Vietnam’s press environment is one of the most tightly controlled in Asia. While economic liberalisation has opened up many sectors, the media remains under strict state oversight. For foreign firms, journalists, or researchers operating in Vietnam, understanding how the press is structured — and legally constrained — is crucial to navigating the information landscape.
Vietnam is currently ranked 174 out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index. Despite realising a fall in its press freedom score of about two points between 2023 and 2024, Vietnam did manage to move up four places. Vietnam is now ahead of Turkmenistan in position 175, Iran at 176, North Korea at 177, Afghanistan at 178, Syria at 179, and Eritrea in last place.
Indeed, Vietnam’s news media is tightly controlled and influence over what makes it into the public domain is often wielded by entities with money or in positions of power. This is often done by using Vietnam’s often vaguely worded Law on the Press.
Journalists who find themselves in breach of the Law on the Press can find themselves fined or facing prison time. Issued in 2016, the Law on the Press was revised in 2018 to further restrict press activities in the country.
An understanding of this law can be critical in accurately assessing the value of Vietnam news content. In this light, below are the key components of the law that cover organisational structure of news media in Vietnam and that impact what is and is not reported in Vietnam.
The role of the news media in Vietnam
“The press in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam is an essential means of information for social life,” according to Article 4 of the Law on the Press. It then goes on to outline two key functions for the press:
- It is the ‘mouthpiece’ of party agencies; and
- It is the ‘people’s forum’.
Within this framework, Article 4 outlines several key responsibilities of the press. These include:
- Promoting the policies of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the state
- Contributing to political stability and national development
- Enhancing public knowledge and cultural values
- Supporting socialist democracy
- Reflecting public opinion while guiding it
- Promoting peace, international solidarity, and development
There is a lot to unpack here, and it is very open to interpretation but essentially, the role of the press in Vietnam is as a nation-building tool through positive reinforcement. A reading of Article 14 in which the Vietnamese press is essentially a public relations arm of the government would not be wrong.
In practice, this means that Vietnam news outlets are encouraged to emphasise positive news and avoid controversial issues. For example, Zing News was shut down for three months in 2023 for violating the Law on the Press, by some reports, because of what was perceived to be coverage of the war in Ukraine that favoured Ukraine.
The role of the Vietnam Journalists Association
The Press Law, under Article 8, dictates the establishment of an association for journalists in Vietnam–the Vietnam Journalists Association (VJA). This body is charged with a number of responsibilities:
- Defining and promoting journalistic ethics
- Appraising journalistic content when requested by the state
- Coordinating training and professional development
- Working with state bodies on media-related legal education
- Organising journalism awards
To establish an ‘association’ like the Vietnam Journalists Association (VJA) its charter must be approved by a relevant state agency. In the case of the VJA, the most recent version of its charter was approved by a government decision (375/QD-TTg) signed by Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha. Ergo, the organisation should not be confused with independent journalist trade unions in more developed media environments.
Prohibited content
Article 9 of the Law on the Press prohibits the dissemination of content that:
National Security and Unity
- Opposes the state or disrupts national unity
- Incites ethnic, religious, or class conflict
- Undermines Vietnam’s foreign policy or sovereignty (e.g., references to the South China Sea)
Historical and Moral Values
- Distorts history or insults revolutionary figures
- Promotes depravity, superstition, or socially disruptive ideas
Reputation and Privacy
- Defames individuals or organisations
- Reveals state, personal, or business secrets
- Publishes accusations before legal conviction
Social Order and Safety
- Incites violence or criminal behaviour
- Harms children or disturbs public morality
Also prohibited are actions like republishing banned content, obstructing lawful media activities, or threatening journalists. These rules are broad, vague, and highly subjective, enabling flexible enforcement by authorities.
Organisational structure of the press in Vietnam
News agencies in Vietnam are all ultimately managed by the government. This is done through a three-tier hierarchy whereby a newspaper (tier 1) is managed by a press agency (tier 2) which is managed by a press management agency (tier 3). It is the press management agency that tethers the publication to the government by way of legal restrictions on who can establish a Vietnam news management agency.
Who can establish a Vietnam news management agency?
Without a news management agency, a news agency cannot legally operate in Vietnam. The establishment of a news management agency under Article 14 of the Law on the Press is limited to the following entities:
- Government and Party agencies,
- Socio-political organisations,
- Socio-political-professional organisations,
- Social organisations,
- Socio-professional organisations,
- Religious organisations from the provincial level or higher
- Higher education institutions
- Scientific research organisations,
- Scientific research and technological development organisations organised in the form of academies or institutes according to the provisions of the Law on Science and Technology
- Provincial hospitals or equivalent or higher are allowed to establish scientific journals
Organisations in this context are official associations with a charter approved by the government, like the aforementioned Vietnam Journalists Association.
What does a Vietnam press management agency do?
The press management agency, according to Article 15 of the Law on the Press, has the power to:
- Determine the principles of the press agency, its purpose, target audience, and how it will operate.
- Appoint the head of the press agency after obtaining the written consent of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC);
- Dismiss the head of the press agency; and
- Inspect the activities of the press agency and distribute rewards or punishments as necessary.
The press management agency is also responsible for:
- Ensuring the press agency complies with the purpose and principles for which the press management agency has been approved;
- Organise personnel and take responsibility for the activities of the press agency;
- Confirm initial funding sources; and
- Settle complaints against the press agency and individuals under their management.
What Article 15 does is put the risks associated with breaching the Law on the Press in the hands of the press management agency and therefore the leadership of the organisation and said leadership’s values. This is as opposed to those of the editors and journalists they manage which often have a very distinct set of values: truth, accuracy, and fairness to name but a few.
Regulations on non-press agencies that produce news
In Vietnam, the Law on Press distinguishes between different kinds of media outlets with varying degrees of newsgathering permitted and subsequently government control. Recognising that content producers were registering as magazines and social media networks as opposed to news outlets, but producing news content anyway, Decree 1418 was developed.
Decree 1418 labels the transition from a non-news to a news outlet as ‘journalisation’. It essentially outlines factors to look for, like the number of staff, the number of offices, and the kind of content being produced that might indicate a publication is straying into the field of news media.
Enforcement of Decree 1418 is becoming more and more common–in May of 2024 CafeLand.vn, a popular real estate and business news website, was fined VND 25 million or about US$1,000 for misquoting sources and for ‘journalizing’. It has also reportedly had its licence to operate a website revoked for three months, however, as of writing the site was still online.
Carrying out press activities in Vietnam
Working as a journalist
Firstly, journalists in Vietnam are required to have a press card in order to carry out press activities. These are issued by the MIC. There are a number of criteria for being issued a press card (see Article 27 of the Law on the Press) but in general, to get a press card a journalist must work for a press agency and be a Vietnamese citizen (note foreign journalists are covered in a separate article). This removes the ability of local journalists to freelance legally.
Responding to the press
Under Article 39 of the Law on the Press organisations are permitted 30 days to respond to media inquiries. It is only after 30 days that a news media organisation in Vietnam may proceed to publication without a response. This has clear implications for an industry in which speed and accuracy are incredibly important. Foreign journalists should also keep this in mind when approaching organisations in Vietnam. That is not to say that they should wait 30 days to publish but rather that they should keep in mind nobody is in a rush because by law in Vietnam, they don’t need to be.
Interviewing subjects in Vietnam
Article 40 of the Law on the Press outlines how interviews are to be conducted and gives interviewees in Vietnam a lot more power than they might otherwise receive in most Western media. This includes:
- Interviewees are entitled to receive the questions in advance;
- Interviewees must give consent to be interviewed (ambush interviews are out);
- Interviewees have the right to request a review of their responses before they are published; and
- Journalists are not allowed to reframe opinions expressed at conferences, seminars, or the like as interviews without the consent of the speaker.
Foreign press in Vietnam
Requirements pertaining to foreign press operating in Vietnam are outlined in Article 56 of the Law on the Press. The specific requirements will depend on the type of work a journalist intends to undertake. However, in general, non-resident foreign reporters must:
- Get approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) to work in Vietnam; and
- Carry a press licence issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a passport.
Approval and the issuance of a press licence are at the discretion of MoFA and require journalists to submit a detailed dossier of their plans in Vietnam.
Of note, foreign reporters will usually be assigned a minder by MoFA that will attend interviews and other research activities a foreign journalist might undertake. This is not enshrined in the Law on the Press but is common practice.
Foreign press agencies with local offices
Foreign press agencies can open local offices in Vietnam with approval from MoFA. Reuters, Bloomberg, and the Associated Press all have bureaus in Vietnam. This is permitted under Clause 4 of Article 56. These organisations are still, however, required to run most of their operations past MoFA.
FAQ
What is Vietnam’s ranking in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index?
Vietnam was ranked 174 out of 180 countries in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
How is the press in Vietnam different from other countries?
According to Article 4 of the Press Law, the press in Vietnam is the ‘mouthpiece’ of party agencies and the ‘people’s forum’. In other countries it usually functions as a check on power.
What content is banned in Vietnam?
Prohibited content includes anything that opposes the state, incites conflict, distorts history, promotes depravity, defames individuals, reveals state secrets, incites violence, or harms children.
Who can start a news outlet in Vietnam?
Entities permitted to establish a news management agency include government and party agencies, socio-political organizations, socio-political-professional organizations, social organizations, socio-professional organizations, religious organizations (provincial level or higher), higher education institutions, and scientific research organizations.
How does a journalist get a press card in Vietnam?
Generally, to get a press card, a journalist must work for a press agency and be a Vietnamese citizen.
Why this matters
Though this does not cover the Law on the Press in its entirety it does highlight the key divergences in Vietnam from a Western understanding of news media. When consuming Vietnam news media content, readers should be mindful of the intense regulation Vietnam news producers are subjected to, and the adverse outcomes they may face should they breach said regulations.
Furthermore, these risks and regulations are a challenge for new market entrants. This is particularly true in that the scope by which they might differentiate themselves from other publications to drive readership is very limited. As a result, Vietnam’s news media industry is underdeveloped and of relatively poor quality compared to international media standards.
In this light, foreign organisations and individuals looking for a more nuance perspective on doing business in Vietnam should make sure to subscribe to the-shiv.
First published September 9, 2023. Last updated March 29, 2025.