During today’s group discussion at the National Assembly on the amended Press Law, Representative Hoang Minh Hieu (Nghe An) proposed that major platforms - especially social media networks with large user bases - be required to share revenue when using news content produced by the press.

According to Mr. Hieu, the phenomenon of magazines adopting daily news reporting formats - referred to as the “newspaperization” of magazines - has raised several issues. He noted that the draft law already includes specific solutions such as redefining the concept of a magazine and restricting their ability to establish local offices.

However, Mr. Hieu emphasized the need for a clearer distinction between newspapers and magazines.

He pointed out that magazines typically have longer publication cycles than newspapers and proposed that the government establish clear publishing frequency regulations for magazines to prevent them from posting daily news.

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Representative Hoang Minh Hieu. Photo: Pham Thang

Regarding content, Mr. Hieu said the draft law is still vague. It states that magazines can publish news related to the operations of their governing bodies. Yet, this is also true for newspapers. The draft also fails to clearly differentiate magazines from other media formats such as electronic portals.

On the topic of media economics - which is of great concern to both the public and press organizations - Mr. Hieu highlighted a current practice in which journalists' compensation is calculated based on website traffic. This, he warned, could lead to an overemphasis on viral content at the expense of in-depth journalism, potentially degrading the quality of reporting.

He added that financial hardship in the press sector could give rise to unethical practices, making it necessary to introduce solutions.

Regarding state funding for journalism, Mr. Hieu cited data indicating that the government currently allocates about 0.5% of the total state budget to the press.

“Some argue this is a low figure, but when compared to other countries, it’s about average,” he said.

“However, other countries support the press in different ways. Uniform funding can hinder the growth of high-quality media outlets. Therefore, alongside amending the law, we need to restructure the media system for greater effectiveness.”

Regarding taxation, Mr. Hieu noted that while the National Assembly had already implemented tax reductions for the press, more support may be needed.

He cited the example of some countries offering tax incentives for media outlets that operate on a digital subscription model. In these cases, subscription-based media outlets can receive tax exemptions or reductions on revenue derived from such models - encouraging high-quality digital journalism.

He also proposed adding a regulation requiring platforms that use journalistic content to share copyright-related revenue with the original publishers.

“This is an excellent measure,” he said. “However, the current draft only outlines general solutions without specifics. In contrast, many countries have laws that mandate revenue-sharing between large social media platforms and news organizations.”

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Representative Bui Hoai Son. Photo: Hoang Ha

He pointed to Canada as an example, where platforms with over 2 million users that distribute commercial news content are legally required to share revenue with news publishers.

Mr. Hieu also supported allowing media agencies to engage in partnerships, but stressed the importance of strict oversight to prevent such collaborations from leading to privatization of journalism.

Regarding journalism’s economic model, Representative Bui Hoai Son (Hanoi) noted that Vietnam does not have private media outlets. He advocated for a system based on public service contracts, open bidding, and targeted public investment tied to measurable standards of journalism - namely: easy to understand, easy to implement, and easy to apply.

“These mechanisms will provide vital resources for media outlets to fulfill their political responsibilities, especially in remote areas, islands, and in international outreach,” Mr. Son said.

He also proposed that the law expand the legal framework to support collaborations, socialization, and public-private partnerships in the press sector. He called for groundbreaking incentives regarding taxes, land access, and credit facilities.

However, he emphasized that such policies must be coupled with strict regulatory controls to prevent commercialization that deviates from the media’s foundational mission.

Tran Thuong