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Vietnam revolutionary press benefiting healthy development of society (Part 1)

28/6/16


Freedom of the press is a relatively open concept. As a result, nations and political systems in the world have different views on freedom of the press. Yet, a majority of countries in the world, which follow progressive trends, share a common perception: The execution of freedom of the press must serve the building of a stable, healthy, humane and developed society.
Seven years ago, Roderick Donald, Canadian Director for Communications, shared with Vietnamese reporters at a short training course on investigation reports co-held by the Vietnam Journalists’ Association and the UN Development Program (UNDP) that reporters implement investigation reports to uncover wrongdoings in society but the investigations should benefit the public and the nation rather than a given interest groups. In other words, the press has freedom to access information and report the news but the news should not negatively affect the stable and healthy development of the society.
Some people often ask the question of whether or not there is a country that exercises absolute freedom of the press. Researchers all assure that freedom of the press is more or less limited in countries. The limit to freedom of the press varies from one country to another, depending on the country’s perception. But all limits to freedom of the press aim at countries’ supreme goal as stated in Article 29 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights published in 1948. It reads: (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
Facts from the world’s press history demonstrate that no press union, no a press agency, no journalist in a country could stay above or out of the laws or are allowed to bypass the national and communal standards, rules, regulations, cultural values, practices and customs. In fact, press organizations or individual journalists will have to pay the price if they purposefully violate the country’s laws, rules, regulations, cultural values, practices and customs.
Nations and journalists will never forget press-related classic cases in which the press and media went far beyond the red-line of freedom and caused very negative consequences. In 2005, a Danish newspaper published 12 cartoons of Islamic Prophet Mohammed, causing a widespread wave of rage among Muslim people across the world. In July 2011, The News of the World, the biggest rag in the UK, had to close after nearly 170 years operating because of a number of accusations of its reporters, who had used tricks to steal personal information for their articles despite the laws and moral standards.
These are stories about freedoms of the press in other countries. Regarding freedom of the press in Vietnam, some foreign-based non-governmental organizations and unfriendly individuals allege that there is no freedom of the press in Vietnam because the country does not allow the existence of “independent press and media,” because “the press in the country is influenced and controlled by the Party and authorities,” and because “some journalists and online political dissidents are jailed for their statements.”

These allegations do not correctly reflect the nature of the issue as they only represent unilateral and extreme views, serving bad purposes.
Chia sẻ bài viết ^^
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