Mr. Nguyen Xuan Linh (pen name Ba Linh, 1958-2004) was a diligent and sharp editorial secretary at Ha Tinh Newspaper. At that time, only print newspapers existed. Although the workload wasn't as intense as it is now, the difficulty lay in the fact that news articles from reporters and contributors were often submitted late, and the level of professionalism was not high. Reporters wrote on paper, and editors had to check every stroke of the pen before sending it to the computer department for typing.
As a graphic designer, he had to read all the news articles and assess whether they should be published before signing the decision to publish them and sending them to the Editorial Board for approval. Artists at that time often created large, hard-printed layouts, presenting news articles and photos by drawing outlines on each page.
During that period, layout and proofreading depended on the printing factory's computer department, so editors and chief editors had to go to the printing house every night to proofread, especially for issues containing important information and events, to avoid errors. In addition, during that time, Mr. Bá Linh also had to meet with and coordinate with collaborators, understanding the capabilities of each reporter so he could "fix" problems when articles were not approved by the Editorial Board and replace them with other articles.
After Mr. Ba Linh passed away, Ms. Ha Duong, Mr. Nghiem Sy Dong, Mr. Nguyen Cong Thanh, Ms. Le Thi Thuy (Thuy Le), and Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hai (Hai Xuan) successively assumed the positions of Editor-in-Chief and Deputy Editor-in-Chief. Thanks to the innovation of information technology, the process of controlling and approving news articles, signing off on print layouts, and approving online newspaper publications via CMS accounts has become much more convenient.
Assigning editorial and production tasks to specialized departments, and establishing an online newspaper department (later merging both the Editorial and Online Newspaper departments into the Publishing Department), eased the burden on the Editorial department. However, working late and not having Sundays off became commonplace for the Editorial and Publishing departments, especially with print issues published close together, appearing on the page almost daily (Friday and Weekend issues), while simultaneously publishing the online newspaper 24/7.
Starting as Deputy Editor-in-Chief in March 2010, then becoming Editor-in-Chief in August 2014, and later Head of Publishing, Thuy Le was appointed Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Ha Tinh Newspaper in 2020. She is a careful, meticulous, and highly sensitive person, paying close attention to every number, place name, and word. She possesses the keen insight and discerning nature of an Editor-in-Chief, detecting inaccurate expressions and illogical arguments. She is also very firm in recommending whether or not to publish works that lack quality, substance, or are detrimental to the province's situation. Living far from home, with young children, her husband stationed far away, and both sets of parents elderly, Thuy Le overcame all obstacles, silently and diligently dedicating herself to each issue of the newspaper, successfully fulfilling the tasks assigned by the Editorial Board. "For me, it's a responsibility, and more than that, it's a passion, a desire to contribute to the profession," Thuy Le confided.
At the former Ha Tinh Radio and Television Station, the position of Chief Editor was called the head of the editorial department. After the province was separated, Mr. Thai Ngu was entrusted with this responsibility, and later Mr. Phan Trung Thanh was given the important task. It was still a long wait for news from afternoon until evening to edit, review, and present to the leadership for broadcast approval, especially in the past when science and technology were not as developed as they are now. Important news and articles, especially live television scripts, had to be reviewed repeatedly throughout the entire system, from the characters and events to the organization of filming and live broadcasting.
Mr. Phan Trung Thanh, former Deputy Director of Ha Tinh Radio and Television Station, recalled: “The entire team of reporters, broadcasters, and technicians faced countless unforeseen situations during the production of evening television programs and live broadcasts, not to mention power outages, virus attacks, and data loss… Filming continued all night, so the head of the editorial department also had to stay there. We rarely got to have dinner on time with our families.”
The job of a television editor involves countless hardships and worries. The head of the editorial department must be able to visualize the content and development of an event or story in order to adjust the writing accordingly. They must be skilled at writing news articles and reports, and also understand the functions of the camera equipment, knowing how to select appropriate images, composition, image axis, camera angles, and lighting.
"The narration and commentary must match the images. Well-written text that doesn't match the image is ineffective, and beautiful images that don't explain clearly are also useless. Many place names, people's names, titles, and statistics are easily misspelled; mistakes have to be corrected, and the entire team has to redo everything, which is very hard work," Thành shared.
Later, after redefining the functions and responsibilities and establishing specialized departments, the Board of Directors assigned department heads to independently edit and broadcast their respective programs. Tran Dac Tuc and Vu Thin edited the thematic sections; Sinh Huong, Tran Long, and Van Quoc edited the news section; Phuong Hoa and Ho Loan edited the arts, entertainment, and events section; Xuan Bau edited the radio section… The work was less stressful and more specialized, but for important news, documentaries, and major events, the deputy directors of content had to directly edit and review them.
In the era of the information technology boom, Ha Tinh Newspaper has been dynamically innovating, operating in a multimedia and multi-platform direction to meet the increasingly high demands of its audience. Accordingly, the position of Editor-in-Chief in the newsrooms has been abolished. Each specialized department produces and packages the product, and is responsible for publication and distribution to the Editorial Board.
Each department head became a "gatekeeper," advising and organizing the publication of newspaper issues and the broadcasting of radio and television programs, ensuring they were fast, diverse, truthful, objective, and highly reliable, contributing to the building of a professional, modern, and humane revolutionary press, truly serving as the mouthpiece of the Party, the voice of the government, and the people of the province.
Source: https://baohatinh.vn/chuyen-nhung-nguoi-gac-cong-post289711.html
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