this new Press Law also
supplements and legislates regulations Mandatory regulations on the professional ethics of
journalists, which stipulate:
 ● The Vietnam Association of Journalists is responsible for issuing and organizing the
implementation of regulations on the professional ethics of journalists
● Journalists are obliged to comply with the professional ethics regulations of journalists
and will be revoked for violating professional ethics, causing serious consequences.

-Sixth: More open regulations than the current Press Law on business and service
activities of press agencies
+Regarding business and service activities of press agencies:
● The new Press Law provides more openness than the current Press Law regarding the
business and service activities of press agencies, shown at Point c, Clause 2, Article 21
stipulates: The revenue of a press agency includes revenue from business and service
activities of the press agency and its affiliated units.

-Seventh: More specific and clearer regulations on some prohibited acts in journalistic
activities
+About these prohibited behaviors in journalistic activities: Article 9 of the new Press Law
more specifically and clearly stipulates a number of prohibited acts in journalistic activities
compared to the current Press Law, with some additional acts such as:
● InformationAccusing a crime without a verdict of the court
● Information affects the normal development on children's physical and mental health
● Information about these mysterious stories cause confusion in society, negatively
affecting order, social safety and community health...

- Eighth: Add some new regulations on reform

+Regarding corrections and handling of violations, the new Press Law has added a number of
new regulations on corrections such as:
● Electronic press, in addition to posting and issuing corrections and apologies, must be
removed immediately False information has been posted or broadcast.
● Press agencies and general electronic information sites have posted and distributed
information about other press agencies that have to be corrected and apologized also
have to re-post the correction and errors of the press agency for violations.
● At the same time, specific regulations rectification positions for each type of press.
+Add new regulations on handling violations:
● The press agency was revoked its license for press activities, license to publish
additional press publications, supplements, produce additional radio channels,
television channels, and specialized pages of electronic newspapers
 ● Organizational authority revoked the license to publish special issues and newsletters
when posting or broadcasting information violates the provisions of Article 9, causing
very serious and especially serious impacts.

-Ninth: Add some new regulations to regulate press activities

+The new Press Law has codified the provisions of the Government's Decrees into law, and also
added a number of new regulations to regulate press activities, specifically regulations on:
● State Policy on the Development of Newspapers
● Change of the supervising agency of the press agency
● Cooperation activities of Vietnamese press with foreign countries
● Press activities of foreign press, foreign representative agencies, and foreign
organizations in Vietnam
● Protecting the content of radio programs, television programs, electronic newspapers;
responding to information...