Stories from the journalistic profession

Journalist Cao Ngo: The profession chose me.

At 71 years old, with over 40 years of experience as a contributor to Thanh Hoa Newspaper until becoming a professional journalist, Cao Trong Ngo (pen name Cao Ngo) has always believed that journalists must maintain a passionate spirit and practice journalism with all their heart.

A reporting assignment by journalist Cao Ngo. Photo: Contributor.

Originally an official of the Thanh Hoa Provincial Youth Union, Cao Trong Ngo unexpectedly found his calling in journalism. Journalist Cao Ngo shared: "In 1981, while working for the Thanh Hoa Provincial Youth Union, I joined as a contributor to Thanh Hoa Newspaper and several other central newspapers. In particular, my time as a contributor to Thanh Hoa Newspaper was a crucial milestone, a 'turning point' for me to become a professional journalist."

The experiences and lessons learned during his time as a contributor to Thanh Hoa Newspaper and in propaganda work at the Thanh Hoa Provincial Youth Union served as the foundation for journalist Cao Ngo's later career in journalism. He shared: "Everything came about by chance, or perhaps it was preordained. In 1996, I transferred to work at Thanh Nien Newspaper, and two years later I was assigned to be the Head of Thanh Nien Newspaper's representative office in the North Central region. At this point, I realized that journalism had chosen me."

Throughout his 18 years working at Thanh Nien Newspaper, journalist Cao Ngo always worked with a sense of responsibility and dedication. He believes that: “Journalism requires a passionate spirit no matter the circumstances. A journalist must know how to use their pen to fight against and reflect the negative aspects of life and to bring the correct policies of the Party and State to all levels of the people. A true journalist must make worthy contributions to building a positive image of their homeland and country.”

Based on that concept, throughout his years as a journalist, Cao Ngo has produced numerous journalistic works on various aspects of social life, such as: "The Story of a Hero: 'Traveling' for 30 Years Without Returning Home"; "Martyr Nguyen Ba Ngoc: An Unposthumously Honored Hero"; "Approval for Placement in... 'Museum'..."

In 2014, journalist Cao Ngo retired from Thanh Nien Newspaper and returned to civilian life. However, his passion for journalism prevented him from stopping writing. Cao Ngo continued to collaborate with many newspapers and is currently a resident correspondent for the Citizen and Education Promotion Magazine of the Vietnam Association for Education Promotion .

During his time working with several newspapers after retiring from social insurance, journalist Cao Ngo produced numerous "intellectual offspring" bearing his own unique brand. Among them is the five-article series "Decoding the Secrets of Sao Vang Airport." This series not only recreated the spirit of 10,000 young people from Thanh Hoa on the construction site of Sao Vang military airport, but also reflected the spirit of Thanh Hoa youth during wartime, which was then applied in peacetime to create Tho Xuan Airport. Other notable works include the five-article series " Sam Son: Infamous and Famous"; the three-article series "A Visit to Western Thanh Hoa"; and the five-article series "The Four Mountains: A Casual Conversation!" – all reflecting Thanh Hoa's strengths in its four economic zones: Nghi Son, Bim Son, Lam Son, and Sam Son, aiming to attract domestic and foreign investors to explore investment opportunities.

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Speaking about journalism today, journalist Cao Ngo shared: “Journalism has undergone many changes. Journalists today are dynamic, quick to receive and process information with the support of information technology... But in my opinion, in any era, “honesty, objectivity, and respect for the truth” remain fundamental requirements in the journalistic profession. I am always concerned that journalism today faces many temptations. There are quite a few people who have used the name of journalism, exploiting it to do illegal things to serve their personal goals and ambitions. While I know that these are just a few bad apples spoiling the bunch, every writer must constantly fight against negativity and make a worthy contribution to the glorious cause of journalism.”

Journalist Cao Ngo remains proud of the profession that chose him. He said: "I will continue to write – to contribute my voice alongside the Party committee and government in building a more developed homeland and country, so that every citizen can have a prosperous and happy life."

Journalist Ha Dong: We must know how to get involved and stay close to the grassroots.

For 25 years, journalist Ha Dong (full name Ha Huu Dong) – the correspondent for Tuoi Tre Newspaper in Ho Chi Minh City based in Thanh Hoa – has dedicated most of his time to trips to the mountainous regions of Thanh Hoa, where the people still face many difficulties and hardships, to document the "pulse" of life. From there, he spreads the positive values and responsibilities of journalists to the community.

Stories from the journalistic profession

Journalist Ha Dong interviews locals during a reporting assignment in Bo Hieng village, Na Meo commune (Quan Son district). Photo: Contributor.

Graduating from the Faculty of Journalism, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Vietnam National University, Hanoi in 1999, Ha Dong faced many career choices, but he chose journalism, following his major and the aspirations he had cherished since high school. Journalist Ha Dong shared: “In my early days in the journalistic world, I was fortunate to work at Thanh Hoa Newspaper (now Thanh Hoa Newspaper and Radio & Television Station). The environment at Thanh Hoa Newspaper molded me into a journalist with strong political convictions, always upholding journalistic ethics, writing for community responsibility, and contributing to the development and creation of a positive image of my homeland.”

Recalling the question from a leader of Thanh Hoa Newspaper on his first day of work, "Can you go to the mountainous areas?", the young man, born and raised in the mountainous district of Ngoc Lac, answered without hesitation: "I can, sir!" From then on, the "mountainous region" of Thanh Hoa became the "land" where Ha Dong produced journalistic works that were recognized by readers and colleagues. Throughout his 8 years and 9 months working at Thanh Hoa Newspaper, and from the end of 2009 to the present as a resident correspondent for Tuoi Tre Newspaper in Ho Chi Minh City, journalist Ha Dong has produced "spiritual children" with "multiple values." These include works such as "I Go Trading Rafts on the Ma River"; "The War Against Drugs in Muong Lat"; "Where the Ma River Flows into Thanh Hoa"; and "The Bright Spot of Cua Ha." Or consider the work "Golden Season at the Foot of Khiet Stream," which depicts the achievements of the Thai ethnic minority people in Quan Hoa district when they introduced new rice varieties into production... His journalistic works are not simply about conveying information about the Party's guidelines and the State's policies and laws to the people, but also possess profound humanistic qualities and a desire to contribute a voice to improve the lives of the people.

Sharing his experience in journalism, journalist Ha Dong said, "Journalism requires dedication and close contact with the grassroots. If you just sit and wait for information, the amount of information that comes to you will be very meager. Information sources are very important; they are like the 'breath' and 'blood' of life. To obtain information, journalists must go to the grassroots, build trust with the people, and establish public relations. Especially, when receiving information, you must know how to select and protect the source."

Journalist Ha Dong recounted a trip to the flood-stricken Sa Na area in Na Meo commune (Quan Son district) as proof of his successful public relations work. This trip is also listed in his "memories" of journalism. Journalist Ha Dong shared: “Around 10:30 AM on August 3, 2019, I received a phone call from Mr. Vu Van Dat – then Chairman of the Quan Son District People's Committee – briefly informing me: 'Two flash floods have just occurred in Quan Son district, sweeping away many houses in Sa Na village, Na Meo commune. Many people are missing after the two floods, and the district has not been able to contact them. Please come up.' Upon receiving the information, I quickly packed my clothes, put my laptop and camera into my familiar backpack, and left Thanh Hoa City with my colleagues, heading towards the flood-stricken Sa Na area amidst heavy, torrential rain to report with the spirit of being on the front lines of information.”

Journalist Ha Dong doesn't remember how many streams he crossed or how many muddy roads he traversed, but he does remember that in the remote villages of Thanh Hoa's mountainous region, there are still many people facing hardship, yet there are always people who welcome him. His love for ethnic minorities is not only expressed through his reports and news articles, but also through gifts and scholarships from charitable programs that he personally connected with and sent to them.

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