MEDIA ETHICS ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN VIETNAM

MEDIA ETHICS ON SOCIAL MEDIA IN VIETNAM

Nguyen Van Thieu

Candidate of Philology, Thang Long University,

Vietnam, Hanoi

ABSTRACT

Communication is a popular study not only in Vietnam but also worldwide. The emergence ofthe internet and social networks has brought many new things to this field while simultaneously bringingnumerous concerns, particularly ethical issues. In this essay, the author investigates media ethics through thescandal of youtuber-tiktoker Tho Nguyen, demonstrating the importance of applying ethical and legal regulations to social networkmembers. This research does not only give significance to communication theory but also helps to create ahealthy cultural network environment.

Keywords: Media ethics, press law, dirty media, social network, social media.

The development of information technology and modern facilities has created a number of new occupations in society, including the media profession [1]. These individuals work in many ways on various platforms, such as websites, personal blogs, Facebook*, or Tik Tok. Due to the desire to gain great influence, high income, and popularity, many young people have chosen to become influencers or media people on social networks. According to “We are social”, Vietnam has 76,95 million active social media users, accounting for 78.1% of the population, an increase of 6.9% compared to last year’s data; 2h28m is the amount of time spent on social media. It is clear that this is a huge potential audience for those who do social media activities, specifically on TikTok; they have to make videos to attract viewers and not let their followers decrease.

In the world of artists, using tricks to boost views in order to gain fame is not unusual, and social network influencers are no exception. Media specialists refer to it as “dirty media” or “filthy content”. In March 2021, youtuber-tiktoker Tho Nguyen posted a clip on TikTok in which they gave a doll, known as a Kuman Thong, a soft drink as a way of asking for good education. The online community quickly responded with outrage, claiming that the content promoted superstition- such as raising a doll as a human.

Tho Nguyen has a large following on both TikTok and YouTube, but her channel has faced criticism for featuring inappropriate and even dangerous content for children, such as "boiling a water can experiment and the result" and "putting dry ice in a sealed water bottle." After posting the clip “feeding the doll”, Tho Nguyen faced backlash and boycott for their TikTok channel to be reported. Tho Nguyen's actions and words have been condemned and handled in accordance with the law. She was subsequently fined VND 7.5 million (about $300) for spreading false information on social media, in accordance with Article 101 of Decree 15/2020.

Communication ethics is also a research area that attracts great attention from journalists, public relations specialists, and scientists worldwide [2]. Despite obvious limitations in the law and sub-law documents, media professionals continue to ignore their transgressions. The research seeks to answer the following questions: Should state management agencies enhance the amount of punishment for “dirty media”? Should there be more specific regulations for social network users?

The press and media play a huge role in maintaining social stability. Based on the current circumstances, the author has established the following goals for this study. Firstly, providing a foundation for legislators to amend social network legislation. Secondly, to change the perspective, attitude, and conduct of content creators on social networks. This incident highlights a number of issues, including the growing influence of social media on children and society as a whole. Social media platforms are attracting more and more attention from families, schools, and parents.

The author employed document analysis and case studies to provide an objective perspective on media ethics, specifically on social networks. Specifically, the author studies scandal of youtuber Tho Nguyen, which has received a lot of attention from social network users recently. Nguyen Van Thieu researched articles, social media posts and online newspapers related to this scandal.

Traditional media in Vietnam, such as print newspapers, television, and radio, are deemed official and rigorously adhere to the terms of the law [3]. When new media channels such as YouTube, Tiktok, and Facebook* emerged, communication activities expanded beyond the traditional framework. Law revisions and amendments have not kept pace with the advancement of current digital communication. New media like social media are relatively new and we have limited experience with them, particularly when it comes to the free and unregulated discussions that they enable. This can lead to a chaotic and unguided environment on social media, resulting in biased and controversial online debates.

In addition, there is a growing trend of inappropriate and offensive content labeled for children on social media. Children, who may not have developed critical thinking skills, are particularly susceptible to believing what they see.

Vietnam has enacted clear-press legislation as well as cybersecurity laws [4]. A code of conduct on social networks was also born in 2021, with the goal of developing ethical norms of behavior on social networks, raising awareness, creating constructive habits, and contributing to the creation of a safe and healthy environment. However, the management and implementation are still not severe, leading to scenarios like Tho Nguyen. Furthermore, the fines are still extremely mild and insufficient as a deterrent.

On top of this, economic incentives also play a role in the content produced on social media. Influencers with large followings can earn significant amounts of money based on views and interactions, and often produce toxic, strange, or even harmful content to attract an audience. And the audience is even attracted to these kinds of content.

It should be noted that information security and management in Vietnam remain inadequate. As a result, it is not difficult for users to find unpleasant information such as robbery, murder, violence, pornography, and prejudice... and this is also why dirty content such as Tho Nguyen is created and extensively disseminated on the internet.

Journalistic ethics or media ethics is not a new issue [5]. However, the explosion of the internet and social networks has prompted scholars to take this issue seriously. The author reached the following conclusion in this study:

First of all, Vietnam has comprehensive rules and regulations in place to deal with the act of publishing false information and degrading the dignity of people. Many people use “freedom of speech” to create negative content. National culture and social stability suffer as a result of these consequences. For violations, immediate sanction measures should be taken.

Second, social media, particularly influencers, have a massive impact on the general population [6]. Many youngsters also encourage and emulate the behaviors of their celebrities in order to get fame and attention. However, the disciplinary system for infractions on social media is insufficient. As a result, the ox was only fined 7.5 million dongs, equivalent to $300 USD. The study suggests increasing the penalty for such offenses. Scandal of youtuber-tiktoker Tho Nguyen is only one example; many other tiktokers, such as Hung vlog, Tiktoker Phuong Hang, or Tiktoker Quynh Nhu have also broken the law in the past.

Third, the state needs to promptly complete legal documents to create a clear and transparent legal environment for individuals and organizations participating in social media. These people are responsible for the information posted on such media [7].

Fourth, improve information management and security. This is a technological technique to minimize harmful and undesirable content [8]. When seeing indications of infractions or coming under assault by cyberattacks, companies, and people need to get immediate help from cybersecurity units. Boost public relations efforts and the distribution of rules and information at the same time by using social media to reach people.

Fifth, users, whether they are information suppliers or consumers, must contribute in order to build a secure network environment. Users must become more vigilant, learn how to choose reliable online sources of information, and refuse to share offensive content on social media. Influencers who disseminate information must comprehend their impact on the general public as well as Vietnam's ethical standards.

*(the social networks is banned on the territory of the Russian Federation, a product of the Meta organization, recognized as extremist - ed.

References:

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