The Communist Party has a strong grip on the media in Vietnam. The Ministry of Culture and Information controls the press and broadcasting and media are tightly regulated by the government, which views the media as "the voice of the party and of the masses" and sees its main function as being "to propagate the party's lines and policies."

According to BBC News and its "Vietnam Country Overview," the government has shut down several publications "for violating the narrow limits on permissible reporting." Under a 2006 decree journalists face large fines for transgressions which include denying revolutionary achievements and spreading harmful information or reactionary ideology.

Unlike its fellow Communist neighbor China, Vietnam does not impose many obvious restrictions on the material that ordinary citizens can access. So the new technology means that, for the first time, internet users can bypass the heavily-controlled state media and access a wealth of alternative information. However, Anti-government sites are blocked, and dissidents regularly report that their internet use is monitored and emails intercepted. Internet providers face fines or closure for breaking the rules and "cyber dissidents" have been imprisoned.

Offline, there are hundreds of newspapers and magazines, but television is the dominant medium. Vietnam Television (VTV) broadcasts from Hanoi and is available via satellite to the wider region. Some foreign channels are carried via cable. State-run Voice of Vietnam operates six radio networks, some with programs in English, French, and Russian.

Tip: If you are doing business in Vietnam, be careful of giving interviews to members of the press. Foreign and local press representatives in Vietnam are subject to very tight restrictions regarding what they can and cannot do in Vietnam. If you do conduct an interview with a member of the press, confirm (and be certain) that the press representative has been fully authorized by the Vietnamese government to interview you, and be very careful not to offend the government in the interview. (Source: U.S. Commercial Service’s "Doing Business in Vietnam.")

Find out more
For more information about media in Vietnam, access this issue’s Useful Links. Or, for information about translating materials or localizing your website for Vietnamese-speakers, contact us.

SOURCES:
BBC News
Internet World Stats, Vietnam
Multicultural Insights
U.S. Commercial Service
Vietnam Government Portal