Opening of the preliminary round of the 19th National Press Awards - 2024

Permanent Vice President of Vietnam Journalists Association Nguyen Duc Loi delivered the opening speech.

Overview of the Opening of the preliminary round of the 19th National Press Awards - 2024

In the opening report of the preliminary round, Mr. Tran Thai Son, Head of the Secretariat of the award, said that the National Press Award, approved by the Prime Minister in 2007 and assigned to the Vietnam Journalists Association to organize, has gone through 18 seasons and affirmed its reputation as the most prestigious professional award of the press in the country.

This year, the award enters its 19th year, marking the first year of implementation according to the Award Charter (amended and supplemented) in 2024. Preparations for the award have been carried out in accordance with the Charter and schedule. The Standing Committee of the Award Council has issued guidelines for selecting outstanding works since December 2024. By April 2025, the Preliminary Council and the Organization and Working Regulations have also been established.

Mr. Tran Thai Son, Head of the Secretariat of the Awards, presented the opening report of the preliminary round.

Notably, this year's award attracted the participation of many levels of the Association, with 17/21 Inter-Associations, 29 affiliated Associations and 59/63 Provincial and Municipal Journalists Associations submitting entries. Mr. Tran Thai Son commented that this is a testament to the strong appeal of the award and the positive response of the press, especially in the context of press agencies focusing on restructuring their apparatus.

Although the organization of the association at all levels is generally orderly and effective, the implementation of Resolution 18-NQ/TW on streamlining the apparatus has affected the progress of work selection in some localities, leading to later submission of works compared to previous years. In addition, the implementation of the new Award Regulations with a number of new regulations and award groups has also caused some associations at all levels to not fully adhere to the instructions.

“However, according to statistics compiled by the Secretariat, the 19th National Press Awards - 2024 has received a record number of entries to date, with a total of 1,962 entries. Of these, 156 entries were by authors who are not members of the Vietnam Journalists Association. After the preliminary round, 1,905 eligible entries were entered into the preliminary judging round,” Mr. Tran Thai Son informed.

Mr. Tran Thai Son also said that the types of radio, television, electronic newspapers, multimedia newspapers and creative newspapers will be judged online through the judging software of the Vietnam Journalists Association. The preliminary round promises to take place seriously and impartially to select the best works to enter the final round.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the preliminary round of the 19th National Press Awards - 2024, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association Nguyen Duc Loi expressed his joy at the record number of participating works in the context of this year with many special events of the country and the press, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Association's founding and looking towards 100 years of Vietnam Revolutionary Press.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Loi also said that this year the award was organized according to the newly revised and supplemented Charter, coinciding with the time when many press agencies were busy with the work of merging and streamlining their apparatus. Besides, although there are many other large-scale press awards, the National Press Award still affirms its position as the most prestigious press award, receiving great attention from journalists and press agencies nationwide.

“The prestige of the National Press Award has been firmly affirmed through many years of organization, becoming the most noble and prestigious award in the Vietnamese press. The value of the award lies not only in honoring outstanding works but also in spreading strongly to local Journalists Associations at all levels and attracting the deep interest of many members and journalists nationwide,” said Mr. Nguyen Duc Loi.

This year's preliminary panel has seen significant changes in membership, including both experienced and young faces.

Emphasizing the important role of the preliminary round, the Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association noted: "The final round will rely on the results of the preliminary round to evaluate the quality of the works. The success or failure, and quality of the award, depends largely on the impartial and responsible work of the preliminary round members. Each member needs to maximize their ability and capacity to select and bring to the final round truly worthy works."

Mr. Nguyen Duc Loi also requested that the members of the preliminary judging panel should uphold their sense of responsibility, "focus entirely on the quality of the work, and judge the work, not the unit or author," he emphasized.

According to the Standing Vice President of the Association, this year's Preliminary Council has significant changes in members, including both experienced people and young faces - excellent representatives from central and local press agencies, to bring newness and diversity to the evaluation process.

The Standing Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association requested the Organizing Committee to ensure progress so that the Award Ceremony can take place successfully on the evening of June 21.

Mai Chi Vu

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/khai-mac-vong-cham-so-khao-giai-bao-chi-quoc-gia-lan-thu-xix-nam-2024-193131.htm