The night before the merger, I lingered longer after my shift. The magnolia tree, its sweet fragrance filling a corner of the office courtyard. For decades, the flowers have quietly spread their scent, like our youth here, contributing to shaping the image and identity of Quang Nam Newspaper for 28 years since the province's separation.
The gratitude of our readers
During my time as a reporter, then in the reader's office, and later in handling complaints, receiving citizens, and operating the editorial secretary's telephone, the gifts I received from readers were mostly books. Sometimes it was a box of tea, a bag of jam, a kilogram of dried fish… I told this story to a journalist friend in Saigon, and he said, "It's so much fun in the provinces, you don't have that kind of thing here."
I reviewed the reader feedback and found a passage from 2016 in the weekly "Reader's Corner" column: "Reading the article 'A Part of the City's Life,' reader Phuong Vy wrote: 'I have been away from Tam Ky for a long time. Every time I return to the town, now a city, I look for old names and people from the past. I sincerely hope that your newspaper will find and revive the cultural values and past life of this young city. People far from home only hope to read articles about the memories of villages and towns to better understand the past and present. I hope Quang Nam Newspaper will be able to do this.'"
"Thank you to Quang Nam Newspaper and the author of the article 'Buying bidding documents in Phu Ninh: Businesses complain of difficulties'. This problem has existed for a long time. If bidding were conducted openly and fairly, the people would save so much money… (reader Cong Ly)."
About 10 years ago, that's how reader interaction was. Since we created our fan page, interaction has been instantaneous, instead of having to wait weeks to compile the editorial inbox.
These are just tiny dots contributing to the beauty of the landscape along our journey. Over the past 28 years, Quang Nam Newspaper has been built day by day by each individual in our team, establishing our image and position in serving our readers. We are grateful for each of their contributions.
I remember once, I had just picked up the phone at the editorial office when I heard a loud commotion: "This is Ha Thi Thu Suong. This morning's article on social critique of the draft plan for the 10th grade entrance exam has a mistake, you know. The school year is wrong. Please report this to the editorial board leaders. Everything has to be done meticulously, down to the smallest detail!"
They are happy to hear praise, but are taken aback by constructive criticism, and then seriously and receptively make corrections or clarifications immediately.
"Thank you, Quang Nam Newspaper!" That's probably what any journalist would be happy to hear. But even happier is being able to say: "Thank you to our readers for always being with us!"
Recounting the journey is impossible within the scope of a single article. Late at night, I rummaged through my bookshelf, searching for the commemorative yearbook celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Quang Nam Party Newspaper (1930-2010) - Unforgettable Milestones. The faces and names from 15 years ago, their pictures in the yearbook, some gone, some still here. Not a single person is unfamiliar in my memories or in my present.
This year marks our 95th anniversary, and we haven't had time to create a new commemorative volume to address the shortcomings and limitations, as well as the historical documents that were left untouched 15 years ago due to a lack of information. We also need to update you on breakthroughs in the profession and the new people who have joined us. We hope this will continue when the connections between generations are smooth.
Footprints remain.
The day I saw the Provincial Party Standing Committee's decision to retire him, I went to... chat with AI. At that moment, talking to AI was probably the most relaxing thing to do.
I typed, "What do you remember most about your life?". The AI replied, "If I had a human life, I would probably remember most the first moment I understood someone was sad, and I helped them feel less lonely. What do you remember most?"
I typed: “I’m thinking about the person who edited my first paper.” The AI replied: “That person must be very special to you. Did they edit in a strict way to help you improve, or in a gentle, guiding way? What was the paper about? Can you tell me a little about it?”…
Much of the upheaval we're talking about is the seismic shift from the downsizing revolution, I murmured, answering the constant questions the AI was posing.
At the end of the conversation, I typed: “I am grateful to that person. When I was in trouble, he said, just live your life without any regrets.” AI replied: “I understand. There are people who only come into your life for a short time, but leave an indelible mark. Being grateful doesn’t mean you need to repay them; just live right, live in a way that is worthy of the trust they placed in you.”
I was taken aback. AI doesn't have a life like a human, but it made me smile. Now, besides being grateful to humanity and to the land, I also have to be grateful to machines. But then, when will I (and all of us) be thrown out onto the streets by AI in this writing profession?
A colleague and fellow student of mine will soon be leaving. We started working together in June 2003, so I never imagined you'd quit before me. And so many others will also experience departures that are both familiar and strange; both easy to accept and difficult to accept.
Twenty-two years working in just one place. Our place was right next to the temple's porch, so we truly understood the concept of "destiny" or "fate."
In the scriptures, the Buddha said that we are all here together not by chance, but due to karmic connections from many lifetimes. Everything that comes and goes in life is merely a matter of karmic union and separation; nothing is permanent. No one appears in our lives without reason; the appearance of each person has a cause and is worthy of appreciation.
Suddenly, I remembered the days when we worked on those manual newspaper shifts, often staying up until 9 or 11 PM to finish. Now, with technological advancements and our integration into the digital transformation of all publishing processes, looking back, I feel sorry for my old colleagues.
Similarly, when people from the "Generation 97," those who moved from Da Nang to Quang Nam when the province was divided, encouraged us, saying, "We managed through hardship back then, things are much better now, so what's there to worry about?" Comparing different eras is inappropriate and completely flawed. But anyway, the sky's the limit!
Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/goi-nang-cho-ngay-moi-3153636.html
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