'Bright Torch' - Poetry About Journalism

The collection of poems about journalism and journalists named "Bright Torch" by journalist and musician Dinh Van Binh has 50 poems.

Journalist and musician Dinh Van Binh was born and raised in Thai Hoa commune, Ung Hoa district, Hanoi . Graduated from the Faculty of Culture and Arts, Central University of Art Education (2007-2011), he was involved in literature and journalism since his student days. After graduating, he collaborated and worked at many press agencies; participated in communications work, wrote books on the history of the local Party Committee, and was a production assistant for VTV film crews. From April 2014 to present, he has worked at the Vietnamese Craft Village Times (now the Vietnamese Craft Village Magazine).

He has been working in journalism for 17 years. The poetry collection “Bright Torch” (Writers Association Publishing House, released in April 2025) is Dinh Van Binh’s fourth collection of poems, specializing in the topic of Vietnamese revolutionary journalism.

“Bright Torch” has 50 poems expressing the author’s love for journalism, journalists and 7 songs at the end of the book. The more I read “Bright Torch”, the more I see Dinh Van Binh as a diligent bee, making honey, loving flowers and reaping good articles and poems.

One must be moved, truly in love and passionate about the countryside and the roads to be able to express them into resounding songs. Dinh Van Binh has a profound view of the profession and the great contribution of journalists and journalism to the general development of society. As in the poem “The hardships of journalism”, he wrote: “Through the high mountains, long rivers, and strong winds / Through many hardships, overcoming all rapids / Full of love and vitality / Protecting the glorious homeland and country”…

Because only by loving and devoting oneself to the profession can one extract thoughts from the rushing flow of life. I have lived those days, with my thoughts, lighting up my thoughts on the pages of paper at night. Even Dinh Van Binh and I cannot count how many people like us have sweated for words. But because, when one loves and is passionate about the profession, even if the small words become a thousand pounds heavy, making the shoulders heavy, the legs tired and the eyes blurred, the person doing the profession will still smile.

There will still be people who always preserve “Sharp pen, pure heart”. They continue to refine their pure heart into articles and works, sometimes soft and romantic like silk, sometimes fierce and full of fighting spirit like iron and steel. Thanks to that, there are articles with high fighting spirit, which have won high prizes in national journalism awards.

Reading carefully the articles in "Torch", I believe the author has a torch of youth within him.

Every country is nurtured by the hands of young people, people who were once very young. They have great strength and broad shoulders. The journalism community has many examples of young people who are brave and courageous, they are truly warriors. Dinh Van Binh, in the article “We, the Journalists”, wrote as if looking into people’s hearts: “Pride in the country / We grow up with the tireless strength of youth / The keyboard types with the heart turned forward / Writing for life with aspirations for the future / Stepping forward with ambition and dreams / Bringing vitality with immense love…”

In any profession, youth is always an advantage. Meanwhile, journalism is a profession that requires commitment, "hearing with your own ears, seeing with your own eyes" to get accurate, objective, and honest information. Therefore, young journalists need to "pack up and go" to explore and research topics that are relevant to the people and have social impact. Because of their young age and certainly not much working experience, when engaging in researching a topic, especially a problematic topic, they need to have a cool head.

Young people sometimes have very “rosy” thoughts about journalism, that is, going to many places, bringing information to many people and being known by a large population. When they actually enter the profession, they realize that journalism is more difficult than they initially thought. But the more difficult it is, the more they are trained, the more they love the profession and are determined to pursue the work to the end. Every time they decide on a new topic, they quickly join in, eagerly setting out with their colleagues. The greatest joy is when their articles are published, fates that need the community’s sharing, and shady cases are brought to light.

Journalism is glorious. That glory is lit on every step of development, when the press accompanies the prosperous life of the people. Over the past 100 years, generations of journalists have rushed into the bloody battlefields, where people suffer poverty. Countless journalists have both held guns and used their pens as "tools to change the regime", contributing to the revolution, driving out the enemy. Many journalists have heroically sacrificed themselves on the battlefield. They have contributed their names to the green history, beautifying the future roads, the green forests of today.

Continuing that tradition, generations of journalists today and tomorrow will still carry the mindset of “Each article is a thought towards/Each news line is an aspiration to reach far”. Only then, the dreams from small lives in the corners of the sea and horizon, in deep forests and poisonous waters can be known, appreciated, and given the conditions to contribute.

The 100-year journey of Vietnamese revolutionary journalism is truly a proud one. Poems about the profession, the passion of the profession, the journey of journalism of Dinh Van Binh and his colleagues are being revealed in “Torch”.

I and perhaps many other journalists and readers will see ourselves in Dinh Van Binh's poems. We see for ourselves that many journalists have set out, have carved their pens in remote, isolated lands or in urban life, writing songs about their time. Their lives are not only about journeys, but more than that, a sacred mission.

NGUYEN VAN HOC

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/duoc-sang-tho-ve-nghe-bao-413784.html