VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Information and Communications will pause granting licenses for the establishment of new press agencies in Vietnam, while checking and closing the newspapers that don’t operate properly to their principles and objectives.

Minister Nguyen Bac Son.

At a conference on March 10, Minister of Information and Communications – Mr. Nguyen Bac Son said that the government had asked the Ministry to temporarily stop licensing new press agencies to prepare a report on the outlook of Vietnam’s media to 2030 to submit to the Politburo for approval.

The government also asked the Ministry to check and close the newspapers that don’t obey the operation principles and objectives.

The outlook for Vietnam’s media to 2020 is expected to be adopted in April 2014. If it is passed, this will be a revolution in journalism activities, aiming towards a reasonable amount of news agencies, with higher quality to better serve the needs of society.

During the question and answer session last November, Minister Son said Vietnam has 838 press agencies, 199 print newspapers, 67 broadcasting stations and 17,000 certificated reporters.

The Ministry of Information and Communications also plans to improve the quality of journalism, Son said.

According to Son, e-newspapers will become the major type of communication, with many advantages.

Tran Cham