The Journalists & Public Opinion newspaper is pleased to present an article by journalist Nguyen Hong Vinh.
I was captivated by the fascinating and compelling stories of 43 veteran journalists in the three-volume book "Time and Witnesses" (Memoirs of Journalists), edited by Professor Ha Minh Duc and recently published by the National Political Publishing House.
Nearly half of the renowned journalists in their family have passed away, but in the " world of the righteous," they would surely be happy to know that many generations of journalists today have been and are still showing respect and gratitude for the contributions that previous generations of journalists made to the cause of building and protecting the Fatherland.
Journalist Nguyen Hong Vinh at the launch ceremony of the three books "Time and Witnesses"
In particular, I express my deepest respect and gratitude to Professor Ha Minh Duc, who, since the 1990s, along with many faculty members, lecturers, and students of the Journalism Department, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, with affection and admiration for the contributions of 43 veteran journalists among hundreds of other senior journalists, persistently collected materials and met with witnesses to record the vibrant and interesting stories of journalism for 10 years, culminating in the publication of these three valuable books.
Their love for journalism has become an integral part of their lives.
I was deeply moved and paused to read at length several passages in the editor's preface: “As its title suggests, this book has captured a significant portion of time and witnesses. The time spans half a century, encompassing countless major events in the nation's life, and the witnesses are journalists and political and social activists who have always been present in the current affairs. In their roles and responsibilities as journalists, they have been present on all revolutionary fronts of life and have fulfilled their duties… With their sharp pens, they participated in the nation's struggle during the glorious years of resistance and in the construction of a new, democratic, prosperous, just, and civilized society… The rich knowledge and experience of these individuals will flow from the past into the future and will surely invigorate today's young generation.”
I also appreciate the heartfelt words in the introduction to this book by the National Political Publishing House when speaking about the purpose of publishing "Time and Witnesses": "It is not only to meet the research and learning needs of students, researchers in journalism, young journalists..., but also to help the public understand the profession of journalism, the profession of working with words; a busy and arduous profession, one that requires sweat, tears, and sometimes even blood to obtain the truth."
After reading all 43 memoirs of journalists in three volumes, the overwhelming feeling I had was pride in journalism, a precious profession, as reflected in the title of journalist Quang Đạm's 851-page book published 13 years ago. The paths to journalism for these 43 journalists were completely different. Some were assigned to journalism by the revolutionary organization; others came to journalism by chance after a few impromptu articles were published in a newspaper, and from then on, they were passionate about journalism for life; and some, nurtured from their university days, harbored the dream of becoming journalists or writers after graduation…
"Time and Witnesses" (Memoirs of Journalists), edited by Professor Ha Minh Duc, has just been published by the National Political Publishing House.
But once they become true journalists, writing becomes an inherent need, like eating, drinking, and breathing. Their love for journalism, for every word, every headline, every journalistic product, becomes ingrained in their very being.
I was deeply moved to learn that, in their preparation to return to the "world of the righteous," journalists Hoang Tung and Quang Dam shared the same advice for their children and families: "When writing OBITUARY NEWS, don't list your titles at length, just say the two words ' JOURNALIST' concisely!"
Journalist Thanh Châu, after recounting stories of the activities of dozens of journalists who had worked in private newspapers from 1930 until before the August Revolution, drew a profound conclusion: "This is the reality of a 'thankless' profession under the old regime, showing how different and happier journalists are today under our regime."
Renowned journalist Tran Bach Dang wrote: "I have never considered myself a professional journalist; I still view journalism as a battlefield I love, writing with all my enthusiasm, and it will stay with me until I can no longer write."
Journalist Xich Dieu, a giant of the satirical genre, concluded his memoir with the following words: "The greatest thing of all is that more than 60 years of journalism have given me life, life directions, joys and sorrows, hardships and struggles, happiness, love..."
The heroic experience of our nation's four wars to defend the Fatherland, as well as the comprehensive national renewal under the Party's leadership, has served as a great school, training and nurturing talent, creating conditions for journalists to create journalistic works that touch the hearts of readers. Certainly, some articles will live on through time, such as the editorials: "The Victory of the Revolutionary Trend"; "The Whole Nation Goes to War, the Entire People Are Soldiers" by the outstanding political commentator Hoang Tung; "The Vietnamese Bamboo"; "Hanoi, the Capital of Human Dignity"; "The Ho Chi Minh Trail Shines on the Truong Son Mountains..." by journalist and writer Thep Moi; "Living Like Him" by journalist Thai Duy...
"Never give up this lovely and precious profession!"
Following President Ho Chi Minh's teachings, the 43 journalists in these three books are truly pioneering fighters, dedicated and creative in discovering new aspects of life, promptly encouraging and commending good deeds and exemplary individuals, spreading them throughout society, bringing practical results in many areas, and being recognized and honored by society.
We can be proud that one of the most important and outstanding contributions of the press in the early period of reform was the discovery of shortcomings in agricultural production caused by the prolonged bureaucratic and subsidized system, which led to severe food shortages among the people. Thanks to journalists with their deep understanding and research of the agricultural practices at that time, and thanks to the unwavering commitment of the writers, we contributed to helping the Central Party Committee issue the resolution on "Product Contracting to Workers" (abbreviated as Contract 10), with the first and direct contributions belonging to journalists Hoang Tung, Dao Tung, Phan Quang, Tran Lam, Do Phuong, Ha Dang, Huu Tho, Tran Cong Man, and many others.
In addition to being praised, many of the journalists featured in the book are also pioneering and courageous fighters on the front lines against corruption, negative practices, and social evils, such as journalists Tran Duc Chinh, Duong Ky Anh, Truong Phuoc, and Dinh Phong... with their unwavering courage, unafraid of difficulties, hardships, or even threats to their lives, they patiently pursued cases to the end, reflecting truthfully and objectively, providing reliable evidence for relevant agencies to handle them; thereby helping ministries, departments, and the State to promptly supplement and improve mechanisms and policies to minimize loopholes in some legal documents and regulations. From this, many readers acknowledge that without the involvement of the press in exposing corruption, negative practices, and social evils, where would our regime be headed?
Through the accounts of journalists, I gained many valuable lessons about the necessity of cultivating political qualities and about professional experience in journalism. Journalist Hoang Tung emphasized: " Political ideology is the foundation of journalistic ideology! Journalists must constantly hone their sharp thinking and accumulate the necessary knowledge."
Journalist Tran Cong Man considers "the realities of life to be the greatest school of a journalist's life; if an article lacks the breath of life, it is a soulless article."
Journalist Do Phuong stated: "Caution and professional acumen, along with honesty in reporting and civic responsibility, are among the indispensable and valuable qualities."
Journalists Phan Quang and Thanh Huong concluded that, "to produce a good journalistic work, every journalist should follow the formula: Read, travel, think, write." Meanwhile, journalist and theorist Nguyen Phu Trong succinctly summarized it as: "Every journalist, if they clearly understand their work, have high determination, a passion for the profession, a thirst for learning, and the right working method, will surely succeed."
Journalist Nguyen Minh Vi, with 60 years of writing experience, continued to write even after retirement because he believed that "journalism has no retirement; social responsibility still demands the dedication of elderly journalists while their minds remain sharp and their health permits." There are many other valuable insights about this noble profession mentioned in the three books, but due to the limited scope of this article, I cannot list them all here.
To conclude this article, I would like to borrow the words of French journalist Gatton Montmusso, who advised journalist Quang Dam when he attended an international conference: "Never abandon this lovely and precious profession!"
The heroic experience of our nation's four wars to defend the Fatherland, as well as the comprehensive national renewal under the Party's leadership, has served as a great school, training and nurturing talent, creating conditions for journalists to create journalistic works that touch the hearts of readers. Certainly, some articles will live on through time, such as the editorials: "The Victory of the Revolutionary Trend"; "The Whole Nation Goes to War, the Entire People Are Soldiers" by the outstanding political commentator Hoang Tung; "The Vietnamese Bamboo"; "Hanoi, the Capital of Human Dignity"; "The Ho Chi Minh Trail Shines on the Truong Son Mountains..." by journalist and writer Thep Moi; "Living Like Him" by journalist Thai Duy...
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Vinh
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