In the context of the country immersed in the long night of slavery, the birth of Thanh Nien newspaper founded by leader Nguyen Ai Quoc not only had the meaning of opening the way and enlightenment but also laid the foundation for a new journalism - revolutionary journalism, with the mission of serving the cause of national liberation and communist ideals.
Uncle Ho spent time reading newspapers.
During the period 1925 - 1945, the revolutionary press was a sharp tool to propagate Marxism - Leninism, mobilize the masses, build revolutionary organizations, awaken patriotism and the spirit of fighting for independence. Newspapers such as: Kong Nong; Revolutionary Soldier; Hammer and Sickle; Red Magazine; Struggle; Main Road; People; Eastern Magazine; Independent Vietnam; National Salvation; Liberation Flag; Communist Magazine... were born one after another, operating in many forms, from public, semi-public to secret, depending on each historical period, despite the fierce control and repression of the feudal colonial government.
Thanh Nien Newspaper in the early days of publication.
After the August Revolution in 1945, the press quickly transformed itself into a core force in the work of protecting the young revolutionary government, encouraging the entire people to resist the French colonialists. Following the instructions of President Ho Chi Minh , "the press is a sharp weapon in the revolutionary cause", "Press cadres are also revolutionary soldiers. Pens and paper are their sharp weapons", the press has promoted the mission of "supporting the righteous and eliminating evil", fighting against the enemy's distorted and destructive arguments, becoming a special "army" of the revolution.
During the resistance war against American imperialism, the press in both the North and the South continued to play a particularly important role. In the North, the press promoted the cause of building socialism, consolidating the great rear for the southern front. In the South, in dangerous operating conditions, the revolutionary press remained steadfast in its adherence to the land and people, spreading the voice of resistance throughout the urban areas and temporarily occupied areas, exposing the plots and war crimes of the invaders and their lackeys, and raising high the flag of justice of the Vietnamese people.
During the war years, thousands of cadres and reporters fought side by side with soldiers and laborers, serving in combat on all fronts. “Hundreds of journalists were present on the battlefields, through the periods, not afraid of hardship, sacrifice, and dedication to complete their tasks. It can be said that during the resistance war, there was no battlefield, no major campaign, no area without reporters. We have recorded the sacrifice of over 500 journalists. That speaks to the fierceness of the war, and at the same time demonstrates the spirit of sacrifice of journalists. I called my colleagues those who wrote history with blood in the fire and bullets” - journalist Tran Mai Huong, former General Director of Vietnam News Agency (VNA) said.
Reporters from Vietnam News Agency and Liberation News Agency report on the Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975.
In peacetime, press agencies have performed well their role as the mouthpiece of the Party, the State, political , social and professional organizations, and as a forum for the people, maintaining political orientation, contributing to strengthening people's trust in the Party, the State and the regime.
In the post-1975 period, the press played an important role in reflecting the process of healing the wounds of war, restoring production, and stabilizing people's lives. The press still played the role of the voice of the people, a reliable information channel of the Party and the State.
Entering the Renovation period from 1986, revolutionary journalism truly flourished. Press agencies were strengthened in their operational capacity, diversified their forms, improved the quality of their content, expanded social criticism, promoted transparency and democratization of social life. Many negative and corrupt cases were exposed through a series of elaborate investigative articles by the press. A series of articles on the Nam Cam case, land violations in Dong Tam, Van Thinh Phat... contributed to arousing the spirit of fighting negativity in society.
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, on the afternoon of June 11, 2025, the delegation of the Vietnam Journalists Association visited the place where President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien Newspaper in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
Entering the 21st century, the context of globalization, the explosion of information and the rapid development of technology have placed the press in front of unprecedented opportunities and challenges. In this “sea of information”, the revolutionary press not only plays the role of reporting and propagating, but has also become a pioneering force in the struggle to protect the Party’s ideological foundation, refute erroneous and hostile viewpoints, and at the same time affirm the core values of truth, reality and social trust.
In the cross-border information flow, revolutionary press continues to play the role of an "ideological fortress", not only contributing to preserving the theoretical foundation of Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thought, but also actively promoting and spreading the system of modern Vietnamese values: patriotism, humanity, creativity, solidarity, responsibility. A series of columns, forums, and articles on: Protecting the Party's ideological foundation (Vietnam News Agency, People's Army Newspaper, People's Newspaper), Fighting against peaceful evolution (People's Police Newspaper), the program "Confrontation" (VTV1)... have been and are a solid front line in the digital media space.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visits the booth displaying press publications of Vietnam News Agency at the 2015 Spring Press Festival.
Not only does the press provide guidance, it also proactively reflects the country’s major issues. A series of investigative articles by Lao Dong, Tuoi Tre, Thanh Nien newspapers have delved into sensitive areas such as land violations, loss of state assets, exam fraud, and negative aspects of medical and pharmaceutical bidding, thereby creating public pressure and contributing to urging the authorities to intervene.
In the field of building a rule-of-law state and implementing citizens' rights, the press has actively participated in social supervision and promoted its critical role. Specialized legal pages and press seminars on law organized by press agencies such as the People's Police Newspaper, Vietnam News Agency, VTV, VOV, etc. have contributed to popularizing the law and raising people's awareness of rights and obligations in modern society.
In particular, in emergency situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, revolutionary press becomes the "frontline of information". Not only does it quickly and accurately update the epidemic situation and the Government's instructions, the press also effectively propagates the vaccine strategy, encourages the frontline forces, creates an effective anti-epidemic information belt, and helps the entire population to be proactive, united and confident in overcoming the crisis.
Moments when VNA reporters work across the front lines to promptly record and report news to serve readers at home and abroad.
In addition, the press also accompanies major national programs such as: national digital transformation; building e-Government, smart cities; building new rural areas; sustainable development and environmental protection; protecting sea and island sovereignty...
And we cannot fail to mention the efforts to promote the country's image to the world through foreign channels, such as: VietnamPlus e-newspaper (VNA), VTV, Nhan Dan e-newspaper (English version), VOV... These agencies have contributed to spreading the message of a peaceful, stable, dynamic and deeply integrated Vietnam. Thereby, it is affirmed that the press is not only a propaganda tool but also a part of the nation's soft power.
The press has the task of protecting the Party's ideological foundation:
Affirming the great role of revolutionary journalism in recent times, at the 2024 Golden Hammer and Sickle Press Awards ceremony, General Secretary To Lam emphasized: “The press has done a very good job of propagating and widely disseminating the Party's major policies and orientations on the "New Era", on the revolution of streamlining the apparatus of the political system, on the efforts and determination to handle the "bottlenecks" that are hindering the country's development... Thereby, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has truly integrated into the flow of practical life, clearly demonstrating its role in leading ideology and accompanying the Party's great steps, creating a spread of trust, responsibility, and aspirations for development among all classes of people. These contributions are not only the results of creative labor but also a testament to the mettle, intelligence, and social responsibility of the press team in carrying out its historical mission".
General Director of Vietnam News Agency Vu Viet Trang respectfully presented General Secretary To Lam with a Vietnamese-English bilingual photo book "100 years of Vietnamese Revolutionary Journalism (1925 - 2025)", compiled and published by the News Agency Publishing House.
Continuing to carry out that historic mission, revolutionary journalism is entering the digital age with a strong determination to innovate. From the traditional print media platform, many press agencies have developed in the direction of multi-platform, multimedia convergence, making the most of digital technology to improve communication efficiency. Artificial intelligence (AI), big data (Big Data), virtual reality (VR/AR) platforms are increasingly applied deeply into the content production and distribution process.
VNA, VTV, Nhan Dan Newspaper, Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre, VNExpress... are pioneers in building a converged newsroom, analyzing reader behavior, and optimizing content on digital platforms. The Vietnam Journalists Association also actively organizes training courses and seminars on professional ethics, data journalism, and journalism that builds trust in the new media space.
VNA, VTV, Nhan Dan Newspaper, Tuoi Tre, VNExpress... are pioneers in building convergent newsrooms, analyzing reader behavior, and optimizing content on digital platforms.
In the context of strong digital media development, journalists today are not only news reporters but also verifiers, defenders of the truth, and leaders of public opinion. In the face of fierce competition with social networks, YouTube, TikTok, and spontaneous platforms, the responsibility of journalists is even greater in maintaining accuracy, objectivity, and humanity in every stream of information. In the digital environment, journalists must be agile and multi-skilled: from writing, filming, editing, graphics to interactive media, but at the same time must maintain political courage, professional ethics, and a spirit of active criticism.
Journalists in the new era also need to become “information gatekeepers”, proactively participating in the fight against fake news, toxic news, orienting public opinion, helping the public distinguish between truth and falsehood, right and wrong in the chaotic sea of information. From there, contributing to creating a clean and healthy media space, arousing social trust and spreading the nation’s positive values.
Along with technological transformation, revolutionary journalism is also transforming professional thinking, focusing on readers, promoting interaction and personalizing information, thereby increasing the level of dissemination and social impact. Journalism training schools such as the Academy of Journalism and Communication, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City) ... are strongly innovating their curriculum towards integrating multi-skills, digital technology, ethics and comprehensive communication capacity.
Scene of the 2025 National Press Festival with the theme "Vietnamese Press - Loyalty, Creativity, Courage, Innovation for the cause of building and defending the Fatherland".
Building a professional, humane and modern press has also become a consistent orientation in Party Congress documents, programs of the Central Propaganda Department (now the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department) and the Vietnam Journalists Association. The annual National Press Awards not only honor outstanding works but also spread the values of truth - goodness - beauty, contributing to nurturing the ideals, social responsibility and aspirations of journalists.
At the National Scientific Conference “100 years of Vietnamese revolutionary press accompanying the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation”, Comrade Tran Cam Tu, Politburo member, Standing member of the Secretariat emphasized: “Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the revolutionary press has been performing well its tasks, responsibilities and missions”; “The Party and the State have high expectations and will create the most favorable conditions possible, dedicating more resources for the press to perform well its functions and tasks in the new era”.
Comrade Nguyen Trong Nghia, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda and Education Commission; Comrade Le Quoc Minh, Deputy Head of the Central Propaganda and Education Commission, President of the Vietnam Journalists Association, Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan newspaper and delegates visited the VNA's booth at the 2025 National Press Festival.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2025 National Press Festival, Comrade Nguyen Trong Nghia, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission, suggested: In order for revolutionary press to fulfill its responsibilities to the Fatherland and the people, each press agency and each journalist must always consciously study and improve their professional knowledge; maintain and promote political mettle, be determined to innovate more strongly; increase the application of technology, especially digital transformation and artificial intelligence to change the process of production, distribution and access to press information. We must take innovation as a driving force, take technology as a tool to elevate Vietnamese press. Moreover, we must boldly innovate from within - innovate the thinking of press leadership, innovate the editorial office model, innovate the method of content production and distribution, and innovate the relationship between the press and the public. The press needs to deepen its role in social criticism, protecting the Party's ideological foundation, promoting solidarity, creating consensus, strongly arousing patriotism and national pride, inspiring and aspirant to contribute, contributing to bringing the country firmly into a new era, an era of wealth, civilization, prosperity, and national growth.
After 100 years, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become an indispensable part of the nation's revolutionary cause. In the new journey, the team of journalists continues to adhere to the goal of "serving the Fatherland, serving the People", constantly innovating, digitally transforming, improving professional capacity, political courage, professional ethics and social responsibility. Today's revolutionary press is gradually integrating with the world press but still upholds the principle: for the interests of the nation - people, for the truth, objectivity and humanity.
The first photo book about the history of Vietnamese journalism:
Article: Minh Duyen
Photo: VNA - VNA released
Video: VNA
Editor: Ky Thu
Presented by: Ha Nguyen
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