Being a modern journalist is both easy and difficult!

Mr. Tran Dinh Hoa, former Head of Dan Tri Newspaper's Central Vietnam Representative Office, shared that in his more than 10 years as an editor, he has encountered many new things in journalism, especially online journalism. Compared to the past, when he was a "pen and camera" reporter, the demands for updating and innovating styles and working methods have become much more complex. And current journalists face even more pressure.

"Modern journalism is no longer just about going out, listening, taking notes, and writing. Modern journalism requires a great deal of coordination, updating multimedia between spoken, written, and visual media; diverse criteria and competition, deciding how to title articles, what keywords are appealing; and reporters often have to manually input articles into newsroom tools, meeting technical requirements," Mr. Hoa described.

Even in large newsrooms with numerous reporters and articles, the pressure to report news isn't limited to events and issues; it also requires quick and insightful discovery of valuable details and satisfying reader demand for views to earn royalties. All of this demands effort and dedication from young writers.

Journalism today requires a combination of more skills and techniques.

Like Mr. Hoa, many veteran journalists share concerns about the value delivered by today's journalists. Many current articles are often written superficially, focusing solely on current events and "hot" issues, without highlighting the stories better for readers. Even some experienced reporters lack rich material, handle topics inaccurately, and overall fail to produce many outstanding journalistic works.

Journalist Ngo Quy Nhon, former Editor-in-Chief of Da Nang Newspaper, once observed that while young journalists today possess writing skills, they often lack depth because the conditions for approaching issues and the angles from which newsrooms explore them are not bold enough. The lack of depth in the writing of young journalists is not due to more favorable working conditions than previous generations, but rather to a lack of honed belief in the profession.

It must be acknowledged that revolutionary Vietnamese journalists in the past were always companions to the cutting-edge activities of social history. Journalists not only pioneered in identifying pressing and concerning issues in life, pointing out shortcomings and obstacles in their areas of expertise, but also possessed the experience to transform these discovered issues into questions about life, offering necessary solutions to address and resolve problems. In particular, revolutionary journalism, guided by an optimistic spirit, always sought out positive and effective factors and issues, images and stories that evoked positive emotions in readers and contributed to social awareness.

This contrasts sharply with modern journalism in recent years, where critical analysis and critique are emphasized but not accompanied by constructive contributions; instead, it tends to focus on exposing wrongdoing and deviations. This is a very dangerous loophole in journalism, easily leading to collusion and compromise, using the revolutionary nature of journalism as a tool for personal gain and social corruption. Many journalists have fallen into this wrong path and paid a serious price. The consequence of this situation is that a segment of the press is increasingly exploiting negativity, losing its own value.

Clearly, journalistic acumen and professional responsibility are essential requirements. The more young journalists face life, the more alert they must be, as this presents an extremely significant challenge. Maintaining passion for the profession and upholding professional ethics are crucial requirements for journalists, especially in the current turbulent times…

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/xa-hoi/202506/nha-bao-hien-dai-de-ma-kho-27303a9/