Competition between Social Media and Mainstream Press

Powered by rapid technological development, people are increasingly using social media to share information in addition to reading online newspapers and searching for information on the internet. However, cyberspace, characterized by anonymity and fast-spreading features, has become a favorable environment for spreading fake news.

Visitors at the National Press Festival

Fake news is false information that is often disguised as real news and aims to manipulate people’s opinions. Notably, false information tends to spread faster than real news provided by the mainstream media and press.

Fake news and “information gaps” on social media

On January 14, 2023, the Criminal Investigation Agency of the 7th Military Region decided to prosecute a criminal case against those who circulated false information through a video clip saying that “a student of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Foreign Language - Information Technology (HUFLIT) who is studying national defense and security education at Military School of the 7th Military Region jumped off a building to commit suicide due to sexual assault.”

Previously, the Military School was reported on a criminal post and circulation of falsified, untrue information on cyberspace at the Defense and Security Education Center of the Military School that stirred up public opinions and stained the prestige of the army, including the Military School of the 7th Military Region.

This is just an example of the harmful effects of fake news among numerous pieces of information posted on the Internet and social networks every moment, including false information that causes public panic. Currently, fake news and misinformation in cyberspace cover many fields, from politics and economy to culture and society, seriously affecting the prestige and honor of organizations and individuals, disturbing security and order and bringing about economic damage.

This is really a challenge for all countries in the world. According to official statistics, social networks (e.g. Facebook, Google and Zalo) have become the most popular platforms to spread fake news. Many tricks are used to disseminate fake news and the most dangerous is the use of "information gaps" to attack public curiosity, refresh old information and fabricate new information. A lot of information is misrepresented or distorted, especially coupled with the use of "sensational" headlines about matters of public concern like Party and State affairs, corruption, and bad deeds. A lot of fake news with private, fabricated, distorted or falsified content is posted online to terrorize the spirit and trigger public opinions on the online community to serve "black" intentions harmful to political stability and social order and safety.

Nowadays, fake news is not only written but also graphic. Social network users always think that pictures are the clearest evidence and believable. However, with increasingly advanced and modern information technology, images are easily faked, cropped, collaged and edited for different purposes.

Verifying information sources in mainstream newspapers

Over the past time, the Ministry of Information and Communications, the Ministry of Public Security as well as other relevant agencies have taken various measures to strengthen the management of information content in cyberspace and prevent and handle fake news and information. Legal documents have also gradually been improved, but fake news in cyberspace is constantly being produced. Indeed, it is difficult to completely prevent it.

Therefore, in addition to drastic intervention from authorities, according to the police, people need to equip themselves with basic knowledge and know how to filter and identify fake news and other illegal behaviors in cyberspace to act appropriately to limit the spread and influence of fake news. With each piece of information published in the press or on social networks, readers still need to check whether it is accurate by reading and finding out whether the source is provided by an authorized person who is responsible for providing information. For general information, unknown persons and places, readers need to check it again.

One of the simplest and most convenient ways to receive accurate information is to follow the news on television or in reputable newspapers. Websites of official newspapers often have the domain name .vn and have full information of the press agency in the footer. The news delivered on these channels has gone through several rounds of censorship.

To help readers understand and figure out fake news, the Ministry of Information and Communications developed and published the "Handbook on Prevention of fake news and falsified news in cyberspace". According to Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam, the ministry aims to raise awareness of responsibility in cyberspace for Internet users in Vietnam. At the same time, the manual will provide the most basic information and skills so that organizations and individuals in cyberspace have the general and necessary knowledge to recognize, respond and handle potential threats and effectively handle fake news and falsified news that tend to increase in cyberspace today.

The handbook is based on current laws, the Code of Conduct on social networks announced by the Ministry of Information and Communications and the information processes introduced by the Vietnam Anti-Fake News Center (VAFC). It is also based on actual matters that users often encounter in cyber interactions and refers to research documents, practical experiences of some countries, and community standards of major cross-border platforms.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Public Security directed its subordinated agencies and localities to intensify information monitoring and scanning on social networks, and promptly detect and strictly handle individuals and organizations with acts of spreading fake, reactionary, malicious and illegal news.

In the coming time, the ministry will actively monitor situations, especially sensitive and complicated issues and cases that are in danger of being exploited to create, distribute and share fake information and false news; actively review, assess and identify "key information sources" to urge, guide and coordinate actions in tracing, fighting, handling and strictly sanctioning acts of intentionally delivering fabricated, untruthful information on social networks, acts of distorting Party and State lines, policies and laws, distorting history, smearing Party and State leaders, and sabotaging international relations of the Party and the State. The ministry will also actively fight, prevent, remove, dismantle, and disable malicious information and fake news.

By Quynh Chi, Vietnam Business Forum