Deputy Miniter Le Minh Ngan addressing a speech at the conference

Attendees included leaders from various departments of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment: Mr. Le Phu Ha, Director General of the Department of Digital Transformation and Data for Natural Resources and Environment; Dr. Chu Ngoc Kien, Deputy Director General of the Department of Organisation and Personnel; Dr. Vu Thi Hang, Deputy Director General of the Department of Science and Technology; Dr. Bui Duc Hieu, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation; Mr. Trinh Xuan Quang, Deputy Chief of the Office of the Ministry; Mr. Le Van Dung, Deputy Chief of the Ministry Inspectorate, along with representatives from other affiliated units.

Leaders of the three media units, including Editor-in-Chief of the Natural Resources and Environment Magazine Dao Xuan Hung, Editor-in-Chief of The Natural Resources and Environment Newspaper Hoang Manh Ha, Director of The Centre for Natural Resources and Environment Communication Nguyen Viet Dung, presented a summary of their communication work.

The Natural Resources and Environment Magazine: Pioneering the dissemination of scientific and technological research outcomes

At the working session, Dr. Dao Xuan Hung, Editor-in-Chief of The Natural Resources and Environment Magazine, provided an overview of the magazine's activities. According to Dr. Dao Xuan Hung, the magazine has consistently followed the directives of the Ministry's leadership and the communication guidelines set by the Office of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

In the first six months of 2024, the editorial board directed and managed the publication of the magazine effectively. A decision was issued to implement the 2024 communication plan for the magazine. 

The magazine has made significant changes in its management, operation, and publication, both in print and electronic forms, aiming for professional execution with a serious and responsible attitude, enhancing the journalistic and editorial skills of reporters, editors, and staff.

To improve content quality, the editorial board has guided the publication according to the communication plan, with changes in content and format in each issue. The focus has been on building and enhancing the communication plan; commissioning articles from experts, scientists, and reputable scholars. The magazine has established a distinct identity, serving as a theoretical organ that delves into research, summarizes practical experiences, and offers solutions and insights, contributing to the improvement of mechanisms, policies, and the effectiveness of state management in natural resources and environment.

The editorial board maintains regular briefings to direct work, monitor the actual situation, and assign tasks to the various departments, with each reporter and editor closely following their specialized fields in communication. Beyond its assigned duties, the magazine has proactively leveraged internal resources to enhance its brand and build its image through media events, forums, and projects like tree planting initiatives.

The digital magazine has developed a communication plan for the first six months of the year, closely following the directives of the Ministry's leadership through the Ministry's calendar and activities of the leadership at various localities. The focus has been on communicating legal policies such as the 2024 Land Law and the 2023 Law on Water Resources before they take effect, to help the public understand the new points and implement the laws effectively. Additionally, the magazine has addressed issues related to the implementation of the 2020 Environmental Protection Law and continued to promote its enforcement in practice.

The magazine has successfully executed several special topics, including Science and Technology; the Implementation of Land Policy; Biodiversity; Environmental Protection; and Marine and Island Resources. Moreover, the magazine has consistently communicated legal policies and state management in other areas of the Ministry's jurisdiction.

The magazine has digitized its print issues and made them available online through its electronic platform, https://tainguyenvamoitruong.vn, allowing readers easy access to its print publications.

Notably, the publication of the English-language digital magazine is part of the Party and State's policy to strengthen external information dissemination, including information about the Ministry and the natural resources and environment sector. It also highlights the leadership and guidance of the Minister, Deputy Ministers, and achievements in international cooperation on climate change, environment, meteorology, hydrology, and scientific research outcomes of the Ministry and the sector.

The English-language digital magazine has produced numerous new articles, translated materials from foreign journals and newspapers on environmental protection, and reporters have proactively worked to write articles in English for the magazine's specialized pages, ensuring regular updates and information flow.

To further enhance the magazine's operations, Editor-in-Chief Dao Xuan Hung suggested the Ministry's leadership and functional units to create favorable conditions for the magazine to undertake additional new tasks.

Improving the content quality and scientific score of the magazine requires urgent reforms in the organization of print publication. This includes financial investment (higher remuneration for quality articles) to improve the content quality. However, the current pricing, which only applies to articles written by in-house reporters and editors, poses challenges for the magazine's specialized tasks.

Currently, the remuneration for externally commissioned articles must adhere to Decree No. 18/2014/ND-CP dated March 14, 2014, of the Government, which regulates the remuneration regime in the field of journalism and publishing. The low rates are affecting the content quality of the print magazine, making it difficult to attract and build a team of collaborators, including scientists, managers, and reputable experts, to contribute articles.

Editor-in-Chief Dao Xuan Hung also called for the Department of Organisation and Personnel and the Ministry's leadership to pay more attention to the magazine's recruitment and competitive examination of public servants, to meet the required number of public servants. The magazine should reorganize its departments and affiliated units to ensure stability and development.

Additionally, he suggested that the Ministry's leadership and functional units facilitate the participation of the magazine's public servants, staff, reporters, and editors in training courses, workshops, and scientific research conferences, both domestically and internationally.
The Natural Resources and Environment Newspaper: Sharing, supporting, and leading the way in forecasting and warning

At the working session, Mr. Hoang Manh Ha, Editor-in-Chief of The Natural Resources and Environment Newspaper, presented a summary of the newspaper's activities.

The Natural Resources and Environment Newspaper is a public non-business unit, self-financed for regular expenses, with the function and task of disseminating the Party's guidelines, State policies, and laws, and the directives of the Ministry's leadership in various areas of natural resources and environment.

As of August 23, 2024, the newspaper has a total of 102 public servants and employees (including 49 women and 53 men; 64 public servants and 38 employees).

Recently, the newspaper's editorial board has directed the development and issuance of annual, thematic plans, and detailed weekly, monthly, and quarterly communication plans. The board has actively connected with and visited localities to work with the leaders of some provinces and centrally-run cities, and Departments of Natural Resources and Environment, to strengthen cooperation in communication within the sector.

Simultaneously, the board has developed and implemented new projects according to the plan, reviewed and reorganized personnel, and assigned specific tasks within the editorial board. The board has adjusted, supplemented, and issued decisions, regulations, and management procedures in line with the newspaper's functions, tasks, and specific characteristics, and directed affiliated organizations to establish their operating regulations and task assignments for each employee.

According to Mr. Hoang Manh Ha, the newspaper has always received timely and close guidance from the Party Committee of the Ministry, the Ministry's leadership, effective cooperation, and support from internal and external agencies, units, and Departments of Natural Resources and Environment of provinces and centrally-run cities.

The editorial board has consistently shown innovation, dynamism, creativity, and initiative in its direction and management, promptly adjusting and supplementing regulations and management procedures in line with the newspaper's functions, tasks, and specific characteristics. This management and operation have contributed to the newspaper's effective and organized activities.

The mechanism of autonomy in terms of personnel and operations, and self-financing of regular expenses, has created a driving force to promote the newspaper's economic service activities, generating revenue, and maintaining the newspaper's stability, growth, and development. Revenue from assigned tasks under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has been stable, with an annual increase of 10% to offset the rise in the salary coefficient of employees as prescribed by the State.

However, the newspaper faces challenges, such as limited and unstable revenue from ministries, branches, and agencies outside the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, which may or may not provide funds annually, affecting the unit's operational plans. Other revenue sources, such as advertising/communication, have been severely cut due to the prolonged impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, as of July 1, 2024, the minimum base salary has been raised to 2,340,000 VND/person/month, presenting difficulties and challenges for self-financed units like The Natural Resources and Environment Newspaper.

The newspaper's physical and technical facilities have been invested in since its establishment in 2005, with upgrades in 2011 and 2016, but most of them have now depreciated and been disposed of. The remaining assets in use are outdated and not in line with the development trend of modern media. The newspaper lacks equipment for reporters, such as cameras and camcorders.

With wide distribution across the country, reporters face challenges in regions with limited cooperation, as local authorities may be uncooperative, causing delays and additional costs. Currently, the newspaper's reporters rarely join the Ministry's working groups, often having to cover their expenses.

Therefore, Editor-in-Chief Hoang Manh Ha proposed that the Ministry's leadership and functional units consider creating a favorable environment for the unit to participate in more activities to improve its image and the quality of its personnel. He suggested the newspaper be invited to cover the Ministry's events as the lead agency and that the Ministry's Office should inform the editorial board to send reporters and editors to cover the events fully.

Regarding the difficulty in recruiting personnel, the Editor-in-Chief proposed that the Personnel and Organization Department and the Ministry's leadership prioritize the recruitment of additional personnel through exams or recruitment in 2024. There is also a need to consider allocating funds for developing facilities, equipment, and training reporters and editors.

At the same time, the Ministry's leadership is asked to facilitate the newspaper's participation in the Ministry's activities, forums, and seminars, both domestically and internationally, to enhance the professional qualifications of its reporters and editors.

The Centre for Natural Resources and Environment Communication: A key communication hub

At the working session, Mr. Nguyen Viet Dung, Director of The Centre for Natural Resources and Environment Communication (CNREC), provided a summary of the centre's recent activities.

Based on its assigned functions and tasks, the centre annually identifies communication activities across various key areas: organizing natural resources and environment-related events and celebrations; disseminating policies and legal regulations under the Ministry's state management; and conducting specialized communication on natural resources and environment. The centre has identified ten key communication tasks in this regard.

In the first eight months of the year, the natural resources and environment sector has made significant efforts to implement urgent and key tasks despite limited resources, ensuring adherence to the directives of the Government and the Prime Minister. Among these efforts, the completion of institutional, policy, and legal frameworks has been a top priority, yielding notable results. Alongside the Ministry's activities, the centre has coordinated with specialized units to provide information to the media and implement communication activities related to natural resources and environment policies. The communication content has focused on the new aspects of the Land Law and its implementation guidelines; the Decrees guiding the implementation of the 2023 Law on Water Resources, and the 2020 Law on Environmental Protection, all contributing practically to bringing these laws into the lives of the people.

Since the beginning of 2024, the centre has organized various natural resources and environment events and celebrations: the launch of the 2024 Lunar New Year Tree Planting Festival; activities in response to World Water Day, World Meteorological Day, and Earth Hour; activities in response to International Biodiversity Day; activities during Environment Month, Vietnam Sea and Island Week in response to World Environment Day, and World Oceans Day. The centre also collaborated with The Natural Resources and Environment Newspaper to organize a meeting with media agencies in celebration of the 99th anniversary of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press (June 21, 1925 - June 21, 2024). These activities received high praise from the Ministry's leaders, the media, and the community.

Additionally, the centre continued its environmental protection communication activities through various media channels, conferences, and community outreach. It has mobilized participation from domestic and international organizations to implement natural resources and environment communication activities aimed at raising community awareness in the management, rational use of natural resources, environmental protection, and climate change adaptation.

The centre's communication efforts in collaboration with ministries, sectors, localities, media agencies, and political-social organizations have increasingly gained credibility and effectiveness.

To enhance the effectiveness of natural resources and environment communication activities in supporting the Ministry's state management in the coming years, the centre proposed several key measures to the Ministry's leadership:

-    Centralized Information Coordination: Unify the centre as the primary hub for consolidating and providing information to the mass media. To ensure comprehensive coverage of the Ministry's activities, the centre proposed that the Ministry's leadership allow it to continue participating fully in the activities of the Ministry's leaders and affiliated units to compile and deliver key information to media outlets, as directed by the Ministry's leadership.

-    Enhancing Legal Policy Communication: Strengthen the centre's role in legal policy communication by continuing to coordinate with the Legal Department and state management units to disseminate and communicate key legal policies. This includes working with political-social organizations, scientists, NGOs, and professional associations to contribute to the development of natural resources and environment legislation and to provide social critique on policies to improve the legal framework. The centre will also continue collaborating with mass media to communicate specialized legal policies and develop coordination mechanisms with state management units for event organization and information dissemination.

-    Resource and Equipment Investment: Increase resources and invest in equipment for the centre's operations. Consider allocating workspace for the centre at the Ministry's new headquarters (10 Ton That Thuyet Street) to ensure proximity to the Ministry's activities and provide adequate infrastructure and working conditions for the centre.

-    Expanding International Cooperation: Develop international cooperation activities in natural resources and environment communication. Integrate communication content from international cooperation projects under the Ministry to organize connection activities with media organizations (e.g., learning from international experiences). Strengthen communication channels to promote content on maritime, transboundary environmental protection, ocean plastic waste, and climate change. Continue mobilizing and implementing socialization projects on natural resources and environment communication.

During the session, representatives of specialized units under the Ministry also addressed the proposals and suggestions from the Ministry's media units. They provided input to enhance the effectiveness of communication within the natural resources and environment sector.

Press and communication work as an important political task
In his directive remarks at the session, Depuy Minister Le Minh Ngan praised the achievements of the Ministry's three media units in recent times, particularly their high compliance and execution of the Ministry's key tasks.

Deputy Minister Le Minh Ngan emphasized that press and communication work is of paramount importance. The Ministry's communication and press activities must always be regarded as critical political tasks. Effective communication will enable society to better understand and appreciate the Ministry's duties. The Ministry's communication efforts are crucial; for example, the recent work on the 2024 Land Law has been well-publicized by the press and media, significantly raising public awareness.

Regarding the proposals from the media units, Deputy Minister Le Minh Ngan noted that the suggestions were very appropriate, and the Ministry's leadership is supportive of the media units.

Deputy Minister Le Minh Ngan highlighted the significance of policy communication, especially in areas such as policy formulation, planning, and state management in specialized fields. Therefore, the Ministry's media agencies have the responsibility to lead the way, share insights, and provide evaluations.

The magazine should lead by researching the Ministry's fields; the newspaper should share and evaluate after the fact, while the communication centre should serve as the central hub. In the coming time, the media units must innovate and elevate their efforts to further extend the Ministry's state management reach.

Additionally, Deputy Minister Le Minh Ngan urged the Ministry's specialized units to work closely and effectively with the media units to better communicate the natural resources and environment sector's duties to the public.

The Deputy Minister also called for the Ministry's advisory units to enhance communication on areas such as land, environment, minerals, and water resources. The Ministry's Inspectorate should provide information on inspection conclusions for the media units to process, communicate, and issue warnings to society.

Regarding infrastructure, Deputy Minister Le Minh Ngan requested that the Planning and Finance Department study and propose suitable working spaces for the media units. He also encouraged the media units to develop digital transformation projects for the Ministry's leadership to review. Deputy Minister Le Minh Ngan expressed confidence that the media units would successfully carry out their planned tasks for the remainder of the year, effectively communicating the Ministry's political duties, and diversifying the implementation of their work.

On behalf of the Ministry's three media units, Mr. Hoang Manh Ha, Editor-in-Chief of The Natural Resources and Environment Newspaper, expressed gratitude for Vice Minister Le Minh Ngan's guidance and acknowledged the input from the Ministry's specialized units, pledging to strive for even better communication efforts within the sector.

Ngoc Huyen (NRE Magazine)