The "Deadline" of Journalism

Journalism is often described as a race against time, a profession where reporters must always be ready to grab their equipment and hit the road. The "deadline" is not only a challenge but also a motivation for each reporter to successfully complete their assigned professional tasks.

Entering my 17th year in journalism with Dak Lak Newspaper, I have written numerous articles reflecting countless major and minor events in the province. Each event requires reporters to be present as quickly as possible, gather the most accurate information, and convey it to readers in a timely manner.

I remember when the dike breach occurred in Quang Dien commune, Krong Ana district, around mid-August 2019. At that time, it rained heavily all day, and the roads were flooded, but my colleagues and I still traveled more than 40 kilometers to be present at the scene.

The scene at the site was one of hundreds of hectares of rice fields submerged in water, the faces of farmers distraught and helpless as they watched their property being swept away by the flood. At the location of the dike breach, a "human barrier" was formed, with police, soldiers, volunteer youth, and hundreds of local people rushing to move sandbags and reinforce the dike, clinging to the faint hope of salvaging what little crop remained.

Reporters from central and local media outlets are working at the scene of the Krông Ana riverbank collapse in the rice fields of Buôn Triết commune, Lắk district.

Amidst that tense atmosphere, the pressure of deadlines weighed heavily on every reporter. The phone was burning hot from constant calls back to the newsroom to report on the situation. Despite working in adverse weather conditions, with unreliable phone and internet signals, we still worked carefully to deliver the fastest and most accurate information possible, because news about natural disasters and floods is not just information, but also a warning, a call for help, and a call for moral support for the flood victims from the community.

If storms and floods are a battle with nature at a specific point in time, then the COVID-19 pandemic is a persistent, silent, but arduous battle on all fronts.

From the early days of the first cases to the complex outbreaks, reporters have become one of the frontline soldiers on the information front. When the COVID-19 epidemic occurred in Dak Lak province, I was entrusted by my agency with the task of working with reporters covering the health sector to "run" the epidemiological news.

All information regarding cases, travel itineraries, contact tracing, quarantine, social distancing measures, etc., must be continuously updated. While quick and timely, accuracy is paramount. My colleagues and I always carefully verify information, avoiding even the smallest errors. Because during the initial outbreaks or at the peak of the epidemic, any inaccurate or unverified information can have significant consequences and cause public panic.

Reporters from Dak Lak Newspaper are covering traffic safety efforts on the Ho Chi Minh Highway section passing through the province.

Working in the heart of the pandemic, the pressure on journalists is immense. We not only have to race against time to deliver news, but also face the risk of infection and the anxiety of constantly accessing quarantine zones, field hospitals, and lockdown areas. Each assignment requires strict adherence to pandemic prevention regulations and wearing restrictive protective gear, yet the feeling of completing a quality article on time for the deadline is an indescribable satisfaction, a source of energy that fuels me and my colleagues for the challenges ahead.

The pressure of deadlines is ever-present in this profession, but that doesn't discourage me. On the contrary, these challenges only motivate me to stay strong and determined on my journey as a writer.

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202506/deadline-cua-nghe-bao-9360324/