1. In recent days, information regarding the restructuring and streamlining of the press system has continued to be strongly disseminated. Many press agencies and specialized magazines will merge or cease operations. This is a major policy aimed at building a more streamlined, professional, and modern press in the context of digital transformation and new governance requirements.
From a management perspective, this is an unavoidable trend. However, beyond the numbers regarding organization, personnel, or operational efficiency, perhaps we should also take a moment to consider the values that are difficult to measure statistically.
For many researchers, each newspaper and magazine is more than just a media outlet. It is a space that brings academia to the public, a cultural forum, and a repository of community memory. Numerous research papers are featured in local newspapers. Many seemingly forgotten heritage values are revived through short articles published in cultural sections.
Many journalists begin by writing a few short news articles and become passionate about cultural heritage. As one of many cultural and heritage researchers who collaborate with the press, I know that much knowledge about local history, architecture, and urban memory has been disseminated through newspaper pages. Stories about a temple, a market, an alleyway, or a traditional craft in danger of disappearing would never have garnered public attention without the persistent efforts of journalists.
2. I still remember the excitement I felt twenty years ago when my first essay on the loss of urban heritage was published. The payment wasn't much, but the circulation was much higher than it is now. The most valuable thing was the feeling of having a place where cultural stories could be heard and receive empathy from the editorial staff and readers.
Through articles by numerous researchers, readers have learned about the cultural heritage of their communities and explored the value of historical sites. Administrators are also paying more attention to preserving and promoting the value of these heritage sites that fortunately still exist amidst rapid urbanization.
Therefore, when a newspaper or magazine ceases publication, it loses an opportunity for researchers to connect more closely with the public through their scientific work and ideas. It also marks the closure of a space for dialogue that has existed for decades, where the voices of researchers, the community, and administrators could meet, and whether or not consensus was reached, it was always beneficial. Thus, a newspaper is not just a media outlet, but also a part of the knowledge ecosystem.
Of course, I understand that it's impossible to cling to old models in a new era. Digital technology has completely changed the way information is produced and consumed. Fewer readers today wait for print newspapers every morning, long articles are competing with short clips and videos, and artificial intelligence is changing and creating countless new media platforms.
Change is inevitable. But it is precisely during this period that the core role of journalism becomes even more crucial. When information becomes overwhelmingly abundant, what society needs is more reliable information. When traditional culture faces the risk of being diluted in the flow of globalization, what is needed is not just speed and form of promoting heritage, but the depth of values and cultural identity of a city, a nation.
3. What worries me most is the fate of fields that are not "stars" in the current information competition: culture, history, archaeology, museology, heritage, local literature...
These areas already receive limited media attention; if the press in general, and specialized publications in particular, are further restricted, who will continue to tell these stories? Who will dedicate multiple issues to pursuing a case of monument destruction? Who will patiently introduce a new archaeological discovery? Who will record the memories of the last remaining witnesses before they pass away?
Social media algorithms don't do that job. Artificial intelligence doesn't do that job either. Only specific people and specific newspapers can do that. Therefore, the biggest concern isn't how many newspapers are reduced, but whether, after the restructuring process, we inadvertently impoverish the intellectual and cultural life of society.
How can we prevent specialized websites on culture, heritage, science, or education from shrinking due to the pressure of high view counts? How can we ensure that passionate writers on cultural topics still have space to write about things that cannot be measured by website traffic? That is a question that needs an answer.
During these June days, I think a lot about the image of newspaper offices that used to be lit up all night, about the magazines that quietly accompanied researchers. I think of contributors like myself across the country who still strive to contribute to preserving cultural memory through each article.
Some newspapers may cease to exist, and many familiar journalists may pursue other careers. But I believe that the mission of journalism remains invaluable. As long as society needs truth, knowledge, and humane voices to protect and spread cultural values, journalism will continue to thrive in new forms.
And for me, what is most admirable about many journalists in this time of transition is not nostalgia for the past, but the responsibility to preserve the spirit of journalism, the spirit of serving the public, protecting the truth, and nurturing good values. Without that spirit, one day we will realize that when the newsrooms close, not only will people leave, but we will also lose a part of the nation's cultural knowledge.
Hopefully, that light will be preserved and continue to shine, even as the newspaper may change.
Source: https://baodanang.vn/giu-ngon-den-o-nhung-toa-soan-3341117.html
![[Photo] Prime Minister Le Minh Hung presides over the thematic session on promoting science and technology development and innovation.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/06/23/1782207872934_ndo_br_dsc-1724-jpg.webp)
