Confessions of a journalist

With four publications, Hung Yen Newspaper needs hundreds of journalistic works daily, presented in a wide variety of genres.

Báo Hưng Yên•19/06/2025

With four publications daily, Hung Yen Newspaper needs hundreds of journalistic works in a wide variety of genres. To ensure each piece reaches the public authentically, vividly, accurately, and promptly, the reporters of Hung Yen Newspaper are always proactive, dedicated, and closely involved with the field. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Vietnam's Revolutionary Press Day, Hung Yen Newspaper shares with readers the heartfelt memories and experiences of its journalists.

Every journalist needs to be deeply involved with the grassroots.

To date, I have been involved in journalism for 25 years. At the end of 2000, after graduating from university, I started working at Hung Yen Newspaper. During that period, journalistic processes were still largely manual. Reporters only had a pen, paper, a tape recorder, and a film camera to go out and work. Because communication was limited, reporters directly contacted the field and spent a lot of time gathering information to create journalistic works. It was common for journalists to stay at a location for several days. Journalistic works created by reporters were submitted in handwritten form for editing and approval. At that time, Hung Yen Newspaper only published 2-3 issues per week, so the workload wasn't high, giving reporters plenty of time to create their journalistic works.

Today, in the digital age, in response to the demands of a revolution in organizational restructuring to create a streamlined, efficient, and effective system, Hung Yen Radio and Television Station has merged with Hung Yen Newspaper to form Hung Yen Newspaper, contributing to the development of a synchronized, unified, and scientific press system that meets the goals and requirements of its mission. To develop journalistic information activities in a professional direction and effectively fulfill its assigned political tasks, Hung Yen Newspaper is accelerating the transformation of its information production and publishing methods from a traditional newsroom model to a converged newsroom model – integrating four types of media: print, radio, television, and online, combined with social media to deliver information quickly, accurately, completely, and vividly to the public.

On July 1st, with the implementation of a two-tiered local government model and the merger of Hung Yen and Thai Binh provinces, Hung Yen Newspaper and Thai Binh Newspaper will become one entity. With the merger of four types of media into a single agency, each reporter will need to work hard to secure a stable job. With a large workforce, the newsroom will certainly not lack news and articles, and competition for articles is inevitable. To secure a position within the agency, each journalist must equip themselves with the skills to create journalistic works for multiple platforms, be deeply involved with the grassroots, be dedicated to the profession, constantly seek out and discover new things, and develop innovative ways of presenting their work to both convey timely and accurate information while meeting the needs of the public.

Journalism - a sacred profession

For me, journalism is a sacred and noble profession. However, behind it all are difficulties and hardships, interspersed with stories of joy and sorrow…

Although I have a degree in political science, my entry into journalism was a matter of chance, something completely unexpected. I vividly remember those early days in the journalistic world, specifically at the former Hung Yen Newspaper, when I struggled to figure out where to begin and how to end an article. However, I never considered giving up or quitting journalism, and then in 2013, I found myself working with the Provincial Radio and Television Station…

Despite having some experience with six years in print journalism, I still felt a bit lost when I started working in television journalism. The encouragement from my colleagues, the guidance from senior journalists like Bui Hai Dang and Tang Thanh Son, and the help from younger colleagues like Huu Truong and Quoc Huy helped me regain my spirits and continue pursuing my passion. Whenever I encountered difficulties, I received dedicated guidance from the agency's leadership on how to structure my articles and write effectively. All of this helped me become more confident in my profession, and I am deeply grateful for it!

Having been involved in journalism for nearly 20 years, I find it sacred and noble. Through the messages conveyed in each report, reporters and journalists are creating genuine value for society every day. Although we know there's a long road ahead, every reporter and journalist strives to live their life to the fullest with the heart of the profession, continuing to write and experience new things, thereby creating quality journalistic works to serve the public. Through our news articles, we can "reach" the local leadership, helping them identify areas for improvement.

I remember once reporting on a case where people were taking advantage of local mergers to illegally build factories and warehouses on agricultural land. Immediately after receiving the information and seeing the report on television, the local authorities launched an operation the very next day to address the violations and restore the land to its original state. Witnessing the demolition of the factories by machinery, I felt a pang of sadness. After all, this was the people's money and hard work, but I also felt sorry for the local leaders. If only they had discovered it sooner, if only they had been more decisive, if only they had made more effort to visit the area… things wouldn't have come to this.

Journalism is a unique and somewhat more demanding profession than others, as reporters face pressure from many sides, yet interspersed within it are stories of joy and sorrow... A reporter's work often involves working long hours. Due to work commitments, we sometimes return home late at night. Journalism demands not only sacrifice from the journalists themselves but also from their families, who must be understanding, supportive, and empathetic. For me, the memories of my career are too numerous to recount, but I always admire the silent sacrifices of my colleagues, especially the female ones.

We journalists are always proud to take the motto "Sharp pen, pure heart, bright mind" as our guiding principle in our professional work. We all hope that each work we create will contribute to building a better society, worthy of the responsibility entrusted to us by the Party and the people.

Celebrating Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) early in the Southwest Sea region.

The final days of the Year of the Dragon 2024 were an unforgettable experience for me – a young reporter who, for the first time, accompanied a delegation from the Command of Naval Region 5 on a trip to visit and present Tet gifts to officers and soldiers on remote islands. This trip was not only a professional experience but also a sacred and unforgettable emotional journey.

Ship number 527 sailed through the waves, carrying the delegation to five strategically important islands in the southwestern part of the country. belonging to the provinces of Kien Giang and Ca Mau . Upon setting foot on the islands, I was amazed by the sturdy structures and the lush, meticulously cultivated vegetable gardens amidst the turbulent waves. What moved me most was the resolute gaze of the young soldiers, and the gentle, optimistic smiles of the islanders... All of this created a vivid picture of the vibrant life at the forefront of the waves and winds. Soldiers and civilians together made banh chung and banh tet (traditional Vietnamese rice cakes), participated in cultural performances, and enjoyed spring games and New Year celebrations. In the vast ocean, the soldiers are a solid support for the people, and conversely, the people are a great source of moral encouragement and a strong rear base for the soldiers. Together they build their lives and protect every inch of sacred land and sea of the Fatherland. This unity and close bond have created a solid foundation of popular support that nothing can shake.

Hon Khoai, Hon Doc, Hon Chuoi, Tho Chu, Nam Du – at each island the delegation visited, there was a lively atmosphere filled with laughter and conversation, overflowing with joy and happiness for both givers and receivers. These small gifts, imbued with great love, sent to soldiers far from home and the people, served as a connecting thread between the mainland and the distant islands, representing the affection, care, and sharing from the home front to the front lines.

I realized that trips like these are not just about reporting the news, but also about feeling, understanding, and conveying those stories and silent sacrifices to the public. As a young reporter, I understand my responsibility more than ever: using my pen and camera to contribute to the dissemination of information, education, and raising awareness about the sovereignty of our seas and islands, the sacred flesh and blood of our homeland. I tell myself that there will be many more trips to continue telling stories about the seas and islands, about the people who are dedicating their youth day and night to the peace of our country. The sea has taught me a great lesson: about courage, unwavering will, and love for my homeland.

Happiness in journalism

When I was a child, if someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I wouldn't hesitate to say I wanted to be a journalist. And then that dream of mine came true.

After graduating from university, I was fortunate enough to work at a provincial press agency. Journalism allowed me to indulge my passion, explore, discover, and accumulate knowledge and life experience, even though I knew that every journey involved hardships, and even danger.

I remember in 2013, I was assigned to monitor the Yen My district, about 40 km from my office. This was a locality with developed economy in the province, but the security and order situation was relatively complex.

To gather information and find a topic, I traveled alone in my car through the villages of the district. A particularly memorable experience was when I learned about the insecurity and disorder in Dong Than commune, caused by a group of individuals luring young people into gambling, then lending them money at interest rates five, even ten times higher than bank rates. After failing to repay both principal and interest, the borrowers would have their homes vandalized, foul substances poured into their houses, and even injuries inflicted on the victims and their families. Although I knew I would be in danger while working on this topic, with the courage of a journalist passionate about discovery, I overcame my fear. After many days of investigation, I completed the report, which was broadcast on Hung Yen Radio and Television. When the matter was brought to light, and the authorities and government intervened to handle it, restoring peace to the people's lives... that is the joy and happiness of a young journalist like me.

I once heard the saying, "Only by taking risks can great things be achieved," and perhaps that saying holds true for us journalists. During holidays, Lunar New Year, outbreaks of avian flu, African swine fever, Covid-19, and most recently, Typhoon Yagi in September 2024… or at times when everyone is gathering with family, due to the nature of our work, we venture into the most dangerous places to investigate and report on events, conveying the fastest and most accurate information to our readers.

Journalism is difficult enough for men, but it's perhaps even harder for female journalists. Like women, we also fulfill the roles of wife and mother. When our children are young, we work during the day and take care of the family at night. The time I spend completing my work is often at 3 or 4 in the morning, when everyone else is still asleep.

It's hard to believe I've been involved in this profession for almost 20 years. That time has given me many beautiful memories, both happy and sad, and no small amount of joy. These experiences have given me and my colleagues strength and energy to continue our work, striving even harder to contribute to the profession – the beloved journalism we have chosen.