When young people enter journalism

(PLVN) - The journey into journalism for young reporters always begins with innocent diary pages, interwoven with feelings of confusion, anxiety and countless introductory lessons.

The first days of holding a pen

Reporter Le Thi Ngoc Huong, one of the two youngest members of the Special Topics Department of Vietnam Law Newspaper, considers herself a person who "turned" to journalism, starting with a Bachelor of Literature.

“I still remember about four years ago, the first time I came to the Culture - Society Department (now part of the Special Topics Department), looking at the Sunday special issue in my hand, everything was still very vague to me. I remember the first days I wrote news and articles, I was extremely confused. I even had to look up journalistic terms online to distinguish the differences between different types of journalism to avoid feeling embarrassed in front of my instructors,” Ngoc Huong shared.

The female reporter believes that she is very lucky to work in a group that treats each other like family. She recalls that there were times in the middle of the night, around 12 o'clock at night, she still received emails and messages to correct detailed articles from the Head of the Department or senior reporters. Although busy with work, the dedication of her senior colleagues, the persistent guidance, and "little by little support" made her feel very touched, along with the motivation to try to quickly get acquainted and mature in journalism.

From the initial confusion, Ngoc Huong gradually formed a deeper perspective on the profession. The initial thought of wanting to become a journalist to “jump around” and experience new people and lands was gradually replaced by thoughts about the cultural and tourism issues she was working on every week.

She humorously said: “I don’t know since when, instead of enjoying my trips, I became a critical “aunt” who started to evaluate phenomena, consider tourism types, and inquire about new tourism products at destinations. Even when my colleague in the same department was preparing to go on vacation on April 30 - May 1, the gift I wanted her to bring back the most was photos of famous tourist destinations in Vietnam..., so that I could “collect” them as materials for my weekly Wednesday articles. I don’t know since when, instead of going to the cinema to watch movies, sitting and sipping popcorn, drinking coke, I picked up my phone to look up data and revenue of the movies I was watching to serve my writing.”

Going deeper into journalism, Ngoc Huong realized that “behind the news and reports is the tireless dedication of journalists to fight for truth and justice. Journalism is not only interesting but also carries a great responsibility to society - a dynamic, challenging profession that always requires quickness and flexibility. That is what makes this profession attractive, especially for those who love to explore and are not afraid to take risks”. Like many generations of seniors before her, young reporter Ngoc Huong also wishes to use her pen to create standard and unique journalistic products, contributing to building a better and more humane society.

First article and early motivations

Like Ngoc Huong, reporter Nguyen Linh Chi is another young member of the Special Topics Department, Vietnam Law Newspaper. Having been with the editorial office since 2020, reporter Linh Chi has marked her journalism journey with many memorable memories of the agency and the profession. Among them, the story of her first article is still a memory she keeps intact until today. With the title "Scolding noodles, cursing porridge exist thanks to... kind and patient customers", the article of only 900 words with an illustrative photo is the starting point of her writing journey.

Reporter Ngoc Huong on a reporting trip to Phung Xa silk weaving village, My Duc, Hanoi.

“The first topic I was assigned to write about noodle shops, a very familiar topic for the people. Although it was an interesting topic, I was still confused because I had never written for a professional newspaper before. Luckily, my seniors enthusiastically guided me in the first steps. Until now, I still keep the email of her comments and editing that day as a precious memory. She not only pointed out the mistakes I made but also encouraged and motivated me a lot. This can be considered one of the motivations for me to boldly try my passion for the profession at that time,” Linh Chi recalled.

Nearly 5 years after the first milestone, the young reporter Linh Chi has now matured, not only as a person but also in her journalistic thinking. She has had the opportunity to set foot in many lands, meet many people and witness many bright and dark colors in the picture of social life. For her, each trip is a lesson, each character is a slice of real life, contributing to enriching her life experience, enriching her professional luggage and nurturing her emotions in her journalistic journey.

Young reporters have also made their mark through prestigious journalism awards. For example, reporter Le Thi Ngoc Huong is a member of the group of authors who won the C Prize of the 16th "For the Great National Unity" Journalism Award, 2023 - 2024; the Encouragement Prize, the 7th Journalism Award on Cultural Development and Building Elegant and Civilized Hanoians in 2024. Reporter Nguyen Linh Chi is also in the group of authors who won the B Prize, the 7th Journalism Award on Natural Resources and Environment in 2024; the Encouragement Prize, the Journalism Award on Science and Technology in 2023...

Of course, opportunities always go hand in hand with challenges, and this is even more evident in journalism. For young reporters, difficulties can come from all sides: pressure on the number of articles, pressure on product quality, pressure on journalism economics, or difficulties and obstacles when working... In those uncertain moments, Linh Chi always kept in mind the advice from her respected teachers and colleagues in the editorial office. For her, it is a valuable "compass", a support in terms of expertise and professional ethics, adding motivation for her to constantly strive, create and innovate on the path she has chosen.

Looking ahead, Linh Chi hopes to follow in the footsteps of her seniors and truly become a “warrior on the ideological front” – as is often said in journalism. She sets herself the goal of constantly training to have “bright eyes, a pure heart, and a sharp pen”; to maintain her fortitude in the face of temptation; to courageously fight against wrong and negative manifestations; to listen to the breath of life… For Linh Chi, that is the way for her to be able to do journalism not only with her skills but also with her heart and responsibility as a professional.

A message to young people who love journalism in the digital age

It can be affirmed that the young generation of reporters is inheriting and continuing the previous generations, contributing day by day to building the modern press of Vietnam. Today's journalism, in addition to the core values ​​of professional ethics, also requires journalists to possess a variety of skills: from professional journalism skills to the ability to use technology, social networks, multimedia communications...

In the era of strong digital technology development, young reporters also have to face fierce competition in terms of news speed. News articles are updated every minute, every second, and if they are just one step slow, the information can easily become outdated in the midst of a huge sea of ​​information. The challenge is even greater when fake news, false information, and sensational content are increasingly thriving on social networks. Young journalists do not simply write articles, but also have the ability to verify, evaluate, and criticize information. In the midst of that data matrix, maintaining an honest, objective, and impartial pen becomes one of the measures of the quality of young reporters.

Despite such a context, the common point of young people who choose journalism, regardless of generation, is always a burning passion for the truth and the desire to contribute positive values ​​to society. It is this passion that keeps them in the profession, overcoming sleepless nights editing articles, overcoming harsh field trips, overcoming negative comments whenever an article causes controversy.

In that relentless dedication, they mature every day. Some, like Ngoc Huong, from a bewildered Bachelor of Literature, have become experienced reporters with a sharp perspective, always concerned with the profession. Some, like Linh Chi, from their first 900-word article have risen to become courageous writers, always nurturing the aspiration of "doing journalism with heart and responsibility". Looking more broadly, today's generation of young reporters not only simply follow in the footsteps of traditional professional values ​​that have been nurtured through many generations, but also play a central role in the strong transformation process of modern journalism, entering the era of national growth.

Towards the 100th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - June 21, 2025), on June 18, 2025, the Government Youth Union held a ceremony to honor outstanding young journalists in 2025. The event was an opportunity to honor the contributions and outstanding achievements of outstanding young journalists of the Government Youth Union in their contributions to agencies, units, organizations, the community and the whole society. Among the 50 young journalists, Vietnam Law Newspaper had 3 comrades honored: young journalist Nguyen Sy Hong - Deputy Head of the Economic and Entrepreneurial Department, Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union; young journalist Tran Duc Anh - Reporter of the Editorial Secretariat and young journalist Nguyen Gia Hai - Reporter of the Readers' Committee.

D.Trang - N.Huong - L.Chi

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/khi-nguoi-tre-buoc-vao-nghe-bao-post552446.html