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More than 23 media outlets and numerous journalists have faced severe disciplinary measures for praising a controversial book, yet the government refuses to release the official list of those penalized.

The Latest: On July 15, Lưu Đình Phúc, head of the Press Authority, announced at a regular Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism press briefing that 23 media outlets and more than 30 individuals had been disciplined.

The penalties stem from publishing articles “praising” “Chuyện với Thanh,” a controversial book authored by Nguyễn Thành Nam.

The Press Authority did not publish the list of the 23 media outlets or the individuals disciplined, nor did it release the full text of the penalty decisions.

The Details: Earlier on July 9, when Phúc stated at a Press Authority meeting that the agency was “expected to impose administrative penalties at serious levels” on more than 20 media outlets.

Specifically, as of July 14, the authority had fined 21 media outlets under the serious violation category, with penalties of 60 million đồng.

One outlet was penalized under the less serious category, with a fine of 5 million đồng.

Another outlet had its license revoked because it had dissolved.

Phúc emphasized that the outlets had all “recognized their mistakes, deeply understood the lessons in verifying sources, promptly removed the violating articles, and carried out serious reviews and disciplinary measures.” He also stated that at least 30 individuals at these outlets had been disciplined:

One was removed from office,

One was warned,

Three were reprimanded,

19 were suspended from work,

Four were reassigned, and

Numerous collaborators had their contracts terminated.

Failure to Contact: When Luật Khoa called the Press Authority, including its regular number and hotline, on the afternoon of July 15 for more information, reporters could not get through.

The lines were either unavailable or switched off.

Silence from the Media: Affected media outlets have remained silent about the penalties. On the afternoon of July 15, Luật Khoa contacted them to verify the information. They received the following responses:

A staff member in charge of Nhân Dân’s office declined to respond, saying: “The newspaper cannot answer the question.” You have to ask the Press Authority.”

A staff member in charge of the professional affairs division at Quân Đội Nhân Dân declined to answer or provide information related to the case.

A staff member at Sài Gòn Giải Phóng said that she “was not aware of that matter.”

A staff member at Pháp Luật said that she personally knew about the penalties but did not know specifically whether her newspaper had been fined.

A staff member at Đại Biểu Nhân Dân said that they “had not yet received this information.”

Luật Khoa could not reach Dân Trí or VnExpress.

The Background: “Chuyện với Thanh” has sparked controversy and accusations of “distorting history,” “insulting President Hồ Chí Minh,” and “insulting the Vietnamese nation” for offering a different portrayal of Nguyễn Tất Thành.

The wave began with figures known for denunciation campaigns against “ The Sorrow of War ” and an event about Trương Vĩnh Ký : former soldier Phan Trung Can and Lt. Gen. Nguyễn Thanh Tuấn.

Earlier, on June 4, Can demanded that Nhân Dân remove two articles praising Nguyễn Thành Nam’s “Chuyện với Thanh,” published on May 17, 2026.

Those articles became the starting point for the denunciation campaign against media outlets that had praised the book.

Although no official list of sanctioned outlets has been released, the removal of articles introducing “Chuyện với Thanh” by several outlets became widely known in early June 2026. These included:

Nhân Dân

Sài Gòn Giải Phóng

Pháp Luật

Quân Đội Nhân Dân

Dân Trí

VnExpress

Đại Biểu Nhân Dân.

Why It Matters: After the announcement, the penalties drew two opposing views regarding transparency and proportionality.

On one hand, many journalists and media workers said the information released by the Press Authority was “not transparent,” since it remained unclear which 23 outlets were involved, what each outlet had done wrong, the severity of each violation, and the legal basis for the penalties.

On the authority’s Facebook statement about the case, many accounts shared the post and also questioned the identities of the 23 outlets.

On the other hand, many accounts expressed disappointment that the penalties were “too light,” criticizing that “ordinary people only needed to read a few pages to discover the dirty book, but hundreds of journalists at those 23 agencies saw nothing.”

Hoàng Nam wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on July 15, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.

Press Authority Fines 23 Outlets Over ‘Chuyện Với Thanh’ Book Controversy, but Refuses to Name Them

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