VZCZCXRO5442
PP RUEHDT RUEHPB
DE RUEHHM #1079/01 2950642
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 220642Z OCT 07
FM AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3257
INFO RUEHHI/AMEMBASSY HANOI PRIORITY 2254
RUCNARF/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY 3470

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 HO CHI MINH CITY 001079 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS; EAP/PD (TINA TRAN); ECA/PE/V/F/A (NALINEE 
CAIN AND MICHAEL CAIN); DS/IP/EAP AND DS/ICI/CI 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KPAO OEXC PREL ASEC SCUL VM
SUBJECT: AUGUST VOLUNTARY VISITOR PROGRAM (HO CHI MINH CITY SENIOR 
EDITORS) PRODUCES PRO-USG COVERAGE IN AN UNLIKELY PLACE 
 
 
HO CHI MIN 00001079  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Eight senior editors from Ho Chi Minh City 
newspapers, along with a senior official from the Ho Chi Minh 
City Journalists Association, recently returned from a highly 
successful, albeit rare, opportunity to participate in a USG 
exchange program. As Vietnam's largest media center and most 
populous city, Ho Chi Minh City plays a key role in the 
political and economic development of the country, and it would 
appear logical that HCMC-based journalists would be well placed 
to qualify for international training and exchange visits. 
Nonetheless, bringing this program to fruition was quite 
difficult due to ongoing attempts by GVN officials to discourage 
media participation in International Visitor or other USG 
exchange programs.  Considerable effort aimed at building 
relationships with media resulted in a breakthrough last summer 
when the HCMC Journalists Association proposed a US trip that 
was approved by the central and local governments.  The impact 
of this project is now evident in a series of articles just 
published by the Ministry of Public Security newspaper "Cong An" 
("Security").  The articles, written by an MPS participant in 
the VOLVIS program, are helping to introduce U.S. society, 
media, and politics to a popular audience of over one-quarter 
million readers.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) Nine senior editors from HCMC media outlets were chosen 
for this program, an initiative of the HCMC Journalists 
Association.  The purpose of the VOLVIS was to learn about media 
standards and the scope and role of media institutions in the 
United States; to gain insights into American social, economic 
and political structures; to discuss problems and issues of 
common professional concern with American journalist colleagues; 
and to gain first-hand knowledge of U.S. society, educational 
organizations, and government. The group spent eleven days 
visiting newspaper editors, press organizations, and other 
offices in Washington, New York, and San Francisco in order to 
learn about technical and management aspects of the media 
business. The program focused on newsroom management, problems 
and issues that journalists face, marketing and advertising, and 
the role of journalism in civil society. 
 
¶3. (U) Washington D.C.: The editors group met with Gene Mater, 
International Program Manager, Freedom Forum, to learn about the 
role and activities of Freedom Forum.  They also visited the 
Washington Post, where they engaged in a dialogue about newsroom 
operations and problems of the print press in the Internet age. 
The group attended a State Department Press Briefing, visited 
the Foreign Press Center, and met with representatives of the 
National Press Club and International Center for Journalists. 
They had an opportunity to engage members of the American 
Society of Newspaper Editors in a discussion of training and 
speaker opportunities. 
 
¶4.  (U) New York City: The three-day program in NYC included 
meetings with counterparts at the Wall Street Journal and New 
York Times to discuss management and professional issues, as 
well as visits to the Associated Press; the Newspaper of 
Association of America (NAA); and the New York Stock exchange. 
 
¶5.  (U) San Francisco: While in HCMC's Sister City, the team 
held meetings with professors at the UC Berkeley Graduate School 
of Journalism; editors at the Oakland Tribune; George Saxton, 
President of the San Francisco-Ho Chi Minh City Sister City 
Committee; and officers of the Oakland Police Department. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Justification/objective:  Ho Chi Minh City editors 
approached post with a proposal to go the U.S. to see first-hand 
how American media outlets operate in the Internet age.  They 
sought to better understand what U.S. editors are concerned 
about today, and how they manage their outlets and marketing 
issues.  Post was eager to respond to this request, especially 
given how difficult it has been to include Vietnamese media in 
our usual exchange programs.  (Officials generally do not 
approve high-level participation by journalists in USG 
programs.)  According to the editors, insights gained from their 
trip will help them improve their paper's newsroom operations, 
and introduce ways of dealing with possible challenges. 
Importantly, the trip was a great opportunity for senior editors 
to learn about the much-vaunted independence of US 
newspapers--which Vietnamese newspapers reportedly aspire to 
achieve. 
 
¶7. (U) Result/impact: Excellent.  Members of the group were 
extremely impressed with the scope and usefulness of the 
program. They appreciated the many briefings they received from 
media outlets, the UC journalism school, and USG institutions. 
Although the program was of short duration, the team gained a 
good understanding of press freedom in the United States, as 
well as issues facing the news industry.  In addition, they 
 
HO CHI MIN 00001079  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
developed an enthusiastic appreciation for how American 
newspapers operate and manage their newsrooms; the multiplicity 
of issues with which American newspapers must cope; and how 
American journalists are protected by civic norms and court 
precedent.  According to team leader Nguyen van Phung, the 
Voluntary Visitor program helped the team appreciate the role 
American news media plays in society. The team had an especially 
useful meeting with the American Society of Newspaper Editors 
during which both sides discussed future  opportunities for 
cooperation. According to the team, they quickly came to realize 
how many professional interests and concerns they have in common 
with U.S. counterparts. 
 
 
¶8. (U) During the HCMC Senior Editors' debriefing, members of 
the team were generally very positive about the trip but also 
suggested that they would like to have had fewer meetings in 
order to spend more time with a few senior editors from US 
newspapers in order to discuss professional issues in a more 
focused and in-depth way. 
 
¶9. (U) The SGGP group thanked Nalinee Cain,  Bill Whelan, and 
Emma Madison for organizing an outstanding program. The team 
also thanks their interpreters Hai Chu, Le Thu Phan, and escort 
Joan Gibbons for all of their helps and support. 
 
¶10.  (U) Following are the participants of the VOLVIS program: 
 
Mr. DANG Tam Chanh Vice Editor-in-Chief, Saigon Tiep Thi (Saigon 
Marketing newspaper); 
 
Mr. DANG Xuan Dung Editor-in-Chief, Cong An (police newspaper) 
Note: This is the media outlet of the Ministry of Public 
Security, which often tries to stop just this kind of exchange 
from taking place.  Yet, this participant has himself printed 
very positive coverage of the trip, including praise for the 
VolVis program; 
 
Ms. Thi DO Thi My, Editor-in-Chief, Khan Quang Do (children's 
newspaper); 
 
Mr. DOAN Minh Phong, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Phu Nu (women's 
newspaper); 
 
Mr. DOAN Khac Xuyen; Managing Editor, Saigon Economic Times 
(weekly magazine); 
 
Mr. MAI Ngoc Phuoc Deputy Editor-in-Chief, Phap Luat (law 
newspaper); 
 
Mr. NGUYEN Van Phung, Permanent Vice President, Ho Chi Minh City 
Journalists' Association; 
 
Ms. THAI Phong Suong, Editor-in-Chief, Ho Chi Minh City's The 
Thao (sports daily); 
 
Mr. VO Hong Son, Vice Editor-in-Chief, Saigon Giai Phong 
newspaper (Saigon Liberation Daily). 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Comment:  Through this rare VolVis opportunity, 
prominent and influential editors were exposed to critical 
values and aspects of U.S. media.  These experiences have 
already begun to translate into articles in their various 
outlets, which reach a broad Vietnamese readership.  The papers 
publicizing the VOLVIS have even included, unexpectedly, the 
official "police" organ in HCMC. PAS will continue to 
aggressively seek opportunities for further exchange with 
Vietnamese media. 
 
¶12. (U) This cable was coordinated with Embassy Hanoi. 
FAIRFAX