Covers of some movement magazines

From this school environment, I began to dabble in the arts, learn to write poetry, form writing groups, write handwritten and mimeographed newspapers. At the same time, the sound of helicopters taking off and landing loudly behind the stadium, separated from Nguyen Hoang High School by only a long wall. The sound of war. Classes were interrupted by the noisy sound of aircraft. From inside the classroom, one only had to look up to witness the marches departing or returning from this stadium.

My class sometimes had one person missing, and perhaps the same was true in other classes. My classmates often whispered to each other when someone dropped out of school to go to the forest. The empty spaces on the desks became big question marks. Painful. Poems by poet Phan Phung Thach written for students during the war penetrated my consciousness, creating a stirring, and love for my homeland and country was also opened up, growing in me from then on:

Then one day I see autumn return

You guys come back to your pink childhood?

Or the war took them away forever

And life will have many mountains and rivers.

In the fall of 1968, I was transferred from Nguyen Hoang High School ( Quang Tri ) to Hue to study in the First Class C of Quoc Hoc School, because at that time Nguyen Hoang School did not open the First Class C (Class C is the literature - foreign language class, usually few people attend). From a remote province in the border area, now coming to the ancient capital, I could not help but feel bewildered, confused, and even worried in the early days. I was assigned to be the head of the journalism department of Quoc Hoc School, school year 1968 - 1969. I considered this as the first turning point, after ten years I was able to return to my beloved homeland Hue.

In the fall of 1969, I became a student at Hue University of Literature. Since 1970, the Hue Student Union assigned me to be the Head of the Press Division, a rather heavy task compared to my limited knowledge and ability in journalism. Besides the Press Division, the Hue Student Union also had the Creative Student Association with Buu Chi, a Law student, as General Secretary; the Student-Student Art Group led by Phan Huu Luong, a student at Hue University of Fine Arts; and the Student-Student Social Work Group led by Nguyen Duy Hien, a Law student. These organizations all had close relationships with the Press Division in informing and propagating patriotic struggles.

The patriotic movement against the US by Hue youth and students in the 70s took place in many different forms of struggle, both fierce and fierce on the urban street front, and deeply aroused the passionate, burning patriotism and love for the homeland in all classes of people. The indispensable forms in this struggle were the press, media, culture, literature and art.

From 1970 to 1972, the student, pupil and youth struggle press in Hue was published simultaneously, implemented in the form of tipo printed covers, roneo printed insides, widely distributed among Hue students, among the majority of Hue people, active through magazines, publications... During this period, most of the articles were written directly by the authors on wax paper (stencil), and after writing, they were mounted on a roneo machine for timely printing.

The struggle press movement has grown in both content quality and quantity. Sticking to the fighting slogans of the movements, the Hue struggle press has launched a continuous and spirited attack. With only a rudimentary mimeograph machine, the Hue Student Association headquarters at 22 Truong Dinh has produced many press, literary and artistic publications. Typical are the publications of Hue students and patriotic movements in Hue, such as: Voice of Students; Voice of Vietnam; Hue Students; Keeping the Land; Our Country... The covers of most of the above publications were designed by Buu Chi, a student of the Law University and General Secretary of the Hue Creative Student Association.

Besides the above newspapers, the Hue Student Association Press Bloc also publishes the Dong Bao book series, the poetry collection Hoc Sinh (many authors), Day of Uprising (poetry by many authors), Nguon Mach Moi (poetry by Thai Ngoc San - Vo Que), I Only Be a Vietnamese (memoir by Duyen Sanh), The Song of Protecting the Country (music by Ton That Lap - Nguyen Phu Yen), Our Blood Drops, a Sea of ​​Peace (poetry drama by Vo Que)...

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Vietnam's revolutionary press, looking back at my journalistic activities to fight for patriotism and nurture the desire for peace and unification during my student years has helped me open up a true perspective on the daily changes of my homeland.

In the past, the press was a sharp weapon, the voice of the nation in the fight for independence and unification. Articles, reports, and images from the street front not only contributed to denouncing the crimes of the enemy, but also aroused patriotism and solidarity among Hue students and the people of Hue.

Today, when the country is at peace and developing, for me, the press still plays an important role in building and defending the Fatherland. However, the new context poses new challenges. The explosion of information technology and social networks has created a diverse and complex media environment. The mainstream press faces fierce competition from unofficial sources, fake news and misinformation. How the Vietnamese press can continue to promote its role as a leader of public opinion, orienting values ​​and protecting national interests in the new context is something I always wonder about.

I have high expectations for improving the quality of content, innovating the form of transmission and strengthening the professional ethics of journalists today, including the cooperation of the whole society in building a healthy, honest press that serves the interests of the people, actively for the sustainable development of the country. I believe in an increasingly rich, civilized and happy Vietnam when the press plays an important role in promoting social progress, enhancing understanding in the community, and protecting traditional cultural values ​​of the nation.

Vo Que

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/chinh-tri-xa-hoi/mot-thoi-lam-bao-phong-trao-154732.html