Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam called for the Press Law to be brought in line with reality, with a particular focus on keeping up with today’s constantly changing high-tech media landscape, thus ensuring the law’s effectiveness in the long term.

Supplements to the law would facilitate policy-making and safeguard citizens’ legal rights, the Deputy PM said at a conference in Hanoi on November 12 to review the last 15 years of implementing the Press Law and discuss a draft revised proposal.

He tasked the Ministry of Information and Communications and responsible agencies with collecting public feedback from the media in order to refine the draft law, which is expected to be submitted to the 13 th National Assembly for approval by next October.

Participants suggested law include the roles and responsibilities of media outlets and the State management agencies, the duty of Government departments and agencies to provide information and support to the media, and copyright regulations.

Some proposed more stringent rules on granting licences for press activities.

According to the ministry, as of December 31, 2013 the country was home to 838 media outlets with more than 1,100 publications, 90 online newspapers, 207 news websites, 67 radio and television stations, and 33 cable television providers.-VNA