One journey, many memories

BHG - More than 20 years working for Ha Giang Newspaper, not a long time compared to the history of Vietnam's revolutionary press, but for me, it is a journey full of experiences, challenges and pride. From the early days as a pre-press staff, moving to electronic newspaper engineering, then working as a reporter, editor... each step is a memorable milestone, each position is an environment to practice the profession and live fully with passion.

BHG - More than 20 years working for Ha Giang Newspaper, not a long time compared to the history of Vietnam's revolutionary press, but for me, it is a journey full of experiences, challenges and pride. From the early days as a pre-press staff, moving to electronic newspaper engineering, then working as a reporter, editor... each step is a memorable milestone, each position is an environment to practice the profession and live fully with passion.

In the first years of working at the newspaper, I was assigned to work as a staff in the prepress department, in the Secretariat - Publishing department. The prepress team consisted of 4 brothers, every day we were attached to the keyboard, the morat, then the page layout, the layout, the work seemed purely technical but required meticulousness, carefulness down to every period and comma. Just a small mistake in typing, correcting errors or page layout could affect the whole issue. Working for a local newspaper, sometimes we could not follow the plan because we had to wait for news sent from the base. Some days, close to printing time, we had to strain ourselves to handle the morat, page layout in a hurry. Some nights, when the street lights were on, the editorial office gradually became less crowded, but our Secretary's office was still lit up, the keyboard was typing steadily, our eyes never leaving the draft to complete the issue on time. Especially, there were days when it was dawn the next day before we left the editorial office. When we got home, we felt like we could lie down and rest, but our sleep was not peaceful, because we were worried that in the middle of the night the printing house would call to report errors in the morat, the name, the photo, etc. Only when we held the complete published newspaper in our hands did we truly breathe a sigh of relief.

The author works in the border commune of Xin Chai, Vi Xuyen district.

I still remember clearly the time I made a typo, seemingly small but completely changed the content of the article. That day's publication had to be recalled and reprinted, causing economic losses and affecting the publishing progress. That stumble made me more careful and disciplined in journalism. The sleepless nights at the keyboard, the sweaty moments when discovering errors at the last minute, the lights in the newsroom that never turned off before going to press, all have become unforgettable memories in my journalism journey, it is both pressure and pride of a soldier on the ideological front.

After 10 years of working hard in the publishing industry, I was transferred to work as an e-newspaper technician, a new direction in the context of the press changing strongly towards multi-platform trends. Every day, receiving information from reporters, I transfer news and articles to the editor for review. Then, I process illustrations, align layouts, and format content to suit the e-newspaper interface. This job requires carefulness, a high sense of responsibility, and the ability to quickly adapt to technology and work day and night. In addition, I also have to coordinate closely with other stages to promptly handle technical errors, ensuring that news and articles reach readers quickly, accurately and attractively.

From behind the scenes, I began my journey to become an online reporter, a turning point with a lot of pressure but also full of opportunities for growth. For a female reporter working in a mountainous border province like Ha Giang, who had never attended any formal journalism training school, the first days of work were a series of confusion and bewilderment. From writing news and articles, to filming, editing, and recording, I learned everything on my own. Sometimes I even took on the role of a radio announcer to perfect multimedia products. In addition, I diligently went to the grassroots to learn about reality, especially in highland villages and hamlets where people's living conditions were still difficult. Listening and feeling what was happening in life helped me gain more practical knowledge to create the most vivid work...

I will always remember the time I worked in Tung San commune, Hoang Su Phi district. Although I was pregnant at that time, I was still determined to follow the working group to the top of Tay Con Linh. On the way down the mountain, due to slippery roads, I fell off my motorbike and rolled a long distance. Luckily, my health was not affected, but that fall became one of the unforgettable experiences. For more than 5 years as a reporter for Ha Giang Electronic Newspaper, I have set foot in many regions. Each trip is a training session, helping me gradually overcome my own limits, master the machines and professional skills.

In recent years, I have been assigned to be in charge of reader work, a quiet but equally important and meaningful job. Every day, I receive and edit many news, articles and photos from collaborators inside and outside the province. Whether it is a normal day, a holiday or a holiday, I always try to complete them on schedule, especially with regular pages and columns such as: Protecting the Party's ideological foundation, Security and order, People's border defense, Local military ... At the same time, I also receive and handle many petitions and letters from readers. When approaching a case, I always try to put myself in the shoes of the people, while still maintaining an objective and comprehensive view. Contact the petitioner and the authorities to verify and respond promptly and accurately, thereby contributing to building a bridge of information between the people and the government, increasing readers' trust in the revolutionary press.

Journalism has never been easy, especially in the era of strong information technology development. But it is this fast pace and pressure that helps me appreciate the simple things more: the smiles of readers when the articles promptly reflect their wishes; the sympathetic eyes of colleagues when completing a difficult topic. Above all, thanks to journalism, I have met many ordinary but noble people: the Border Guards, Police, and Soldiers who are steadfast in the fences, the teachers who quietly sow letters in the villages, the farmers who cling to the rocks to protect the land... They are an endless source of inspiration for me to pursue writing.

More than twenty years of journalism has been a journey of training, maturity and gratitude. Grateful for journalism giving me the opportunity to live my passion to the fullest. Grateful for my dedicated colleagues and beloved readers who have accompanied me. And above all, I am proud to be a part of Ha Giang Newspaper - the mouthpiece of the Party Committee and People of my province.

THANH THUY

Source: https://baohagiang.vn/xa-hoi/202506/mot-hanh-trinh-muon-ky-niem-9be3475/