The Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Vietnam Journalists Association and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) sign a joint program “The Press and businesses work together for Vietnam’s prosperity and wellbeing” 

This was the statement of Mr. Pham Tan Cong, President of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), at the Annual Forum on “The Press and Businesses Work Together for Vietnam’s Prosperity and Wellbeing”. The forum was co-organized by the Central Propaganda Department, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Vietnam Journalists Association, and VCCI in Hanoi recently.

Close relationship

Mr. Pham Tan Cong emphasized that Vietnam needs to develop not only a strong economy, but also a culture and morality that are embedded in every economic and social activity, in order to achieve the goal of becoming a developed, prosperous, and happy nation.

“To develop the economy, we need a main force of entrepreneurs and enterprises. To build culture, we need a press force that plays a decisive role in shaping public opinions and spreading them in society. To have a prosperous, civilized, and happy Vietnam, we need both these two forces to be well-developed and coordinated,” he said.

The Party and the State advocate creating a favorable business environment for the development of entrepreneurs and enterprises. The media and press environment is also an integral part of the national business environment, which has a significant influence on the entrepreneurial and business development and spirit of the people. The press and the business have always had an organic relationship and moved forward together.

“The press can highlight the success of a business and inspire the spirit and entrepreneurship in society. But, it can also damage a brand and a business. On the other hand, businesses are both a source of information and a partner, an important resource and a customer of the press,” he added.

Therefore, the healthy and effective partnership and collaboration between the press and businesses are crucial for the development of each other as well as for the country’s construction and development goals. And, to maintain this important collaboration, it is necessary to foster a culture of cooperation and establish respectful cooperation.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Lam, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, said that the press-business relationship is generally always positive. However, sometimes, there are conflicts between press agencies and companies and between reporters and businesspeople. Indeed, both sides have room for improvement.

In the past time, the Ministry of Information and Communications has followed the directions of the Government and the Prime Minister to not only perform good administration but also provide complete information for businesses and society to understand more about the press, its operating methods and its internal matters. Currently, businesses are struggling to overcome difficulties and restore economic development. The press is also facing challenges in this tough time.

Mr. Le Quoc Minh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan (People’s Daily), Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association, said that the press-business relationship has never been as vital as it is today. However, the global and Vietnamese economic environments have changed, resulting in a lot of changes in press agencies. The press needs businesses for both information and revenue.

He affirmed that the press must provide accurate and authentic information, create information depth and highlight inadequacies of social and economic life. Therefore, businesses should actively cooperate with press agencies, proactively provide information, and collaborate with mainstream media to provide accurate information instead of avoiding them.

From 2022, VCCI and the Vietnam Journalists Association both prioritized ethics and culture above all. “We call for promoting culture construction in press agencies. Culture is the foundation for us to create distinction and sustainable development, from cultural roots that we build the foundation for business activities and development. VCCI and the Association of Journalists have the same view on cooperation on cultural issues," he asserted.

The overview of the event 

Building press-business cooperation culture

Ms. Tran Thi Lan Anh, General Secretary of VCCI, said that the press-business relationship is always fraternal and “symbiotic”. Despite being increasingly promoted, this cooperation largely remains spontaneous. Therefore, it is necessary to build a cooperation culture for the press and businesses. “The press-business partnership needs to be built on a cultural foundation, which is a combination of journalistic culture and business culture to help both sides win and, most importantly, jointly contribute to realizing the country’s development aspiration and vision to 2045,” she added.

 This is the right time to enhance their cooperation in promoting the business culture and the journalistic culture for the goal of a prosperous Vietnam, she said. In order to strengthen the press-business partnership and companionship for the sake of national development, Ms. Anh asked the business community, entrepreneurs and journalists to join forces in five aspects.

Accordingly, the two sides need to jointly enhance political awareness, maintain ideological stances, uphold their vanguard roles and effectively perform their responsibilities and missions in the peacetime for the country’s social and economic development. They should work together to promote business culture and journalistic culture and foster entrepreneurial ethics. They should collaborate in policy communication and promote their roles as bridges to the people, the Party and the State and join in cooperation and capacity building. In addition to honoring and spreading good practices to overshadow the bad ones, the press and businesses also need to act together in the fight against wrongdoings, law violations and negative behaviors of enterprises and entrepreneurs to create a healthy and fair business environment and protect genuine businesses, Ms. Anh said.

The joint effort in cultivating good practices and resisting bad ones will help strengthen public and social confidence in Party and State leadership in creating a healthy and fair business and investment environment for a common goal of national development," she asserted.