PR activities of The Government of Vietnam during COVID-19 pandemic

1. The definition of Government PR (tham khảo bài extra reading trong sgk
trang 32)
Thank you Đào Phương. Now, we will start with the definition of Government PR.
- Government PR is a very specific and sensitive type of PR, which focuses
mainly on official communication between the governments, their official
representatives and various organizations.
- It enables officials to inform and engage with citizens, stakeholders and the
media, with a view to building trust, advocacy and promoting policies.
Chuyển slides
2. The context of COVID-19 pandemic (làm rõ lí do vì sao trong hoàn cảnh dịch
bệnh, Nhà nước cần có kế hoạch quan hệ công chúng tốt) (1 person)
As we have known, the COVID-19 pandemic (2021-2022) has raised many problems
and it is apparent that Vietnam’s Government PR plays a vital role in the process of
addressing such problems.
Here are some noticeable problems during COVID 19 pandemic.

Problems caused by Covid 19 Gov PR ’s responsibility to solve the Tiếng Việt

problem

New variants continue to appear in
the context of COVID-19 spreading
quickly and from a variety of sources,
leaving people confused about how to
treat and prevent the disease
The Government believes that it is
necessary to quickly prevent the
pandemic to avoid a serious outbreak
in the community. Therefore, PR
activities will be an effective tool to
help people be fully aware of the
situation, the risk of infection, and the
consequences when the disease
spreads.
Tình hình: Nhiều chủng mới
xuất hiện liên tục
Vấn đề: Người dân hoang
mang, lo lắng, không biết
cách phòng và chữa bệnh.
Vai trò của PR Chính phủ:
đưa thông tin nhanh chóng,
chính xác, kịp thời để người
dân cảm thấy yên tâm hơn.

Taking advantage of people's anxiety
and lack of vigilance, many fake news
sources have spread rapidly, and
many fraudulent disguised business
forms have appeared.
Through PR activities, the Vietnamese
government has prevented,
suppressed and corrected false
information flows in order to reassure
people.
Tình hình: Lợi dụng sự lo
lắng và thiếu cảnh giác của
người dân, nhiều nguồn tin
giả đã lan truyền chóng mặt,
nhiều hình thức kinh doanh
trá hình lừa đảo xuất hiện.
Vấn đề: Người dân bị lợi
dụng, bị thuyết phục để mua

Chuyển slides
Social distancing continues
>>The need for people to speak up
when they need help or want to
express their opinion on a certain
aspect is very high
The pandemic situation is
complicated, requiring both human
and material resources to carry out
activities to support people in
difficulty, invest in specialized
medical equipment and buy more
vaccines
>> The government's resources,
material and human resources are
limited.
Through such channels as hotline or
social media, officials from the
government continuously listen to
people's opinions and feedback,
thereby taking timely measures to
help people.
PR activities help call for solidarity
and joint contributions from
businesses and individuals to together
repel the epidemic.
thuốc giả, mua khẩu trang
với giá cao.
Vai trò của PR Chính phủ:
Ngăn chặn, dập tắt và đính
chính những luồng thông tin
sai sự thật>> Trấn an người
dân.
Tình hình: Giãn cách xã hội
kéo dài
Vấn đề: Nhu cầu người dân
lên tiếng khi cần sự giúp đỡ
hoặc muốn thể hiện quan
điểm về một khía cạnh nào đó
là rất cao
Vai trò của PR Chính phủ:
Liên tục lắng nghe ý kiến và
phản hồi của người dân qua
các nền tảng số, từ đó có
những biện pháp để giúp đỡ
người dân kịp thời.
Tình hình: dịch bệnh diễn ra
phức tạp, đòi hỏi nguồn lực cả
nhân sự và vật chất để triển
khai các hoạt động hỗ trợ
người dân khó khăn, đầu tư
các thiết bị y tế chuyên biệt
cho bệnh này để chữa cho dân,
mua thêm vắcxin về tiêm cho
dân..
Vấn đề: Nguồn lực, vật chất,
nhân lực của chính phủ còn
hạn chế.
Vai trò của PR Chính phủ:
Kêu gọi sự đoàn kết, chung
tay góp sức từ các doanh
nghiệp, cá nhân để cùng
nhau đẩy lùi dịch bệnh.
Next, Loan and Yến will mention such PR activities that the Government of Vietnam
has carried out in details.
3. PR activities of The Government of Vietnam during COVID-19 pandemic
(2 people)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vietnamese Government has used PR as
one of the effective measures to prevent and fight the pandemic, and in fact, it has
contributed not only to improving operational efficiency, but also to the government's
reputation.
CHUYỂN
Firstly, the government effectively used communication to mobilize public
participation in pandemic prevention. Recognizing the importance of timely and
accurate information, the government devised a comprehensive communication
strategy, including clear messages. Slogans like “fighting the epidemic is like fighting
against the enemy”, which means "Chống dịch như chống giặc" in Vietnamese and
“The whole country unites to fight the covid 19”- "Cả nước chung sức đồng lòng chống
dịch COVID-19" or 5K message and 5T message become powerful tools to rally public
support. The government utilized various communication channels, from traditional
media to modern technology like social media and text message, ensuring that
everyone received reliable information about the risks, preventive measures and
government initiatives.
CHUYỂN
Secondly, the government excelled in managing press and information flow,
crucial during the pandemic. Accurate information management was vital to prevent
misinformation, which could cause public panic and undermine trust. Instances of
false information spread on social media were promptly addressed using legal
frameworks like Vietnam Cybersecurity Law
CHUYỂN
Thirdly, the government actively sought public feedback on its pandemic
response. The Ministry of Health used platforms like Zalo to send updates and receive
feedback, ensuring two-way communication.

Fourthly, the Government of Vietnam undertook various public relations (PR)

activities including event organization during the COVID-19 pandemic to address and
manage the crisis effectively.
The Vietnamese government launched extensive public awareness campaigns through
many media channels, including television, radio, social media, and print media. The
campaigns focused on educating the public about COVID-19 prevention measures, and
the importance of hygiene practices such as wearing masks, washing hands, and social
distancing.
CHUYỂN
Next, As vaccines became available, the government organized extensive
vaccination campaigns to kickstart the vaccination drives. Information on vaccine
safety and efficacy was widely disseminated to address vaccine hesitancy.
In addition, there are various other notable PR efforts of the Government such as:
organizing events to mobilize volunteers and community groups; using music and art
to spread awareness; conducting Regular press conferences and daily briefings or
organizing events to support businesses affected by Covid 19
CHUYỂN
Last but not least, The government also regularly informs and coordinates with
international organizations and countries to prevent and fight the COVID-19
pandemic such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN),
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These communications
involved sharing data, strategies, and updates on the country's pandemic status and
response efforts.
Vietnam received international aid in medical supplies and financial assistance and
provided aid to other countries in need. This enhanced Vietnam's image as a
responsible and cooperative member of the international community.
4. Evaluation and suggestion (1 person)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Vietnam effectively
carried out PR activities, contributing significantly to the overall task of preventing
the infectious disease. According to some research papers, the government of
Vietnam's PR activities are the hybridized use of Western public relations strategies
with communist communication and the fluctuating emphasis on one or the other
depending on the outbreak's implications. To be more specific, all media outlets spoke
in a uniform voice to advocate the government’s policies and containment measures
during the pandemic. But in both phases of the pandemic in Vietnam, fact-based
communication worked when the government’s performance was perceived as
efficient, with a relatively high level of transparency. Also, the Government of
Vietnam applied persuasive appeals to national culture, traditions, and ideologies,
that is, patriotism, solidarity and collectivism, to win hearts and minds and ultimately
public consent.
 Many profound management lessons have been learned from the pandemic, of
which effective use of PR tools is one of the valuable experiences. In the coming time,
to take advantage of this potential, the Government needs to implement the following
solutions:
1. Identify PR as one of the methods serving state management activities
in modern administration. To contribute to improving the reputation
and efficacy of the Government's operations, PR can be used as one of
the necessary tools.
2. Improve the skills of public employees and the members of the
Government in PR activities. In Vietnam, equipping officials with these
skills has not been given due attention. Therefore, it is essential to focus
on training, fostering and enhancing these skills for Government
officials, especially those in charge of PR activities.
3. Lastly, promote the role and strengths of communication channels. In
addition to the State's traditional information channels, the
Government can take advantage of social media platforms.
Time and assignment:
1+2: 3’ (1 person)
3: 6’ (2 people)
4. 3’ (1 person)