Hazards of Being Greenish in Vietnam’s Red Mediascape
Popular publication got too uppity for the party
By: Nguyễn Vũ
Last July, the popular Vietnamese online outlet Zingnews, a unit of one of the country's top digital groups, suddenly disappeared despite having won international awards. It has never been seen again despite a government announcement that the suspension would last for only three months, accompanied by a fine of VND243.5 million ($10,300), apparently following a quick and underreported probe by the Ministry of Information and Communications.
Operating in an environment where the Communist Party holds a monopoly over the media, Zingnews thought it had done everything right. It was affiliated with the state and fell under the purview of The Association of Publishing Houses, remaining compliant with the established regulations. However, although it hadn’t published anything directly challenging the party, the outlet had apparently ventured into topics beyond its remit. The three-month period has come and gone, leaving a working partner with Zingnews figuring it might cease to operate indefinitely and would probably switch to a different model.
“Suspension or even closure of Zingnews was just happening sooner or later. We all anticipated it," an anonymous long-term contributor told Asia Sentinel, since the outlet had refused to obey 100 percent and had been increasingly bolder…