Periodic press conference in the first half of 2009: journalists are supposed to be fair and write about both positive and negative aspects

Mr. Huynh Van Toi – Head of the provincial Commission for Popularization and Education makes a speech at the conference

    After hearing the press release concerning the implementation of the province’s socio-economic tasks in the first half of 2009 and hearing the President of Dong Nai Journalists Association re-read recent articles about Dong Nai province in some newspapers, the journalists from central-to-local newspapers had forthright talks with the provincial leadership, agencies, committees and sectors about work process, regulations on spokespersons and the province’s socio-economic issues.

Journalists have talks with the provincial leadership

    Most journalists said that the regulations on spokespersons and information supply have been introduced but the spokesperson is always giving out many reasons for refusing to supply information causing them a lot of problems. Also, journalists expressed a great interest in and raised many questions about Dong Nai province’s “burning” issues such as golf course planning and managers’ responsibilities; the progress of the investigation into five elephants’ death; the progress of dealing with businesses’ environmental violations and traffic planning in Bien Hoa city ... At the press conference, the representatives of departments and sectors had direct talks with journalists about their work process as well as supplied information for them. Particularly, as for questions concerning each issue, the provincial leadership asked functional agencies to facilitate journalists’ work process by meeting them in person or giving them written replies.

Mr. Dao Van Lung – Deputy Head of the southern Department of Press and Publications makes a speech at the conference

    Addressing the press conference, Mr. Dao Van Lung – Deputy Head of the Southern Department of Press and Publications of the Central Commission for Popularization and Education said that the weaknesses of the regulations on spokespersons and information supply have been revealed after one year of implementation and that it is necessary to make more effective changes and especially to make the spokesperson speak. Lung emphasized that in terms of propaganda work, journalists are supposed to be fair and write about both positive and negative aspects in a constructive spirit and added that propaganda work wouldn’t be able to achieve a high efficiency without doing that. Lung highly appreciated the organization of periodic press conferences of Dong Nai province. He said that the conference would be an opportunity for the provincial leadership, committees and sectors to meet together and share information with the press in an honest, frank and open way.

    At the conference, Mr. Huynh Van Toi – Head of the provincial Commission for Popularization and Education passed the propaganda orientation in the second half of 2009. The orientation focuses on main tasks such as implementing the government’s demand stimulus measures, preventing economic recession,  stabilizing the macro economy, ensuring social security, timely praising collectives, individuals and businesses for their striving to overcome difficulties and challenges and their contributions to reaching the province’s socio-economic targets in 2009, disseminating the results of the 16th meeting of the Executive Board of the provincial Party Committee (Session VIII) and of the 16th meeting of the provincial People’s Council (Session VII) and boosting the propaganda and implementation of the campaign “Study and follow the ethical example of President Ho Chi Minh”...

(Reported by Thu Dung, Translated by Duy Minh)