A heart-to-heart conversation with collaborators.

BDK - To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Vietnam's Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - June 21, 2025), reporters from Dong Khoi Newspaper had an interview with collaborators who have been associated with the editorial office for many years. Although each collaborator has different living circumstances and working conditions, they all love journalism and enthusiastically collaborate with Dong Khoi Newspaper.

Lawyer Vo Tan Thanh is answering questions from the public at a free legal aid session. Photo: H. Duc

The press brings the law into life.

Over the years, the Provincial Bar Association has collaborated with Dong Khoi Newspaper to implement the "Lawyers Answer Readers' Questions" column in both print and online editions, provide legal advice at the editorial office, and organize numerous mobile legal aid trips to remote communes throughout the province. Among them, lawyer Vo Tan Thanh – former Chairman of the Ben Tre Bar Association – is one of the members who has made significant contributions and shown dedication to providing free legal aid and advice to the people.

Lawyer Vo Tan Thanh shared: "The 'Lawyer Answers Readers' section of Dong Khoi Newspaper is very practical in answering questions and resolving difficulties and obstacles for the people. Through this, it disseminates legal information to readers, helping people access the law, get answers to legal questions, and address many related issues in life. To provide complete and accurate answers to readers' requests, it is the result of careful selection by the editorial board, reporters working on the section, and the dedication of the lawyers."

With the diversity and constant development in social life, numerous Party guidelines, State policies, and laws are being enacted, making it impossible for people to fully understand them on their own. The free legal advice program of Dong Khoi Newspaper is therefore essential and beneficial for the people.

“During our mobile legal aid trips to remote areas like Thanh Hai commune, Thanh Phu district, the program members witnessed many people eagerly awaiting legal advice and answers from journalists and lawyers. We would like to thank Dong Khoi Newspaper for initiating and maintaining the free legal advice and mobile legal aid program. The newspaper has contributed to bringing the law into the lives of the people,” lawyer Vo Tan Thanh shared.

Contributing to spreading the voice of our homeland.

Despite her busy schedule, Ms. Le Thi Hoang Oanh, Vice President of the Provincial Women's Union, always dedicates time to contributing articles to Dong Khoi Newspaper under the pen name Minh Ngoc. For her, in the vibrant flow of the digital age, journalism still plays an irreplaceable role in shaping public opinion, conveying accurate and timely information, and building trust among the people. For her, contributing articles to Dong Khoi Newspaper is not only an honor but also a journey full of inspiration and responsibility.

Ms. Le Thi Hoang Oanh presents gifts to the poor. Photo: M. Ngoc

Ms. Oanh said: “Through each article, I realized that journalism not only reflects life but also contributes to guiding change from awareness to action. Stories about exemplary individuals and groups; positive changes in social life; or issues of concern conveyed through newspapers have touched the hearts of readers, evoked empathy, and spread goodness.”

Collaborating with Dong Khoi Newspaper helped me hone my observation, analysis, and expression skills; especially, I learned how to look more deeply into each issue with a sense of responsibility and objectivity. I clearly felt the "bridge" role of the writer - connecting the voice of the grassroots with readers, conveying the thoughts, aspirations, and determination of the people of Ben Tre in the new Dong Khoi journey.

Looking ahead, Ms. Oanh hopes to continue her collaboration with Dong Khoi Newspaper, contributing her voice and beautiful images of the people and land of her homeland, and together igniting faith, unity, and the aspiration for sustainable development in the province.

"Collaborating with Dong Khoi Newspaper has helped me grow as a person."

Those are the heartfelt words of Le Hoang Trung, a correspondent for Nhan Dan Newspaper in Ben Tre. Trung's careful nature, calm demeanor, and precise language are among the qualities that make him well-liked by many. His colleagues often call Hoang Trung "The Great Journalist."

Mr. Le Hoang Trung, correspondent for Nhan Dan Newspaper in Ben Tre.

Le Hoang Trung has been collaborating with Dong Khoi Newspaper since 2017, when he was assigned by the leadership to be a resident reporter for Nhan Dan Newspaper in the province. Returning to Ben Tre, the feelings of this son of the coastal province of Binh Dai were quite unique. “Working in this land, which is both familiar and unfamiliar to someone like me who has been away from home, evokes many indescribable emotions. Among them, Dong Khoi Newspaper is where I prioritize collaborating, contributing many news articles and helping me grow professionally,” Trung confided.

Journalist Le Hoang Trung is also fortunate to have won high awards at provincial journalism competitions. He said that during his nearly 10 years working for a specialized newspaper, he hardly participated in any journalism competitions. After moving to Ben Tre and becoming a member of the Provincial Journalists Association, he had more opportunities to participate in journalism competitions. He is very happy and delighted that his works, his "intellectual offspring," have not only been well-received and appreciated by readers but have also been highly valued by the organizers with awards.

Commemorating the article "Turning Salt into Sweetness"

"Turning Salt into Sweetness" is the title of an article by contributor Tran Xien published on Dong Khoi Online on March 28, 2013. This is also the most memorable experience among many that Tran Xien has had.

Mr. Tran Xien, reporter for Ba Tri District Radio Station.

This story reflects on Bao Thanh commune, a coastal commune in Ba Tri district with 2,936 households and over 12,500 inhabitants (as of 2013). The people here primarily rely on rainwater and shallow groundwater for daily life, with freshwater being extremely scarce during the dry season. Subsequently, Bao Thanh commune received investment from the National Target Program for Climate Change Adaptation to build a water treatment module to serve domestic needs in the absence of freshwater (located in the coastal area of ​​Ben Tre province). The project was constructed at Bao Thanh Primary School with a total investment of nearly 2 billion VND, funded by the Danish government .

Mr. Tran Xien wrote: "The water treatment module has an operating capacity of 15 ^m³ /day; it treats saline water into fresh water that meets clean water standards for domestic use."

After reading Tran Xien's article, many people laughed, expressing disbelief because there's no such thing as "saltwater turning into freshwater." He just chuckled to himself and consoled himself. Later, when the project was completed and put into use, people finally believed that "turning saltwater into freshwater" was real.

During his 29 years working at the Ba Tri District Radio Station (now the Ba Tri District Cultural, Sports and Broadcasting Center), Mr. Tran Xien always maintained a close relationship with and contributed many news articles to the Dong Khoi Newspaper.

16 years of dedication to Dong Khoi Newspaper

In 2009, Le Thi Thanh Huong (from An Duc commune, Ba Tri district) graduated from the College of Radio and Television II (Ho Chi Minh City), majoring in Journalism. At a time when Binh Dai District Radio Station needed reporters, Huong was hired and has remained there ever since.

Ms. Le Thi Thanh Huong, reporter for Binh Dai District Radio Station.

For 16 years working at Binh Dai Radio Station, now the District's Cultural, Sports and Broadcasting Center, Huong has also collaborated with Dong Khoi Newspaper. Initially, she contributed short news items, then later short news articles and features for both the print and online versions. Given the limited number of reporters at the newsroom and the numerous events taking place in different localities across the province, the news, articles, and photos that Huong and other contributors sent to the newsroom for timely publication were invaluable.

Le Thi Thanh Huong shared: “During my time collaborating with Dong Khoi Newspaper, I received enthusiastic support from the reporters and editors, which helped me gain more and more experience in writing news articles. Thanks to that, I later produced more concise and high-quality journalistic works.” Le Thi Thanh Huong also has many excellent works and has been fortunate enough to win high awards at provincial-level competitions such as: Spring Newspaper (for 5 consecutive years from 2020 to 2024), Suong Nguyet Anh, New Rural Area, Good People, Good Deeds…

I wish to continue to be involved and contribute.

After graduating from the College of Radio and Television II (Ho Chi Minh City) with a major in Journalism in 2013, Nguyen Minh Mung was recruited to work at the Giong Trom District Radio Station. Six years later, he transferred to the Thanh Phu District Radio Station (now the District Cultural, Sports, Radio and Tourism Center). Returning to his hometown (My An commune, Thanh Phu district), Minh Mung had more opportunities to develop his abilities and strengths.

Mr. Nguyen Minh Mung, reporter for Thanh Phu District Radio Station.

With youthful energy and a passion for journalism, Nguyen Minh Mung often goes to work in the field. He also frequently collaborates with Dong Khoi Newspaper, contributing many news articles. Particularly during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic, his articles, along with those of his colleagues, documented the silent struggle of those working in pandemic prevention and control, highlighting exemplary individuals and groups. These articles helped boost the morale of the anti-epidemic forces, build public trust, and create a positive and widespread impact in the community.

“I guess many contributors share my sentiment, greatly appreciating the significant innovations of Dong Khoi Newspaper in recent times, especially the online version. Dong Khoi Online now has a new look, multi-platform content with a flexible presentation style that is close to people's lives… all of which have created a newspaper that both preserves its identity and keeps up with development trends. As a contributor to Dong Khoi Newspaper, I always feel the sincere companionship and support from the editorial board, reporters, and editors of the newspaper. This is the motivation for me to continue to be involved and contribute,” Nguyen Minh Mung shared.

Working as both a technician and a reporter.

This is the case of Viet Cuong, a reporter at Cho Lach District Radio Station, now the District Cultural, Sports and Broadcasting Center. In 2010, after graduating from the Broadcasting and Television High School No. 2 (Ho Chi Minh City), Nguyen Viet Cuong was hired as a technician at Cho Lach District Radio Station. While performing his daily task of editing the audio for the radio program, he was able to watch and listen to the station's news content. Over time, Viet Cuong developed a love for writing news articles and he was determined to learn and become a professional reporter.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Cuong, reporter for Cho Lach District Radio Station.

Viet Cuong was given the opportunity by his superiors to participate in news writing training courses organized by the province. His eagerness to learn and the enthusiastic guidance of his colleagues led to significant progress. Starting with simple news snippets, he gradually gained experience to write more in-depth stories. Over time, he mastered more challenging genres such as quick reports, feature articles, and investigative reports. Viet Cuong's advantage lies in his dual role as both a technician and a reporter, allowing him to independently edit audio, create video, and refine radio and television programs according to his own vision.

Viet Cuong shared: “I will always remember the feeling of joy and excitement when the news I wrote was used and published in Dong Khoi Newspaper for the first time. Although it was just a small news item in a corner of the newspaper page, it was a huge encouragement for someone just starting out in the profession. After that, I became more confident and wrote more news articles, collaborating with other media outlets in the province.”

As a contributor and regular reader of Dong Khoi Newspaper, I have observed that over the past period, the newspaper has demonstrated flexibility, creativity, and continuous innovation, adapting to the trends of digital media and modern journalism, and promptly meeting the increasingly high demands of its readers.

The contributors to Dong Khoi Newspaper, spanning various ages, professions, and life circumstances, always show the staff, reporters, and employees of the newspaper a warm and close-knit affection, treating it like a big family. They all share the same wish: that Dong Khoi Newspaper will continue to grow and thrive, upholding the journalistic traditions of the province's veteran journalists.

Duc Chinh - Minh Ngoc

Source: https://baodongkhoi.vn/tam-tinh-voi-cong-tac-vien-20062025-a148467.html