Profession indebted to time

During the process of reporting, each reporter cherishes and ponders over topics so that when their brainchild is born, it will be well received by readers, especially reflecting the thoughts and aspirations of the people, issues that the public is concerned about, and from there, all levels and sectors will intervene to resolve them.

Reporters from press agencies working at the 9th Vietnam - China Border Defense Friendship Exchange Program

To have good journalism topics, every reporter and journalist must constantly research and think. Topics can also be discovered from observations, interviews, or from information provided by people, from social life...

Source from people

To have materials and topics, one of the important information channels for journalists is from the people. They are both readers and providers who help journalists grasp information quickly, promptly and reflect truthfully, objectively and help the article to be full of life.

On the night of April 11, 2025, I received a text message from a resident in Block 3, Tam Thanh Ward, Lang Son City, reporting that Phai Loan Lake was emitting an unpleasant stench, and that family members could not sleep, "hoping that journalists would come and investigate and help the people." From the text message, I myself was restless, hoping for the morning to learn about the reality in the lake area.

The next day, when we arrived at Phai Loan Lake near Tam Thanh Primary School, we clearly noticed an unpleasant stench coming from there. According to observations, the lake surface here had accumulated many thick, dense scum patches, many of which had mold on the surface, mixed with duckweed and garbage floating on the water surface. This situation not only affected the environment, people's lives, and ruined the urban beauty, but also affected the teaching and learning of teachers and students at Tam Thanh Primary School, Lang Son City.

That same day, after researching and collecting information, I wrote a reflection article titled “Lang Son City: Phai Loan Lake “smells”, people’s lives are disrupted”, the article was approved by the department leaders, the newspaper leaders and Lang Son Radio and Television Station to be published on the electronic newspaper. The article received many interactions and many shares, creating a positive effect.

Ms. Lo Thi Thao, who lives near Phai Loan Lake, shared: Previously, we had also reported this situation through many forms but it was not effective. When the article was published, the next day, the functional unit came to suck and remove the scum, dead duckweed, accumulated and floating waste that caused environmental pollution at Phai Loan Lake. This work was also implemented by the functional unit in May 2025. Thereby, returning the fresh air to the lake area, helping to stabilize people's lives.

Another example, at the end of November 2023, also from a message from a local resident reflecting on illegal logging in the Lan Day area, Lan Ca village, Tran Yen commune, Bac Son district, a group of reporters from Lang Son Radio and Television Station quickly verified the information and set out to find out the truth.

Reporter Nguyen Dinh Quyet, Print Department, Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television Station, recounted: At that time, we rode a motorbike over 100km from Lang Son city to Lan Ca village. From here, in the role of people looking for medicinal herbs, we walked into Lan Day, infiltrated and collected a lot of important information and images. Next, our group of reporters worked with the commune and district authorities and the district's functional forces and published the article "Lan Day: The worry of illegal forest exploitation", published in the Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television Station on December 6, 2023. The article reflects the reality of illegal logging and from the information and images provided by reporters, the local authorities and functional forces have stepped in to handle it, contributing to protecting forest resources.

Not only the above two topics, a lot of information from the grassroots provided by people and officials has helped reporters develop good and attractive press topics. It could be the current state of infrastructure degradation, environmental pollution, security and order issues, or positive information, good people, good deeds, economic models, typical scientific and technological innovations...

Among them, there are topics that journalists ponder and research for many days, even months. Each topic comes from real life, from the policies of the Party and the State, from close ties with the people... And to have good topics, each reporter must constantly research, think, regularly grasp reality and especially maintain contact with the grassroots.

Topics in life

Besides constantly researching and thinking, the ability to discover topics is also proportional to each reporter's life experience, accumulated from many field trips, or in the reporter's notebook, from daily notes, from relationships, through observation, social networks, or right in life and sympathy with people about the hardships and difficulties in life...

For example, while passing through a forest with many discolored leaves, some reporters did not pay attention, but others discovered a good topic from here and created the work "Huu Lung: Yellow-leafed forest - people's "red eyes", by author Cat Tien, published in the printed newspaper Lang Son Radio and Television on July 23, 2024. Or one day at the market, reporter Hoang Vuong saw farmers selling tomatoes too cheaply, so he asked, then went to their houses and fields, worked with the leaders of Gia Cat and Tan Lien communes (Cao Loc district) to learn, interview to publish the article "Sour... tomatoes"...

It can be said that journalism topics are always diverse, rich, always present in daily life and mostly come from the ability to observe and listen. Even with the same topic, each reporter has a different perspective, thereby exploiting different aspects, creating the richness and multi-dimensional reflection of journalism on social life.

At the same time, the team of reporters of Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television Station always closely follow the propaganda orientation documents of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, the agency's propaganda plan, the direct guidance of the leaders of specialized departments, with specific topics and subjects, ensuring that they follow the current events, and propagate correctly, accurately and effectively. Through this, Lang Son Newspaper and Radio and Television Station are worthy of being the agencies of the Communist Party of Vietnam in Lang Son province, the voice of the Party Committee, government and people in the province.

And for topics and subjects to become journalistic works, it also requires the author's concern and concern. Above all, writers must keep a "clear mind, pure heart", constantly hone their "writing skills". Each reporter must be responsible for the topic they are pursuing, clarifying each issue that the public is interested in, or reflecting the thoughts, aspirations, and legitimate recommendations of the people so that the relevant levels, sectors, and units can grasp and promptly resolve them... Because there are topics that if implemented slowly, the writer himself will feel indebted to time and to the people, like the lyrics in the song "Proud of My Journalism" by musician Dinh Tham:

“I take pride in my profession.

Oh! Journalism is a tough job.

Long days and nights, pouring out my heart on words

Always feel indebted to time...”.

Source: https://baolangson.vn/tran-tro-nhung-de-tai-5048951.html