Journalism: From '2 No's' to 4.0

Having worked at Thanh Nien Newspaper from the "two no's" era (no mobile phones, no internet) to the 4.0 era with the strong development of artificial intelligence, I realize that each period has its own values.

Báo Thanh niên•01/01/2026

Articles written on paper with margins

Around 1997, I first stepped into the editorial office of Thanh Nien Newspaper. I did my internship at 248 Cong Quynh Street, Ben Thanh Ward (formerly District 1), Ho Chi Minh City. It was an old villa. Passing through a small courtyard led to the main gate, which had a reception desk. Right next to the reception desk was a room with a long table large enough for about 20 people (I later learned it was a meeting room).

Along the length of the wall in this room are about four or five old computers. Here, a few people sit typing out reporters' articles on yellow A4 paper, leaving a left margin, already edited with red pen strokes.

Làm báo trong thời đại số: Hành trình từ ' 2 không ' đến 4.0 tại báo Thanh Niên - Ảnh 1.

I tentatively entered the profession by writing on paper like that, consciously thinking carefully before writing, being cautious with every word to avoid erasing, discarding, or rewriting, always adhering to a philosophical rule: always leave margins on the paper to "maintain the margins."

In 1999, when I first attended a journalism training course in Thailand, I still sent articles to the editorial office in handwritten form via fax.

Làm báo trong thời đại số: Hành trình từ ' 2 không ' đến 4.0 tại báo Thanh Niên - Ảnh 2. — Suggested solutions to university entrance exam questions were published in *Thanh Nien* Newspaper in 2000 and 2001, some even handwritten.

Working without a phone or internet.

Today's journalists, with their technological support and information transmitted via email or apps, would find it hard to imagine a time when we worked without mobile phones and the internet.

Each day, reporters, according to their assigned areas of responsibility, would go to locations considered information stations to gather news. When an incident occurred, reporters would wait outside for hours to access their sources. Because there were no mobile phones, each reporter had a pager. Hearing the "beep beep beep" sound usually meant they would receive instructions from their superiors. To reply, they had to find a public telephone booth and text to the 135 or 107 hotline. Despite the rudimentary equipment, reporters at that time consistently brought back timely news, conveying useful information to their readers.

Back then, gathering information about exams was a very challenging time, but it was also an opportunity for us to come up with creative solutions.

Làm báo trong thời đại số: Hành trình từ ' 2 không ' đến 4.0 tại báo Thanh Niên - Ảnh 3. — The first Exam Season Counseling Program was held in Nha Trang ( Khanh Hoa ) in 1998 under the name "Introduction to the Exam Season".

In 2000, Thanh Nien was one of the first newspapers to publish answer keys for university entrance exams as well as lists of successful candidates. Obtaining this information for readers was not as straightforward as it is today.

Back then, the internet wasn't widespread, so after teachers finished solving problems, they would usually copy the solutions onto floppy disks. Reporters would then rush to the location, pick up the disks, and bring them back to the newsroom for the technical department to process. Exam season often brought rain, and on nights with heavy downpours, reporters had to protect the floppy disks from getting wet so they could still read the data.

The period leading up to the exam results was an emotional and incredibly uncertain journey. Back then, it was impossible to know exactly when the results would be available, so reporters had to wait for hours, even days, at the schools, sometimes in vain. But we never gave up.

I still remember waiting for the exam results and the list of admitted students at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry (Go Vap Ward, formerly Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City). The rector at the time insisted that the results weren't available yet, but the information the reporters had gathered indicated they would be available that day. So we sat waiting in front of the rector's office from noon, through the afternoon when it was raining heavily, and then into the evening. At over 9 PM, the rector's office door was still closed and the lights were still on, so the reporters outside waited patiently. Suddenly, the lights went out, but the door didn't open. It turned out the rector had left through the back door. But the reporters had figured it out, and finally, due to the reporters' persistence, the rector gave us the data so that the next morning the newspaper could publish the information that millions of candidates were waiting for.

Exam season counseling, from in-person to online.

The year 2003 can be considered the golden age of the Exam Season Counseling program, initiated by Thanh Nien Newspaper in 1998. At that time, thousands of students flocked to attend each counseling session in a particular locality. The Exam Season Counseling program was arguably the only open, question-and-answer information channel accessible to high school seniors. Therefore, even when a counseling session lasted longer than planned, it was never possible to answer all the students' concerns and questions.

Every time we return from a counseling session, we're left with stacks of student questions, promising to answer them. However, print space is limited, and there are so many other pressing current events to cover that we truly feel overwhelmed.

And during those days of searching for a solution, Thanh Nien Online was born.

Làm báo trong thời đại số: Hành trình từ ' 2 không ' đến 4.0 tại báo Thanh Niên - Ảnh 4. — The online consultation program in 2005 involved experts answering questions while technicians typed the answers into the system.

So, instead of relying solely on print media, we forwarded students' questions to technicians, who typed them up and uploaded them to the system along with initial answers from our own education reporters. Seeing the effectiveness of this, we began inviting teachers and consultants to participate.

In 2005, the approach was to invite experts to speak in person, and then technicians would type their answers into the system. This method was maintained for almost 10 years afterward.

Since 2010, technology has begun to change rapidly.

When online newspapers expanded beyond just text and vivid images to include video clips, and technology allowed for live video streaming on websites, we immediately switched to online television consultations. That was in 2014.

The consultants sit on stage, while the invited students and parents sit in the auditorium. There are cameras, lighting, and a team of editors typing up live commentary… No traditional television broadcasting is needed; all images from this event will be streamed live on the Thanh Nien Newspaper website in excellent quality.

Once again, Thanh Nien newspaper was also the first to provide online television consultations.

But technology didn't allow us to stop. Just two years later, when livestreaming appeared on Facebook and was being used by everyone, the program also "broadcast" on Facebook. After that, the program continuously innovated with new technologies, reaching viewers on multiple platforms.

Làm báo trong thời đại số: Hành trình từ ' 2 không ' đến 4.0 tại báo Thanh Niên - Ảnh 5. — Currently, in addition to being broadcast live on the *Thanh Nien* website, the counseling program is also streamed on social media platforms.

I was fortunate to accompany Thanh Nien newspaper on its journey from the days of traditional journalism (which relied mainly on human effort) to the point where technology could replace human writers.

In this context, Vietnamese journalism has caught up with global development. While in the past, we reporters faced many challenges when going abroad for training and visits, today, with the development of the economy and technology, that gap is gradually being closed. Before, we went abroad with the mindset of learning; today, reporters go not only to learn but also to share.

That journey will continue with generations of reporters, upholding the values that Thanh Nien newspaper has always pursued to serve its readers wholeheartedly.

Readers can view all articles here: