Editor-in-Chief in "all beginnings are difficult"
After the day Hanoi “burst into the sound of military anthems” in the joy of victory, the Capital entered a new period of construction with urgent demands from the reality of development. In response to the need for an “official” daily newspaper, the voice of the Party Committee, the government and the people of the Capital, on February 26, 1957, the Hanoi Party Committee passed Resolution No. 93-NQ/DBHN “On publishing daily newspapers in the Capital”. In March 1957, journalist Dinh Nho Khoi, former Head of the International Department of Nhan Dan Newspaper, was assigned by his superiors to be Editor-in-Chief, and together with his colleagues, took care of the “kitchen” for the publication of Hanoi Moi Newspaper.
Journalist Doan Chiem, one of the "old trees" of Hanoi Moi Newspaper, recounted: "The preparation work was really busy and complicated. The principles and purposes were clear, but how should the structure of the newspaper's content be suitable for the capital's readers? What columns should there be? Should it be published daily at first or should it be two or three times a week? Should the newspaper be large or small?... So many questions needed to be answered."
As the person who laid the first brick for the "conceiving" newspaper, journalist Dinh Nho Khoi brought his knowledge and professional experience from decades of journalism before the August Revolution, during the resistance war against the French such as the newspapers Cuu Quoc, Kiet Giac... to the accumulation and conclusions from his days working at Nhan Dan Newspaper with the Editorial Board to discuss and lay the first bricks to shape the newspaper. Overcoming countless difficulties, the first issue of the daily Hanoi Moi Newspaper was introduced to readers on October 24, 1957. This was a mark of historical significance for the Hanoi Moi Party Newspaper in particular, and the revolutionary press in general.
More than 10 years as Editor-in-Chief was an extremely difficult period: The facilities were lacking, patchwork, the means of journalism were rudimentary, many staff were not properly trained..., with virtue and talent, the leader Dinh Nho Khoi gathered professional journalists, diverse styles, with the same aspirations, and the same rhythm. He often reminded: "The way a reporter works must be very different from the way the old civil servant "goes to work with an umbrella in the morning, and carries it back in the evening". An article, news written for tens of thousands, millions of readers, if it wants to be effective, it must be understood and believed by the readers".
As a dedicated and visionary journalist, Editor-in-Chief Dinh Nho Khoi considers training a top priority. Journalist Le Nguyen recounted that, in an Editorial Board meeting on training and fostering a group of young reporters, he was determined: “Why don’t we train those who are good at a certain field, create conditions for them to specialize in that topic instead of spreading it out! We really need journalists who are good at writing in various genres: reportage, investigation, reflection... But training people who are capable of writing sharp commentary is not something that shouldn’t be done, especially for a daily newspaper...”.
When the resistance war against the US entered a difficult and fierce period, a number of reporters went to the battlefield, some of them sacrificed their lives. At this time, in addition to the task of reporting and reorganizing the editorial office, Editor-in-Chief Dinh Nho Khoi and the Editorial Board also had to take care of the lives of cadres and reporters such as setting up kindergartens and sending them to evacuation sites, assigning them to raise pigs so that there would be food to share with everyone during Tet...
In the eyes of the Hanoi Moi newspaper staff at that time, Editor-in-Chief Dinh Nho Khoi was a shining example of a revolutionary journalist: “Working with him, we learned many valuable lessons for a daily journalist. Quickness and careful work were two outstanding qualities in him... Usually, he would return to his room at around 1:30 am. Many nights, Mr. Khoi would return to sleep at 4-5 am because he had a “disease” of always having to look over the next day’s issue, still smelling of ink, to see if there were any mistakes before he would return”...
An exemplary, simple journalist
His character and experience have shaped him into a learned and famously difficult journalist. During his lifetime, journalist Ham Chau recounted: “Doctor Nguyen Khac Vien told me: When he was young, Mr. Dinh Nho Khoi was famous for being “well-read”, and was invited by the doctor Vien’s father, the Imperial Doctor Nguyen Khac Niem, to be a tutor in French. During the Indochina Democratic Front, Mr. Khoi wrote many articles in French in the public newspapers of the Party, led by journalists Truong Chinh and Vo Nguyen Giap...”.
But from another perspective, according to journalist Doan Chiem's memory, Editor-in-Chief Dinh Nho Khoi was "a gentle, simple person, not having a lively appearance but clearly appearing steadfast and mature". According to journalist Le Nguyen, "he lived a carefree, open life, easily got along with everyone around him, paid little attention to the "whiskers" of his colleagues in the agency, was generous and forgiving and never bullied anyone...". "At work, if there was anything wrong, he often gave sincere advice, gave thorough advice, and then that was it, without holding grudges. Living righteously, being close to him, I had the feeling that in the way he treated others, he was quite clearly influenced by Confucian etiquette...".
Among the anecdotes about the modesty and simple lifestyle of Editor-in-Chief Dinh Nho Khoi, there are countless stories told by his colleagues: "Mr. Khoi lives an exemplary and simple life. When the reporter goes on a business trip, the Editor-in-Chief also rides a bike..."; "When the newspaper office was still at 6 Hai Ba Trung, his family was arranged a room of more than 10 square meters on the second floor, which was as hot as a furnace. When the office moved to 44 Le Thai To, he also brought his family to live in a small room on the second floor of the editorial office. At that time, the City Party Committee asked him for a better place, but he refused, and even gave the excuse: "I live right next to the newspaper office so that if anything happens at night, I can easily handle it"...
Later, after retiring, journalist Dinh Nho Khoi still cycled from his home in Giang Vo to the editorial office every day, as diligently as when he was still working, reading the newspaper, meeting friends or young female reporters who had just started their career, like an old gardener attached to the trees and the land where he had devoted so much effort and passion to sowing seeds and cultivating...
Since the first daily issue of Hanoi Moi Newspaper, with journalist Dinh Nho Khoi as Editor-in-Chief, was published, the Capital's Party newspaper has gone through many stages of development and has continued to strive to fulfill its assigned tasks. The generation of Hanoi Moi journalists understands that what has been achieved today all originated from the initial bricks that Editor-in-Chief Dinh Nho Khoi and his colleagues built.
- Journalist Dinh Nho Khoi (1910 - 1988) was born in Son Hoa commune, Huong Son district, Ha Tinh province - a "land of learning". Right from school, Dinh Nho Khoi participated in the patriotic movement, read progressive books and newspapers in French, contacted patriots and revolutionaries and soon became enlightened...
- Under the leadership of journalist Dinh Nho Khoi, the expansion of the newspaper's size, from small size 30 x 40cm (1957) to medium size 32.5 x 47cm (1958), then large size 40 x 60cm (1959) was an affirmation of the steadfastness and maturity in the content of each issue. The newspaper's headquarters also moved from 6 Hai Ba Trung to the spacious and majestic house at 44 Le Thai To overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake, with a printing house right next door.
- In 1968, journalist Dinh Nho Khoi transferred to work at the Vietnam Journalists Association , was a member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Journalists Association (term 3) until his retirement.
Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nha-bao-dinh-nho-khoi-nguoi-dat-nhung-vien-gach-dau-tien-cho-hanoimoi-hang-ngay-705787.html
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