Identifying the function of social supervision and social criticism of Vietnamese press

f social supervision and situation, thence they can put forth the
social criticism of press adequate solutions and policies. As for
Social supervision of press is conceived to public, objective information of press help
have three missions: (1) Objective them with useful information for their life,
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36 Social Sciences Information Review, Vol.11, No.3, September, 2017
jobs and education. As for market, Social criticism of press is recognized for
objective information of press help four missions: (1) Providing exact
exchanges, trade and services be information; (2) Following hard on main
transparent, favourable. So the events and problems; (3) Promoting
requirement of objectivity of information consciousness of social responsibility; and
of press in communicating the opinions (4) Defending the reason.
and verifying the feedback of people about As seen above, the key missions of social
social problems is not only the duty and supervision of press are monitoring and
morals of journalists but also the basic and controling the social phenomena, the
core issue of social supervision of press. process of state management and
Group of indicators of social supervision reflecting the feedback of people. To well
of press that focuses on supervision of carry out these missions, the requirements
activities and process of management of of press information put for social
political and state organs and criticism by sample groups are quite
organizations received a lower choice proper and logic. Concretely speaking,
ratio. There are about 40 - 50% of two most interesting issues of social
surveyed subjects who see the social criticism of press are: (1) providing the
supervision of press as Monitoring and information must be exact, objective,
controling the process of management of multilateral; (2) following hard on events,
State and monitoring and evaluating the informing quick and in time, analysing
activities of state organs and right the main problems (see Figure 2).
organizations. So, social criticism of press must be
Besides that, like the general conception associated closely with social supervision.
of social supervision, press group has a Quality of activities of monitoring and
considerably wider conception than that of controling the social phenomena, of state
public group on the function of social management and of reflecting the
supervision of press. Almost principal feedback of people in social supervision
indexes are 10% higher. Especially, the could be ensured only when press
issue defining that press uses social provides the exact, objective, and
opinions to impose transparency and multilateral information that follow hard
confirmation to laws received an on events and problems. Thus, it can be
overwhelming higher ratio (58.4% in said, social criticism of press is the basis
comparison with 28.1%). This ratio of social supervision.
difference again confirms social In parallel with that, there are also the
responsibility and ability of press great requirements that public put for the
community to provide rich, multilateral function of social criticism of press and
and objective information. As a specific that are as follows: (1) Stirring and
professional group, press community promoting responsibility consciousness
determines itself on being ready to face of citizens; and (2) Defending the reason
the difficulties and challenges. and individuals who struggle against
Identifying the function 37
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38 Social Sciences Information Review, Vol.11, No.3, September, 2017
negative phenomena (see Figure 2). There is a considerable difference between
These requirements are quite practical conceptions of role of press in social
because in the today context of market supervision and social criticism.
economy, the cultural standards, morals, With the choice ratio being from 50 to
life-style and political ideal of a part of 60%, three essential interesting roles of
people, especially of the youth, are press in social supervision and social
degrading. Besides that, a portion of criticism are: (1) To prevent negative
officials abuses their power for profit and social phenomena; (2) To enhance
corruption, bureaucracy, revenging awareness and knowledge of individuals;
subalterns, violating the principles of and (3) To struggle for social justice.
leadership and management, and However, Figure 3 shows a considerable
violating laws severely. Thus, as a social difference of conceptions between the two
institution, with specific functions, role surveyed subject groups.
and mechanism of impact (direct and Meanwhile the press group heightens the
strong), press and media are required to role of struggle and prevention of negative
enhance the responsibility of citizens, phenomena for the sake of social justice,
defend the reason and struggle against then the popular public is interested in
the negative phenomena. enhancement of awareness and provision
These above-mentioned conceptions point of knowledge for public. On the other
out that social criticism of press can side, meanwhile popular public
associate the basic functions of press with emphasises the role of corruption
social responsibility and role that press prevention, then press orients itself to
assumes. Expectation of public and even create solidarity and social consensus.
responsibility consciousness of press These differences of conceptions show the
activists have trend to see social criticism different aims and requirements between
of press as the defence of reason and the two related subject groups. People
promotion of responsibility consciousness wants press and media to promote the
of citizens. concrete and practical roles in
In comparing the two surveyed subject enhancement of social awareness level to
groups, we saw the overwhelming individuals or in controling public
awareness of press group on the function expenditure and protection of public assets
of social criticism of press in comparison through activities of prevention and
with that of popular public group. Ratio struggle against corruption. Meanwhile
difference is about from 10 to 20%. Press press community wants to give macro-
community imposes its responsibility of contributions like promotion of social
social criticism to many aspects of life, democratization, struggle for justice and
even to thorny and delicate problems. creation of social consensus.
However, this difference also shows the These differences must be explained in
reserved expectation of public toward the context of many socioeconomic
press. changes. Intellectual level and social
Identifying the function 39
awareness of people on the rights and In comparing the press activists of
duties of citizens are still limited. Hochiminh city, Cần Thơ, Hanoi, Quảng
Meanwhile, corruption is becoming a Ninh, we can see the very obvious
serious difficult problem with a series of difference in viewpoint of press
loss of thousands billion VND of public community between Hochiminh city and
assets and finance. Thus, public (people) three other localities. 
wants to confide to press the urgent and The Table shows that the ratio of
concrete roles. In essence, the journalists of Hochiminh city who are
requirement is that the press must defend much interested in the roles of press in
personal interests of people. Prevention and struggle against
 
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On the other side, as a social institution, corruption, in Struggle for justice, and in
press approaches the problems from the Enhancement of knowledge and
macro-view. So it orients itself towards awareness of people, reaches up to 60%,
general issues such as the justice, the being considerably higher than that of
consensus, the prevention and struggle three other localities. Especially, the role
against negative phenomena in general. of press in Prevention and struggle
This is due to the professional characteristics against corruption receives double
of journalism. Press reflects concrete interest of press community of Hochiminh
phenomena, events and persons in order to city in comparison with that of Hanoi and
generalize the communication messages on Quảng Ninh; and sevenfold higher than
the scale of entire society. Therefore, that of Cần Thơ.
journalists are interested in information Here there is an obvious difference in
topics of great scale. press community between Hochiminh city
40 Social Sciences Information Review, Vol.11, No.3, September, 2017
and Cần Thơ. Meanwhile press through conceptions of the two surveyed
community of Hochiminh city is highly subject groups such as press community
interested in those above-mentioned roles, and public. Generally speaking, social
then Cần Thơ press community shows supervision of press is considered as
quite inverse attitude. Difference of Cần objective monitoring the social
Thơ is also not similar to the difference of phenomena, controling the process of
Hanoi and Quảng Ninh. Many of its social management of State and reflecting
indexes have the trend to be inverse to the feedback of people. Social criticism of
those of other localities. It can be said that press is providing the exact information,
the viewpoint on the role of press in social following hard on events and main
supervision and social criticism in Cần problems, promoting the consciousness of
Thơ is still rather narrow due to the fact social responsibility and defending the
that Cần Thơ is newly recognized as a reason. Public wants the press and media
central first-level city, needing interests to promote the concrete and practical
and great investments from central roles in enhancement of social awareness
Government. So its authority still “fears” level of individuals or in control of public
the conflicts and therefore its social expenditure, and in protection of public
criticism is low. Meanwhile the three other assets through activities of prevention and
localities have already obvious socio- and struggle against corruption. Meanwhile
politico-economic stableness, therefore press community wants to make the
the viewpoint of journalists is also more macro-contributions such as promotion of
open and active. social democratization, struggle for
Situation of press community of Hanoi justice and creation of social consensus.
and Quảng Ninh shows that the short The fact that the two related subject groups
distance from the central power has such as journalists and public have both
impacted on the prudence of press when similar considerations for functions of
it is a question related to State such as social supervision and social criticism and
Prevention and struggle against different viewpoints on the role of social
corruption. So, their press essentially supervision and social criticism shows that
focuses on vague social roles like the topic of social supervision and
Preventing and struggling against criticism will still attract the special
negative social phenomena or Creating interest of public opinion and society. This
social consensus and solidarity. So, the is a necessity for promotion and further
difference in opinion on the role of press enhancement of quality of social
in social supervision and social criticism supervision and criticism of Vietnamese
is not only between public and journalists, press and media q
but also between journalists themselves.
In summary, on the basis of analyzed References
results, the notions of social supervision 1. David A. Baldwin (editor, 2009),
and social criticism have been clarified Neoliberalism and neorealism: the
Identifying the function 41
 contemporary debate, Thế Giới New York. 
 Publishers, Hanoi. 5. G. John Ikenberry & Charles A.
2. Scott Burchill, Richard Devetek, Kupchan (2004), “Liberal Realism:
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 Christian Reus-smit & Jacqui True Foreign Policy”, The National
 (2005), Theories of International Interest, Fall. 
 Relations, Palgrave, New York. 6. Jill Steans & Lloyd Pettiford (2005),
3. Reus-Smit, Christian (editor, 2011), Introduction to International Relations:
 The Oxford Handbook of Perspectives and Themes, Pearson-
 International Relations, Oxford Prentice Hall, London. 
 University Press. 7. Paul R. Viotti & Mark V. Kauppi
4. Martin Griffiths (editor, 2007), (2001), International Relation
 International Relations Theory for Arguments, International Relation
 Twenty-First Century, Routledge, Academy, Hanoi.