Journalist Hong Linh:

In the 68-year history of Hanoi Moi Newspaper, journalist Hong Linh held the position of Editor-in-Chief for the longest period (1969 - 1988).

As a leader with a keen eye for talent, unwavering resolve, and keen insight into political , economic, cultural, and social developments, he and his colleagues led Hanoi Moi newspaper beyond the confines of a local publication.

Trust and the ability to judge people.

For 19 years as Editor-in-Chief, from the fierce war days to the time when the capital and the whole country embarked on the reconstruction and renovation process, journalist Hong Linh, together with his colleagues, shaped a new Hanoi with a vision that transcended local boundaries, affirming its position in the revolutionary press and earning recognition from colleagues both domestically and internationally.

Many prominent figures in Hanoi's Party newspapers say that a unique aspect of HanoiMoi is its continuous merger of several newspapers: the Capital newspaper of the Hanoi Party Committee with Hanoi Daily, a private newspaper; then the illustrious Thoi Moi newspaper merged with Hanoi Daily to form HanoiMoi. This path created unity and strengthened the material and human resources, but it also presented many challenging "behind-the-scenes" problems. Leveraging the strengths of long-time journalists, working for various newspapers, with their vastly different personalities, for the common goal of HanoiMoi was no easy task.

In a personal anecdote about life under the roof of Hanoi Moi newspaper, journalist Hong Linh recounted: “The editorial board at that time included Le Tam Kinh, Duong Linh, and Doan Chiem. I told them frankly that I only knew about journalism through my management work, and that if they didn't help me, I wouldn't be able to do it and would only make things worse. The first three months were truly a learning experience. People like Trinh My, Hoang Giap, Truong Uyen, and Nguyen Duc Muu were very professional; how could I utilize them?... I think trust is very important. Duong Linh was more professional than me. Doan Chiem managed things very strictly. Those were truly valuable assistants. As for Pham Phan, he used to work for Tram Hoa, a newspaper with 'issues,' so I let him do the weekly error-picking. Looking at his bookshelf at home, you can tell he was very passionate about the profession...”

"The unification of words and actions" was no easy feat! Editor-in-Chief Hong Linh, formerly the Deputy Head of the City Party Committee's Organization Department, possessed a keen eye for talent and a particular focus on internal unity. Together with his colleagues, he reorganized the specialized departments, recruited skilled personnel, and assigned reporters to work in local areas... Along with maintaining and assigning personnel to manage the excellent sections of the predecessor newspaper, many new sections were created to meet practical demands. Together with Nhan Dan, Quan Doi Nhan Dan, and Hanoi Moi, they formed the trio of daily newspapers in the North, achieving the stature of a national newspaper, and the team of Party journalists in the capital city matured in many aspects.

Recounting his experiences working during a time of bombs and bullets, journalist Cong Hoan said: “At night, when Kham Thien Street was destroyed, Editor-in-Chief Hong Linh was already there at dawn... Once, as soon as the bombing stopped, Deputy Editor-in-Chief Le Tam Kinh cycled straight to the scene just as the relief forces were beginning to clean up the corpses and rescue the wounded... After the victory in the Dien Bien Phu air battle, Comrade Hong Linh brought 12 issues of the newspaper from those 12 days and nights of heroic fighting to give to our German friends in Berlin during a friendly visit, which greatly impressed our colleagues thousands of kilometers away...”

Also speaking about his profession, from a different perspective, writer and journalist Tran Chien recounted: “My colleagues from Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Japan were very interested in the ‘A Story a Day’ column in HanoiMoi newspaper. They asked: How can we avoid trouble when we’ve been criticizing others for so many years?”

In these successes, Editor-in-Chief Hong Linh has left a strong mark.

A dedicated and courageous journalist.

According to a former colleague, journalist Hong Linh was a serious and strict person. Never missing a single briefing meeting with superiors, Editor-in-Chief Hong Linh told his colleagues that if they didn't attend, they wouldn't know what to do, and he always emphasized to reporters that journalism was politics. As the mouthpiece of the Party Committee and the city government, Hanoi Moi Newspaper not only had the task of providing guidance but also had to be a propagator, mobilizing and organizing all levels of the population to strictly comply with the policies and laws of the Party and the State. The newspaper could not exploit "criticism" to then contradict the directives of superiors.

Journalist Cong Hoan recounted: “Editor-in-Chief Hong Linh often arrived at the office at least 15 minutes early and usually didn't leave until 9 or 10 pm to have dinner at home. Once I asked him, 'You usually come home so late, don't your wife and children complain?' Comrade Hong Linh laughed, 'In revolution, there's no time!'... Even though he was busy with meetings all day, as soon as he got to the office, he would immediately start reading and reviewing articles. Because if there were any mistakes, as he said, the Editor-in-Chief would be the first to take responsibility...”

According to journalist Cong Hoan, Editor-in-Chief Hong Linh "is very strict with any article that writes false information, and disciplines the person who wrote it. People are not bad, they are not guilty, yet the newspaper claims they are. Thus, the 'court of public opinion' 'convicts' them even more severely than a judicial sentence, because 'three years in prison is not as bad as having the matter reported in the newspaper.' By the time the newspaper issues a correction, 'it's too late to get justice!'"

His former colleagues recounted that every day, around 5-6 pm, Editor-in-Chief Hong Linh would go to the Reader Relations Department, collect all the reader letters received that day, and bring them back to his office. Each letter had a handwritten note outlining how to resolve the issue. This included responding directly to the reader, working with relevant agencies to intervene on their behalf, and so on. In many cases, based on reader letters, journalist Hong Linh would request reporters specializing in the field to accompany him to the site for investigation. This way of working earned him not only the admiration of his colleagues but also the respect of local officials.

In particular, Editor-in-Chief Hong Linh always knew how to care for everyone. In an article about his leader, journalist Hong Chau recounted: “He received a list from his superiors suggesting that some reporters be transferred to other assignments, for various reasons, making it difficult for them to work at the Party newspaper. It was difficult to handle because most of these colleagues had been working in journalism for many years and had considerable professional skills. After careful consideration, Hong Linh used a delaying tactic, asking to keep them for a while before considering their future. In reality, he cautiously met with them, learned about their abilities and aspirations, identified their strengths and weaknesses, and boldly assigned them suitable tasks. After some time, most of them were reassured, worked hard, and developed their strengths. Then, no one had any further objections!”

Recalling those difficult times, colleagues at the Hanoi New Newspaper can hardly forget the times Editor-in-Chief Hong Linh yielded his share of the allowance during holidays or kindly inquired about their well-being when they were unwell. And as journalist Cong Hoan wrote: “In 19 years as Editor-in-Chief, there wasn't a single letter or word of complaint about Comrade Hong Linh's work ethic, ethics, or conduct. In the office, his colleagues regarded him as an 'idol' of morality and character. He never accepted more benefits than he deserved…”

"A keen eye for people" and a dedicated style have etched Editor-in-Chief Hong Linh's name within the Hanoi Moi Newspaper family.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nha-bao-hong-linh-tong-bien-tap-co-mat-nhin-nguoi-705789.html