Preserve "sharp eyes, pure heart, and incisive pen."

Over the past 100 years, Vietnamese journalists have fulfilled the glorious mission of steadfast fighters on the ideological and cultural front; upholding the qualities of information fighters – "sharp eyes, pure hearts, incisive pens" – always accompanying the Party, the State, and the people throughout historical journeys. Especially in the context of the country entering a new era, the revolutionary press of Vietnam faces many opportunities and favorable conditions for continuous growth, development, and growth, but also presents challenges that journalists must overcome. Each writer must truly possess "sharp eyes, pure hearts, and incisive pens" to uphold the pioneering mission in the ideological and cultural field, and each revolutionary newspaper must truly become a solid political and ideological "fortress."

Let's think together and "preserve our family values."

Many journalists, and even many people working in other fields, remember and often quote the famous saying, "Sharp eyes - Pure heart - Sharp pen," whenever they speak or write about journalists and the profession. This is a famous quote by the late journalist Huu Tho when speaking about the noble, glorious, and arduous profession of journalism: " To succeed in this profession, one must have sharp eyes, a pure heart, and a sharp pen ." He considered it "a few words of advice I would like to share with those new to the profession so that we can all reflect together and 'uphold the ethics of the profession'."

The late journalist Huu Tho, when speaking about the noble, glorious, and arduous profession of journalism, said: "To succeed in this profession, one must have keen eyesight, a pure heart, and a sharp pen."

A keen eye is a requirement, the culmination of a journalist's awareness, intellect, vision, courage, worldview , and philosophy of life. To have a keen eye, a journalist must possess broad knowledge to discover new and beautiful things – even those just beginning to emerge in life – in order to praise, encourage, motivate, and spread them, things that others may see but fail to recognize . To have a keen eye, " one must have political acumen to examine and evaluate the issues raised in life." "The knowledge that journalists use is knowledge from life, specific life in each specific field, with the depth of their life experience accumulated over many years. That is a very important characteristic of a journalist." “You use life to analyze life, of course, combining it with viewpoints and guidelines, but these viewpoints and guidelines must be deeply ingrained in life… You must have a very deep understanding of life. If you don't immerse yourself in life, how can you understand it? Therefore, how can you analyze events logically and emotionally in your articles?” ( Speech by the late journalist Huu Tho to a group of young reporters at Nhan Dan Newspaper, January 6, 1996).

One must have keen insight to foresee and predict positive developments that could become trends, noble ways of life, stemming from small, seemingly ordinary events hidden amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life. Only with keen insight can a journalist make the judgment to quickly investigate, write articles, and prevent negativity, evil, and wrongdoing from the very beginning, from thoughts and actions that others might overlook. Only with keen insight can one foresee a model, a movement, an inevitability… arising from a small act of kindness, a good initiative, or an effective action by an ordinary worker. A keen eye is a discerning eye, enabling a journalist to see the abnormality in seemingly ordinary things, as well as the "unchanging" within the "ever-changing." Like a fisherman, one must possess "extensive knowledge of life," having experienced the harsh conditions of the fishing grounds, and have keen eyesight to be able to judge the direction of movement of a large school of fish simply by observing the water currents.

Journalist Huu Tho wrote: "Unlike any other profession, in our journalism, the profession is always linked to ideals. A good article, a beautiful photograph, is not only about meticulous description, careful selection of sunlight and clouds, but also about what it conveys in the depth of thought of the person practicing the profession, and how that touches someone's heart and persuades someone." I think that "depth of thought" he spoke of is what makes a journalist's "eyes sharp."

Reporters from the Quang Ninh Media Center working during Typhoon Yagi in 2024.

"Sharp eyes" refers to the political perspective, attitude, and vision of a journalist, enabling them to fulfill their role and function of social critique, social forecasting, and guiding public opinion. Sharp eyes means a journalist is someone who "always sees something about everything and sees everything about something" (quoting a renowned journalism researcher in Russia).

"Integrity" refers to professional ethics, the ethics of journalism. According to him, "For journalism, the heart of the professional is very important. Every profession must have a heart reflected in its work and projects... A heart, first and foremost, is honesty and compassion, which must be present even when handling information. Whether supporting or criticizing, saying right or wrong – even if it's done hastily to meet the demands of the news – it should be understood that above all, it is about having a sincere heart. If you criticize someone but have a sincere and compassionate heart, the person being criticized will understand and reflect on their actions, even if they are punished, they will not regret it. If you praise someone with a sincere and compassionate heart, your pen will avoid the injustice of 'raising one person to bring down another,' or flattering and sycophantic praise. He believes that, "Cultivating talent is difficult, but keeping the heart pure, always clear, honest, and straightforward, is even more difficult, in my opinion." Especially in a market economy, money and the allure of "false prestige" are extremely tempting.

A pure heart is also about having an "untainted mind," not viewing journalism as a means of getting rich, and not using one's press card as a tool to extort money from others. A journalist who "criticizes people but has an honest and kind heart" is truly having a "pure heart" and a "bright mind," unlike "some journalists who seek out negativity to exploit it," or "reporters who count floors," and certainly not fabricating stories or setting traps to extort money from subjects as is often seen on television.

In today's society, with the prevalence of journalists whose hearts are not pure but whose pens are sharp, specializing in digging up negative information to write articles, using that information to intimidate and profit personally, the saying "fear of journalists is greater than fear of tigers" has emerged, meaning that some journalists are considered ferocious beasts in the jungle. Isn't it heartbreaking to hear such stories, to hear phrases like "those journalists"?

Therefore, in the field of journalism, if a journalist's heart is tainted and their mind is not pure, then even when they have a position and are skilled in their profession, they can easily become an immeasurable threat.

A sharp pen is the profession of a journalist, the training of professional skills. Journalist Huu Tho, speaking to aspiring journalists, said: “To pursue this profession, one must hone their writing skills, practice handling the camera, and master the equipment for recording sound and video to create outstanding journalistic works… The way of describing, choosing scenes, selecting the right time to press the shutter – they must reach a certain level to clearly and profoundly express the ideas and feelings of the writer and the cameraman. The saying, ‘Master one skill, and you will prosper,’ encourages everyone to wholeheartedly practice their craft. You must excel at your profession, because only by excelling can you create profound and engaging journalistic works that effectively serve the ideals by impacting millions of viewers and readers.”

Journalists in Quang Ninh maintain "sharp eyes, pure hearts, and incisive pens" in the digital age.

With enthusiasm, responsibility, and continuous innovation, the team of journalists in Quang Ninh has been and continues to affirm its important role, adhering to the fundamental principles of revolutionary Vietnamese journalism. To maintain their keen insight, journalists always delve into reality, staying close to the grassroots. Instead of just writing from a desk, Quang Ninh journalists regularly immerse themselves in real life, being present at hotspots, remote areas, construction sites, factories, border regions, and islands… to record information as truthfully as possible. At the same time, they constantly learn, improve their professional skills and expertise, and update their knowledge on all aspects of social life, from economics and politics to culture, science, and technology… This allows them to have a deep, multifaceted perspective on issues and events, avoiding bias.

The Quang Ninh Journalists Association organized a "Journey to the Roots" in Thai Nguyen to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Vietnam's Revolutionary Press Day on June 21 (1925-2025). Photo: Dam Hang

The journalists of Quang Ninh Newspaper, as well as reporters from central newspapers based in the area, regularly participate in training courses on journalistic skills, especially new journalistic genres such as multimedia journalism and data journalism; skills in producing dynamic infographics, data videos, mobile journalism, and professional podcasts… to present complex information visually and easily understandable. Many reporters and editors have proactively learned and mastered advanced digital content management systems (CMS) and SEO (search engine optimization) tools to spread their content more widely.

The press in Quang Ninh has also actively innovated its approach and content production methods. The Quang Ninh Provincial Media Center has pioneered the implementation of online radio and television programs on its electronic newspaper, and livestreams on social media platforms, creating two-way interaction with the public. At the same time, it has boldly experimented with in-depth podcasts on the province's economic and tourism issues, as well as short documentary videos on TikTok and Facebook, to reach a younger audience.

Furthermore, maintaining integrity, the Quang Ninh press always upholds and preserves core qualities such as professional ethics, political integrity, and journalistic honesty. Quang Ninh's press consistently and deeply understands its top priority: firmly protecting the Party's ideological foundation and relentlessly combating distorted, false, and hostile narratives. This demonstrates unwavering political resolve and a "pure heart" that remains unshaken by complex information flows. This "pure heart" is also reflected in the spirit of serving the people, always prioritizing community interests. Quang Ninh journalists dedicate themselves to reflecting on pressing social issues and shortcomings in management, while maintaining an objective and constructive attitude to promote sustainable development and bring tangible benefits to the people.

Particularly in the complex information environment and under the pressures of the profession, the team of journalists in Quang Ninh always cultivates political integrity, maintains their stance, and refuses to be bribed, manipulated, or have their writing distorted for personal or group interests. Regular professional development sessions and workshops on journalistic ethics are organized to reinforce this "pure heart." In the digital age, maintaining "purity" is also demonstrated through exemplary behavior on social media, refraining from spreading fake news or harmful information, and not participating in divisive or provocative activities.

Comrade Vi Ngoc Bich, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, and Comrade Nguyen Thi Hanh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, presented Certificates of Commendation from the Provincial People's Committee to individuals with outstanding achievements in journalistic activities in Quang Ninh.

The history of journalism in Quang Ninh spans 96 years, beginning in late 1928 with the founding of the Than Newspaper. This is considered the first local Party newspaper in Vietnam, and the predecessor of today's Quang Ninh Newspaper.

Throughout various periods, even during the most difficult times, journalists in Quang Ninh have always remembered President Ho Chi Minh's words: "Journalists are also revolutionary soldiers. The pen and paper are their sharp weapons. To fulfill their glorious nhiệm vụ, journalists must cultivate revolutionary ethics." And the heroic and steadfast mining region, with its spirit of "Discipline and Unity," has forged generations of journalists in Quang Ninh, instilling in them the courage and fortitude of vanguard soldiers on the ideological front, keeping their "pen sharp" at all times.

During the war years, journalists in the Quang Ninh mining region were not afraid of sacrifice, did not shy away from difficulties and hardships, and bravely ventured onto all fronts to reflect the fighting spirit and the labor and production spirit of the military and people of the mining region, creating a very proud history for Quang Ninh journalism. Following in the footsteps of their predecessors, today's journalists in Quang Ninh inherit this fine tradition, and are actively playing a pioneering role, enthusiastically immersing themselves in reality, and reflecting most fully a self-reliant, strong, dynamic, and creative Quang Ninh in the flow of national development.

It can be said that, under the leadership of the Provincial Party Committee and with the trust, support, and acceptance of the people, the "fire of the Coal Mining Newspaper" continues to burn brightly, cherished and preserved by generations of journalists in Quang Ninh province. This has enriched the identity of unity, creativity, enthusiasm, courage, intelligence, professionalism, and humanism through practical actions, continuing to write and cultivate the glorious and heroic history of revolutionary journalism in Quang Ninh.

The 100th anniversary of Vietnamese Revolutionary Journalism is not only an occasion to be proud of the glorious journey so far, but also a profound reminder of the responsibilities of today and the future. The press agencies and journalists of Quang Ninh, with their glorious tradition, unwavering political resolve, and aspiration to contribute, are constantly renewing themselves, steadfastly maintaining "sharp eyes, pure hearts, and incisive pens" in the digital age. This not only helps the press fulfill its pioneering mission on the cultural and ideological front, but also strongly contributes to building Quang Ninh into a model province – prosperous, beautiful, civilized, and modern – and together with the Vietnamese nation, continues to write golden chapters in history on the journey to new heights for a prosperous, happy, and enduring Vietnam.

Ha Chi

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/gin-giu-mat-sang-long-trong-but-sac-3361831.html