Assoc. Dr. Đỗ Chí Nghĩa, permanent member of the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Education. VNA/VNS Photo

On the occasion of the 98th Anniversary of the Việt Nam Revolutionary Press Day on June 21, Báo Tin Tức (News) reporter spoke with Assoc. Dr. Đỗ Chí Nghĩa, permanent member of the National Assembly's Committee for Culture and Education on how journalists can maintain the quality of their work while still ensuring their own safety.

Protection for journalists facing threats hasn’t been up to expectations. There are many cases of journalists being threatened and assaulted that haven’t been handled. What are your thoughts about this problem?

Journalism is a dangerous profession. It is easy to understand, because journalists are always the ones who reveal the truth and bring up issues that many may not want to come to light. It has been reported internationally that many journalists are physically assaulted, and even put in life-threatening situations.

In Việt Nam, the press receives great attention by the Party and State, and it is protected by law and (the protection) is regulated very clearly (in the law), including the relationship between journalists, the public and society. Journalists always have the respect of readers and the public. However, due to the nature of the profession, there are still some cases of journalists being assaulted or having their work hindered.

It is the job of a journalist to bring the truth to the public. There are barriers (to their work). It is important for journalists to have skills and knowledge to reduce the risk of being assaulted/harmed, for example, not being impatient and rushing into dangerous places without protective measures.

Journalists need to have a plan to protect themselves and should not unnecessarily put themselves in danger by pushing the frustration to the climax and should have skills to deal with the problems tactfully.

So if it affects the lives, bodies, and health of citizens and especially working journalists, it would be a pity and it is necessary to find every way possible to avoid it.

It is evident that journalists face risks when reporting in the field. What about digital environment, what are the risks they may face and how we can protect them in this environment?

The danger of journalism lies not only in the clashes of relationships in the society but also in the way information is delivered. Journalists must report an event as it happens. The thing is in some cases, we can not really know the essence of the event immediately at the time it happens.

For example, when a fire occurs. A journalist closest to the scene will see the fire from the first floor to the second floor, then the fire engulfs and then is extinguished. But the second journalist who arrived later only described the raging fire, and the third journalist who arrived even later saw the fire being extinguished, and the scene being cleared.

In this case, through the eyes of the journalist, there are three realities with three different perspectives. And even if we can see the reality, approach subjects, write news articles, how can reporters know what people are thinking deep inside? The challenge is how to look deeply and immediately see the essence of the problem.

It is a process from getting information to decoding what’s happening and getting close to the truth. And it requires journalists to be really quick. Being slow is not a trait of a journalist.

In my opinion, the most important thing is for journalists to sharpen their professionalism. The journalists must closely follow their beats to acquire specialised knowledge, have many sources and verification skills. By doing so, journalists will be able to grasp the essence of the topics in their field.

Journalists must also be cautious. It is important to ensure timeliness of the news stories however, they must also find ways to deliver information quickly. The initial information is like that, the reporter will come to the scene to reflect, and the more in-depth information will continue to be passed on to readers and the public in the following news or through other press works.

Next, there must always be factchecking. Without factchecking, journalists may face legal risks.

It is also worth highlighting that journalism is a profession that is honoured and it has great impact on society. However, currently many newsrooms pursue viewership or quantity and do not pay much attention to in-depth pieces.

In some newsrooms, reporters are a bit hasty in collecting information without having knowledge of the essence of the events.

Journalists who cover sensitive topics may put themselves in danger or in situation when they unconsciously break the law. What should news agencies do to equip reporters with skills to deal with these situations?

Newsrooms play a very important role here and they must not leave their reporters to work in risky conditions. It is necessary for the heads of the newsrooms to have experience and expertise in this.

When considering a pitch or a certain topic, it is necessary for the heads to direct (reporters in a proper way). Managers and editors-in-chief must have political sensitivity, basic legal knowledge and good professional knowledge of journalism.

They must bear the responsibility to protect their team of reporters. Once they have a direction, the risks due to personal spontaneity will be reduced. Journalism is a profession that requires you to deal with fresh information so if you are spontaneous and hasty, it would put you in unexpected situations and it is also a matter of professional ethics.

It is also important to strengthen training of legal knowledge for journalists. It is not necessary to require them to attend a law school. It is crucial to think of scenarios and have journalists discuss them. If newsrooms can do these things on a daily basis, I think it would be much more practical instead of attending formal seminars.

I think that management agencies and associations in the press sector need to continue to pay attention to specific case studies, analysing them from ethical and legal angles to help journalists avoid putting themselves in difficult situations and unnecessary risks.

With your many years working as a lecturer at the Academy of Journalism and Communications and later as editor-in-chief of Thời báo Doanh nhân (Entrepreneurs' Times) and Đại biểu Nhân dân (People's Deputies) newspapers, could you please share with journalists and reporters how they can protect themselves?

I had 19 years working as a journalism lecturer at the Academy of Journalism and Communication and more than 12 years as editor-in-chief of two newspapers. I also witnessed many risky cases. It is important to think about your safety first. Without safety, you fail. Safety doesn't mean we stay behind, it doesn't mean we avoid it. But it’s important for us to make sure that we have the best journalists continue to work.

Firstly, journalists must be able to anticipate possible situations, firmly grasp the topics, sources and understand the legal issues that may arise in the process of reporting.

The second is to take advantage of the relationship with colleagues and managers. While working with managers and colleagues, it is important to learn from their experience and how to deal with certain situations.

Third, journalists must build relationships with experienced people who have knowledgeable positions in the system of law enforcement agencies such as courts, police, prosecutors and lawyers. This helps them have many perspectives and knowledge on how to ensure the high quality of their work while still ensuring their own safety. — VNS