8-6-09: The Media in Vietnam

Todays blog is more of an informative, factual based, blog as opposed to my usual emotion-based writing. This is due to 2 reasons; one being it is required for an assignment and the other being I want to share with you the everyday influence the media may have on the Vietnamese people in everyday life. So before I go into the blog, I just want to explain that this blog is about the media and they go hand-in-hand with spreading the government agenda here in Vietnam.

A brief disclaimer: I’m not writing this to pass judgment on any political system, nor am I deciding which way to run a country is better than others. This blog is merely for informative reading, and more importantly, for assignment purposes.

The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is a single-party state in which the Communist Party is the sole party able to run for government positions. Because of this, there are many restrictions on the media and forms of media in Vietnam. For instance, the other day on the television I noticed that the news in Vietnam (although I don’t speak or understand in very well) is far from what we are used to in the United States. The news anchors focus more on stories within Vietnam as opposed to foreign news. One story portrayed the story of a little girl who was obese and her parents being unhappy with her obesity. They sent her to a “fat camp” to lose weight, in which she failed to progress in her weight loss goals. All of this while on CNN.com there was news of bombings in Iran, Russian subs on the coast of the States, and the death of John Hughes. I wasn’t sure if this news went unreported because of disinterest amongst the Vietnamese people, or because they weren’t allowed to.

I asked one of the students here in Vietnam, who spoke a good amount of English, about what they thought of this. I must say, though, that before I asked him this I had to explain to him how our media in the States was given to us. He seemed shocked. This is because, he explained, and that in Vietnam most stories that had to do with foreign policy of international relations were taboo. He also mentioned that for the most part, citizens in Vietnam really didn’t care too much about it. He explained that people in Vietnam were more into family dealings, work, and appreciating life then they were about all of the aforementioned things. It caused me to think, is this something that has been instilled in them through the government, or is it something that is truly part of the Vietnamese culture/life. Are these people really into the “simplicities,” or are these “simplicities” something that have been imposed onto them by the media. I prefer to believe that they really are just simple people, appreciating life. People here just rather worry about things that they can effect personally, as opposed to talking about things (like politics) that, to them, aren’t worth the time.

"Mau Den" translates to "In Black"

Although I do know that the media does influence people in Vietnam in a different way, a way that is similar to how the media influences us in the States. In the States, the media dictates our dress, our talk, what we drive, what we eat, and where we live amongst other things. We are heavily influenced by the media in that aspect. In Vietnam, it is not as big a factor, but it is still evident. Westernization is surely evident in the commercials I saw. One of them was about the latest Honda “Shark.” A new model moped made by Honda, bolstering “smooth rides,” “faster speed,” and “great looks.” All with a guy sitting on his new “Shark,” chrome rims, glossy black paint, beautiful girl and all. Bad grammar aside, the commercial hit the point; buy our new model moped, be cooler. That, in itself, was very similar to American advertising; brainwashing the consumer into thinking that somehow they will be a better person by purchasing their product. It seemed like everyone here owned a Honda.

A billboard in Hue depicting Ho Chi Minh and the communist symbol, the Hammer & Sickle

In a nearby village, a billboard mentioning the 40 years of the Communist Party.

A billboard asking for charity from the workers to help build in a rural area.

Another example of the media influencing the Vietnamese people are billboards strategically placed around the city areas jointly paid for by the government and local media outlets. These billboards offer reminders to all who see them that the government is good, Ho Chi Minh was great, and that Vietnam is a great place. They remind people that nationalism is the best way to make Vietnam great. I don’t know if the purpose of these billboards are for publicity, or if they serve as a constant reminder that communism is better than democracy to the Vietnamese people. Again, it is up to each person to decide. But surely, the billboards effect everyone in the city because they are so robust. Perhaps they affect them in a way that supports their leaders, or maybe they affect them differently. I don’t know.

As for me, I’m not sure exactly how I feel about the Vietnamese media. I know that they are trying rapidly to be more American (American shows flood the airwaves). I also know that they hold true to their tradition by being very humble and subdued. As for the government censorship, I am a person who believes everyone should be able to do what they want barring any negative effects on society. But this has to be a internal goal, and one that must be evolved into. It can’t be something that is forced into, or be forced into. A nations soveriegnty, especially that of a thriving and cultrally diverse country like Vietnam, must be respected.

The media surely is censored here, and the people are often given ideas about their government as opposed to them formulating their own ideas. All of this aside, Vietnam is a beautiful place, with very humble people. Maybe because of this, the media and government aren’t much of a matter to the people, they much rather just be happy…

Live from Vietnam, Sonny