Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Under the Government’s resolution on COVID-19prevention and control issued on July 20, the ministry has been tasked withinstructing the communication work, providing information in a timely manner tohelp people understand the situation, stay calm, sympathise with and support anti-pandemicmeasures, and actively implementing pandemic prevention and control measures,thus contributing to consolidating and enhancing public trust in the Party andthe State.
The MIC has noticed a rise in fake news andmisinformation about the pandemic situation as well as the pandemic combat,which have undermined the great national unity bloc.
Misleading claims about the efficacy of COVID-19vaccines and untrue information distorting the Vietnamese Government’s vaccinedistribution policy and the use of the COVID-19 vaccine fund have also beenspread on the social media.
The spread of such harmful and ill-intentionedinformation has eroded public trust in the pandemic fight, causing public anxietyand concern, and hindering the country’s anti-pandemic efforts.
Therefore, the MIC requests ministries,ministry-level agencies, Government agencies, and People’s Committees of citiesand provinces to seriously observe regulations on providing information for thepress, ensuring that information must be provided as soon as possible in anycircumstances.
In cases of unexpected incidents in ministries,agencies and localities, the press should be provided update information nolater than two hours from the time the incident occurs, the ministry said.
When detecting fake news and misinformation,ministries, agencies and localities need to instruct police and other relevantforces to quickly check the information, track its source and handle peopleinvolved in the dissemination.
Municipal and provincial Departments of Informationand Communications are required to strictly handle press agencies, information websitesand social networks that publish and spread fake news and misinformation about thepandemic’s developments and anti-pandemic work in localities.
Forces involved in COVID-19 prevention and controlmust seriously follow regulations set by competent agencies and haveappropriate behaviours towards the public./.
VNA
