The story of a respected colleague

When we, the younger generation, speak of journalist Pham Ngoc Chuan, who works at the Culture and Society Department of Thai Nguyen Newspaper, we always express our deep respect for him. This senior colleague is respected by generations of younger colleagues not only for his enthusiasm, diligence, and high professional competence, but also for his exemplary conduct and compassionate heart.

Journalist Pham Ngoc Chuan during a reporting assignment in an ethnic minority area of ​​the province.

In 1999, while a final-year student at the Faculty of Journalism, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), I did my internship at Thai Nguyen Newspaper and had the opportunity to work alongside journalist Pham Ngoc Chuan on several assignments. Applying theoretical knowledge from textbooks to practical work was not easy. However, through those assignments with him and his meticulous guidance, I gained a great deal of insight. The knowledge he imparted helped me approach my work much more smoothly…

After graduating, more than a year later (at the end of 2000), when Thai Nguyen Newspaper held a recruitment exam for reporters, I applied and was fortunate enough to be selected. From then on, I became his colleague. He was always dedicated to helping younger colleagues, and I and many other young people at that time received a lot of professional guidance from journalist Pham Ngoc Chuan.

Of all the field trips I went on with him, the one I remember most is investigating the illegal gold mining situation in Tan Linh commune (Dai Tu district).

When we arrived at the illegal mining area, the scene was incredibly chaotic. Fearing that I might be subjected to inappropriate behavior from unscrupulous individuals, he instructed me on how to handle the situation. After walking around the "gold mine," while the illegal miners were staring at us with suspicious and wary eyes, a young man unexpectedly approached and greeted journalist Pham Ngoc Chuan very politely.

At that very moment, I noticed that the gold miners no longer glared at us menacingly. I was filled with immense admiration for my senior colleague.

Although I am a young journalist, new to the profession, I deeply understand the value of a true journalist. It is his integrity and sharp writing style that have earned him the respect and admiration of everyone, regardless of their background (from farmers and intellectuals to even those recently released from prison). Those who have spoken with, read, and experienced the works of journalist Ngoc Chuan all hold him in high regard.

It was a privilege for me to work alongside him on field assignments, learning how to gather information and collect materials. But that wasn't all; he also directly provided feedback on my articles, helping me gain valuable experience in producing journalistic work.

I vividly remember the time I accompanied him on a field trip to Ha Thuong commune (Dai Tu district). At that time, the Provincial Youth Union was launching a journalism competition on youth entrepreneurship, so I asked the local authorities to introduce a typical example. With his support, I completed the research quite thoroughly and quickly finished the article, which I then gave to him for review and feedback.

Despite his busy personal schedule, he still took the time to read every sentence and word and guide me in revising my article. He said: "The headline is very important; you have to think carefully and come up with a really catchy headline so that the article attracts readers."

After racking my brains for a while, the headlines I came up with were still too "commonplace." Finally, he helped me come up with a great headline: "Building a Career on the Hill." Thanks to his support, my article was highly praised by the Editorial Board of Thai Nguyen Newspaper. The best part was that it later won second prize in that year's competition.

His help and guidance made me understand and appreciate this senior colleague even more. That is, he didn't keep his expertise to himself. For him, helping younger colleagues progress and contribute to the newspaper's development was a joy, a source of happiness, and a meaningful part of his work.

Journalist Pham Ngoc Chuan frequently travels to mountainous and highland areas of the province for reporting.

It would be remiss of me not to mention journalist Ngoc Chuan's impressive collection of awards. After decades in the profession, he has received numerous journalism awards from central government ministries and agencies, as well as from Thai Nguyen province. Many times, he has had the honor of receiving first prize in journalism competitions.

All his colleagues always called him "the reporting genius," and revered the talent of the journalist dubbed "the wizard of words" with a "mountain" of prestigious journalism awards.

Honestly, we understand that, in Thai Nguyen province and in the national press, your reputation has spread far and wide, and you are remembered by many colleagues and readers both inside and outside the province.

However, journalist Pham Ngoc Chuan always remained humble, lived simply, and constantly strived to excel, completing every task assigned to him. He said: "Journalism is a very special profession. We will fall behind if we don't put our best effort into the work…"

Because of that mindset, even now, as a veteran journalist of Thai Nguyen Newspaper, journalist Ngoc Chuan still diligently writes, contributing to the development of Thai Nguyen Newspaper and the Thai Nguyen press. We always look to him as an inspiring role model, a source of passion for the profession, for generations of younger journalists to follow.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/xa-hoi/202506/chuyen-ve-nguoi-dong-nghiep-dang-kinh-2b70c78/