More than a year later, it is evident that the purpose has not been met, and has, in some instances, been defeated.
So far only 28 agencies or so have even appointed a spokesperson.
And many of the spokespersons see their role as being limited to organizing periodic press briefings.
Some government officials have begun to rely on spokespersons as an excuse to refuse questions from reporters.
When the regulation was issued in May 2007, Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Do Quy Doan did emphasize that having a spokesperson doesn’t mean that government officials are not responsible for providing information to the media.
Some ministries have carried out the regulation effectively.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Construction, Nguyen Thanh Minh, has said his ministry does not filter every type of information through his office so that the media can gather information from other entities and agencies in the ministry.
The Ministry of Trade has been one of the few ministries reacting quite quickly to unreliable information floating around the public sphere, including news about the prices of rice and gas.
However, some government agencies do not seem to realize that providing the media with information is not only their responsibility, but also their right.
A deputy minister, when asked questions about the area under his purview, said that the ministry’s spokesperson was the only one allowed to talk to the media.
He asked reporters to contact that ministry’s office manager, who was also the spokesperson.
Also in that particular ministry, a department head, known for being quite “open” to the media, once said he would answer questions only if asked to do so by the spokesperson.
In another ministry, the designated spokesperson, who was also the office manager, said every single media inquiry must be sent in writing.
But most reporters have never received any document in reply from this ministry.
So far, most government agencies have designated the office manager as their spokesperson.
Though this person might be the one who understand the most how that ministry functions, he or she might not have the expertise when it comes to a specific issue.
In a recent meeting with the media, deputy minister Doan said violations of the regulation on designating spokesperson would be reported to the Prime Minister.
It is more important, however, that government agencies understand that they have the responsibility to let the public know what’s going on.
By Tuyet Nhung |
E-mail to a friend 
Print version
To top
