There was anger -- and the story was heavily reported by Vietnamese press -- but apart from those affected, there were few protests and not much online organizing. This 2008 paper, written as social media was just taking off, covers how Vietnam's press operates quite well. This social media aspect of journalism can have the effect of distortion: untruths can be propagated in a blogosphere unrestricted by editorial standards. Dien has reported on environmental issues in the country as well. In the wake of this scandal, the freedom to report thoroughly on environmental issues might be abating, just as it gains traction in the public commons in Vietnam.

Source: Huffington Post July 02, 2016 20:15 UTC