THE PRIME MINISTER ------- | SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM Independence - Freedom – Happiness --------- |
No. 1441/CT-TTg | Hanoi, September 14, 2009 |
DIRECTIVE
ON ENHANCING THE ROLE OF THE VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY IN THE NEW SITUATION
THE PRIME MINISTER
Over the past years, the. Vietnam News Agency has exerted great efforts to well perform its functions and tasks of a national news agency, providing mainstream information on current events to the mass media, propagating the Party's and the State's policies and lines, and meeting the people's needs for information; served as an effective tool on the information front, rectify slanted information and refute distorting and false themes of hostile forces, thereby importantly contributing to the cause of national construction, development and defense.
In order to enhance the important role and tasks of the Vietnam News Agency to meet requirements of the cause of national construction, development and defense in the new situation, the Prime Minister provides the following instructions:
1. The Vietnam News Agency should exert greater efforts to well perform its functions of a national news agency and bring into full play its leading role in the ideological and cultural front, contributing to guiding public opinions on domestic and international issues according to the Party's and the State's points of view; and strive to become a prestigious news agency in the region and the world and on a par with the common development of the world press. The Vietnam News Agency needs to reform its management mechanism and operation methods and modernize its physical and technical foundations in the direction of development into a strong national media group with diversified and numerous forms of information provision.
2. Domestic press and communications agencies are obliged to use mainstream information sources of the Vietnam News Agency under current regulations. They should use original versions and full texts of official news, articles and documents. In case of necessity to edit or summarize these news, articles and documents, they should assure their integrity and truthfulness. When quoting them, they may not falsify the information.
3. Ministries, sectors, localities and concerned units should take the initiative in and prioritize, the timely supply of accurate information and documents to the Vietnam News Agency in order to best serve the Party's leading work and the Government's directing and administering work, so that the Party's and the State's policies and lines can be quickly and accurately introduced to the public.
4. The Vietnam News Agency may make declarations to negate information intended to distort current events and information prejudicial to national interests, or correct information different from the Party's and the State's mainstream points of view. Ministries, sectors and localities should take the initiative to coordinate with the Vietnam News Agency in performing this important task.
5. Local administrations and overseas Vietnamese representative missions should coordinate with and create conditions for the Vietnam News Agency's network of bureaus at home and abroad to well perform the functions and tasks of a national news agency.