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the-shiv: Vietnam business news for a western audience

Vietnam was ranked 174th out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index for 2024, issued in May of this year.

This is in large part due to the extreme level of state control exercised over the news media in Vietnam which often sees local media outlets that are critical of Vietnam’s elites suspended from operating (see also Vietnam News Media Regulations: An Overview).

In this light, it is no surprise self-censorship is rife among journalists and editors who work hard to ensure that even bad news is often framed in a positive light and that conflict is avoided.

Furthermore, journalists are generally low-paid and are known to earn additional income on the side by taking payments from firms and individuals for favourable coverage.

Whereas this is generally considered par for the course doing business in Vietnam, this can be problematic for foreign firms and individuals. In particular, it can make it difficult to see the forest through the trees in terms of finding accurate, balanced, and clear information, and it’s this problem that the-shiv aims to resolve.

What do we do?

We sort through Vietnam news every day and pick out the business news stories that we feel foreign firms operating in Vietnam should be aware of. We then take this information and try to clarify the bits that a foreign audience might not understand and try to put it in a broader and clearer context with a little bit of analysis. We also try to keep it short and concise but provide backlinks to the source articles so that readers can read more if they choose to.

That said, we also like to publish well-researched, long-form deep-dives into recurring themes in the news in Vietnam. We like to try and frame these articles for Western readers focusing on the parts that may be a little different to a foreign reader’s understanding of key business concepts and processes.

What sources do we use?

We trawl a number of Vietnam business news sites every day including in both English and Vietnamese. We also endeavour to track down and link to original sources where possible–it’s not uncommon for data to be misinterpreted or interviewees to be misquoted. 

Furthermore, we track important people and organisations on social media and spend a lot of time searching through international news for unique analyses and insights.

See also: English News in Vietnam: A Quick Guide 2024 

What kind of content do we produce?

Vietnam News Weekly Roundups

These are short recaps of the most important Vietnam economic, business, and investment news. They are mailed out once a week on Fridays.

Explainers

Once a week we publish a deep dive into a major event, an industry, or an ongoing theme in Vietnam news media. We try to contextualise what is happening in Vietnam with what is happening in the region and the world.

How to Guides

We also provide a range of guides to inform foreign investors and business people on the technical aspects of doing business in Vietnam. For example, looking at things like rents, wages, labour availability, and much more. 

Snapshots

From time to time we also produce quick overviews of different aspects of Vietnam’s business environment.

How do you get access?

Ultimately, the-shiv endeavours to break down what is happening in Vietnam’s business news into smaller, more manageable bites. If this is what you are looking for then make sure to follow us on Linkedin and sign up for our weekly newsletter below.

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