News organizations in Việt Nam must now navigate strict editorial hurdles before publishing news on historical events or national leaders.
The Latest: On July 21, the Press Authority issued Official Dispatch No. 1317, ordering news organizations to consult competent authorities before publishing or broadcasting content that is open to multiple interpretations, lacks sufficient evidence, or could have a significant impact.
- The directive was signed by Press Authority Director Lưu Đình Phúc, who previously condemned “extreme denunciation campaigns.”
- The document states that some news organizations have recently published or broadcast material containing violations related to historical subjects and national leaders, which is “negatively affecting the quality and credibility of journalistic activities.”
The Details: While the document does not identify any specific case by name, the Press Authority issued seven directives to all agencies overseeing news organizations, calling for greater accountability, tighter management, and increased editorial scrutiny.
- Notably, the authority called for a special editorial process for content involving history, national leaders, and other sensitive or complex issues.
- Supervising agencies must direct their affiliated news organizations to establish or strengthen higher-level procedures for reviewing, editing, and approving content concerning Hồ Chí Minh; national leaders; leaders of the Communist Party and the state; historical events, figures, and issues; and matters involving ideology, religion, and sovereignty.
- Official Dispatch No. 1317 demands tighter editing, approval, and publication procedures that clearly define individual responsibility at each stage and ensure multiple levels of oversight for “high-risk content.”
The directive further orders supervising agencies to strengthen their oversight responsibilities, increase the accountability of editors-in-chief, more closely manage reporters and contributors, and tighten the use of material from outside sources.
- It also instructs news organizations to learn from the case in which several outlets praised “a book containing historically false information.”
- It remains unknown how the special editorial process will differ from standard procedures or when it will take effect across Việt Nam’s press system.
Luật Khoa contacted the Press Authority and several news organizations for clarification but has not received a response.
The Background: The directive follows the backlash regarding the book Chuyện với Thanh, which drew divided reactions and accusations that it had “rewritten history,” “insulted President Hồ Chí Minh,” and “insulted the Vietnamese nation” by presenting a different account of Nguyễn Tất Thành.
The outrage began with Facebook user Phan Trung Can and Lt. Gen. Nguyễn Thanh Tuấn, who both played prominent roles in previous denunciation campaigns involving the novel The Sorrow of War and an event about Trương Vĩnh Ký.
- Amid the backlash, the Writers’ Association Publishing House issued an apology on June 10, halted distribution, and recalled the book.
- On June 15, the publishing house was suspended for two months and fined 100 million đồng for publishing “extremely serious false information” in Chuyện với Thanh.
On the evening of July 7, state media reported that Nguyễn Thành Nam, the author of Chuyện với Thanh, and Trần Việt Anh, director of Spiderum, which promoted the book, had been arrested.
- They were charged under Article 117 of the Penal Code with “making, storing, distributing, or disseminating information, documents, or materials aimed at opposing the State.”
On July 15, Hà Nội police charged and detained three leaders of the Writers’ Association Publishing House on the same allegation:
- Director Nguyễn Thúy Hằng
- Editor-in-Chief Đào Bá Đoàn
- Head of the Editorial Department Nguyễn Văn Yên
On the same day, the Press Authority announced that it had fined 23 news organizations and disciplined more than 30 individuals for publishing articles that “praised” Chuyện với Thanh.
Why It Matters: The new directive appears to conflict with Clause 3, Article 7 of the current Press Law, which states: “The press shall not be subject to censorship before printing, transmission, broadcasting or publication in cyberspace.”
Currently, the law does not establish a separate editorial process or specific editorial requirements for content about history or national leaders. Such subjects, however, have long been treated as sensitive and are covered by numerous legal prohibitions.
- Article 8 of the 2025 Press Law prohibits the publication or broadcast of information that opposes the state; misrepresents the policies or positions of the Communist Party; distorts history; denies revolutionary achievements; or insults the nation or national heroes.
- For publishing activities, Article 10 of the 2012 Publishing Law prohibits publications containing propaganda against the state, material that undermines national unity, distortions of history, denials of revolutionary achievements, or insults against the nation, prominent figures, or national heroes.
Lê Sáng wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on July 24, 2026. The Vietnamese Magazine has the copyrights to the English translation.
