62 years of companionship with the homeland.

Việt Nam•26/03/2025

Sixty-two years ago, on March 27, 1963, Quang Binh Newspaper, the official mouthpiece of the Quang Binh Provincial Party Committee, published its first issue. This was a significant political and cultural event, marking a new stage in political and ideological work, creating enthusiasm among the Party Committee and all segments of the population in the province, and opening a new era in the history of journalism in Quang Binh province.

Sixty-two years ago, on March 27, 1963, the Quang Binh Newspaper, the official publication of the Quang Binh Provincial Party Committee, published its first issue. This was a significant political and cultural event, marking a new stage in political and ideological work, creating enthusiasm within the Party Committee and among all segments of the population in the province, and ushering in a new era in the history of journalism in Quang Binh province.

It can be affirmed that, over 62 years of construction and development, the issues and pages of Quang Binh Newspaper have fully reflected and recorded all the events and historical milestones of the province's development through various revolutionary periods; making a worthy contribution to the overall victory of the homeland during the fierce war as well as in the current construction and renovation process.

Shortly after the Quang Binh Newspaper was founded, the American imperialist war of destruction against North Vietnam began. Quang Binh became the frontline of the socialist North and the direct rear base for the Southern battlefield. During the fierce and arduous years of the resistance war against the US, the staff and reporters of the Quang Binh Newspaper were always present in difficult and dangerous areas, regardless of hardship and sacrifice, staying close to the battlefields and promptly reflecting valuable and vivid information about the indomitable will and courage of our army and people in production, combat, and support for the war; contributing together with the Party Committee, army, and people of the province to building the beautiful tradition of Quang Binh homeland, "Two Excellences": "Excellent in fighting, excellent in production." The efforts and achievements of the staff and reporters of Quang Binh Newspaper at that time were assessed by the Central Propaganda Department as follows: "Quang Binh Newspaper is one of the strong local newspapers, with a solid team of staff and reporters, effectively implementing the directives of the Central Propaganda Department and strictly adhering to and creatively applying the resolutions of the local Party Committee and the directives of the Provincial Party Standing Committee...".

Following national reunification, Quang Binh, Quang Tri , Thua Thien-Hue, and the Vinh Linh area were merged to form Binh Tri Thien province. Implementing the Politburo's resolution and the resolutions and directives of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, the staff and reporters of Quang Binh Newspaper worked closely with their colleagues in Quang Tri and Thua Thien-Hue to fulfill their political duties and contribute significantly to building a prosperous and strong Binh Tri Thien province.

In 1989, Quang Binh returned to its former administrative boundaries. Amidst the numerous difficulties and shortages of a newly re-established province, with the attentive leadership of the Provincial Party Committee and the guidance of the Provincial People's Committee, Quang Binh Newspaper quickly stabilized its organization, promptly published its first issues, and effectively disseminated the resolutions, policies, and guidelines of the Party, the laws and policies of the State, and the province to the people. At the same time, it reflected and encouraged the spirit of emulation and determination to overcome difficulties and challenges, building a more prosperous and beautiful Quang Binh homeland.

Over 30 years after Quang Binh returned to its former administrative boundaries, the Quang Binh Newspaper has made remarkable progress. From a weekly publication, it now publishes seven issues per week, with a circulation of 5,000 copies per issue. Previously, the newspaper was printed using a narrow, four-page format with letterpress, but now it uses modern technology, with eight pages, color separation, and an attractive layout. While delivery to local areas used to take two to three days, it is now distributed to most localities on the same day, promptly meeting the information and reading needs of its readers.

Along with the development of the print newspaper, the Quang Binh Online Newspaper, launched in 2012, has demonstrated its advantages and positive impact. Average daily traffic ranges from 20,000 to 25,000, peaking at nearly 120,000 during major events or storms. Since 2017, alongside increasing the print newspaper's publication frequency to a daily newspaper, the Quang Binh Online Newspaper has undergone a second phase of upgrades, including the construction of a studio and the strong development of distinctive sections in line with modern, multimedia journalism (emagazine, infographic, television, etc.), with increasingly high-quality content to meet the political objectives of the new era and the diverse needs of its readers.

Quang Binh Newspaper consistently adheres to its guiding principles and objectives, closely following political goals and tasks in its reporting. The quality of its news and articles reflects timely, complete, and vivid coverage of international and domestic situations, the province's socio-economic development, and the lives of its people. The newspaper's pages have successfully developed and maintained practical and effective special sections and themes. In addition to reflecting and encouraging mass movements, Quang Binh Newspaper has also actively contributed to the fight against negativity, corruption, and social evils, promoting and encouraging the implementation of grassroots democracy regulations, and strengthening the people's trust in the Party and the reform process.

To continuously innovate and develop the newspaper, Quang Binh Newspaper has built and started operating an electronic newsroom system since the beginning of 2018, a significant leap forward in applying information technology to journalistic tasks and demonstrating increasingly enhanced professionalism.

Furthermore, to ensure the quality of its daily newspaper publication, in recent years Quang Binh Newspaper has gradually built a team of reporters, editors, and staff that is sufficient in number, possesses good political qualities, and has high professional qualifications. Currently, 100% of the newspaper's staff, reporters, and editors have university degrees, and some hold two university degrees or master's degrees in journalism, ensuring they can operate effectively in the field of journalism.

Along with its team of reporters, editors, and staff, Quang Binh Newspaper has built a network of over 200 collaborators who are always enthusiastic in cooperating with the newspaper. This team of collaborators has made many important contributions to improving the quality of Quang Binh Newspaper, meeting the requirements of propaganda in the new era.

To meet the political tasks in the new era, in line with the current Fourth Industrial Revolution, Quang Binh Newspaper is continuing to improve its organizational structure, build a converged newsroom, innovate and comprehensively enhance the quality of both its print and online versions, aiming to become a multimedia news agency. At the same time, it continues to train and cultivate a team of highly skilled, ethically sound, and passionate staff, reporters, and editors to excel in their work in the new era, living up to the beloved President Ho Chi Minh's teaching: "Journalists are also revolutionary soldiers; their pens and paper are their sharp weapons."