Zing News, a popular online magazine in Vietnam and a subsidiary of VNG Corp, one of the country’s prominent digital conglomerates, announced on Thursday that it would suspend its publications for three months due to a government inquiry.
The government of the Communist-led nation is intensifying its crackdown on media outlets and intends to impose restrictions on social media accounts that disseminate news-related content, claiming that they deceive readers into believing they are authorized news sources.
In a statement released on its website, Zing News acknowledged that it would utilize the suspension period to address and rectify the deficiencies in its compliance with a 2019 decision by the prime minister, which outlined guidelines for “press development and management.” This plan introduced stricter controls on media organizations, including the requirement for newspapers to be affiliated with a ministry and the prohibition of magazines from publishing breaking news.
Zing News operates under the ownership of Zalo, Vietnam’s primary messaging app, which, in turn, falls under the umbrella of VNG. Although licensed as a digital magazine, Zing News has covered a wide array of subjects, encompassing breaking and daily news.
This is not the first instance of a media outlet being suspended in Vietnam. In 2018, state-run Tuoi Tre had to halt its publications for three months due to the dissemination of false information, according to an official government statement.
Vietnam’s media freedom is rated unfavorably in the 2023 media freedom index compiled by the non-profit organization Reporters Without Borders, ranking the country 178th out of 180 nations. Vietnam fares better only when compared to China and North Korea.
According to the evaluation conducted by the non-profit, Vietnam’s traditional media is tightly controlled by the ruling party, and independent journalists and bloggers are frequently subjected to imprisonment.
