Cherish every moment...

(CLO) The work "Touching Images at the Funeral of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong" was honored with the Special Prize at the 2024 "Journalistic Moment" Photo Contest. Sharing with the Journalists & Public Opinion Newspaper, journalist Le Hieu, representing the group of authors, said: "The contest attracted thousands of professional and amateur reporters, creating a colorful competition, 'a hundred flowers blooming'..."

We strive to create the most dignified, beautiful, and best possible image.

The State Funeral of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attracted the attention of people both domestically and internationally. Everyone could clearly see the special affection of compatriots, comrades, soldiers throughout the country, our compatriots abroad, and international friends for the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. He was an exceptionally outstanding leader, a shining example of studying and following the thoughts, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh , a steadfast communist party member with great prestige in the Party, State, and people of Vietnam.

In that context, most media outlets, large and small, domestic and international, were interested in reporting on the event. Like other media organizations, the editorial board of Nong Thon Ngay Nay/Dan Viet Online newspaper always provided timely guidance for each major event. Then, the specialized departments would get involved, dividing up the coverage.

Cherish every moment (image 1) — The photos are from the work "Touching Images at the Funeral of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong" by the group of authors Le Thanh Hieu - Khong Van Chi - Pham Quang Vinh.

During the funeral of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the newspaper's photojournalist team was assigned to cover the event at the National Funeral Home, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi . Other reporters traveled to the General Secretary's hometown (Lai Da village, Dong Anh district, Hanoi)... to document the crowds paying their respects and bidding farewell to the esteemed leader.

Our guiding principle is that journalism is about conveying valuable information and images to our readers. Each photojournalist must strive and make every effort to produce the most dignified, beautiful, and high-quality images. With the plan in place, all reporters understand their responsibilities and actively select and seek out the most suitable topics to share with readers.

In fact, the photojournalists of Nong Thon Ngay Nay/Dan Viet Online Newspaper have focused their attention on covering many other major and minor events across the country. Although they covered various events, they all shared one thing in common: adhering to all instructions from the organizing committee.

The funeral of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong took place during the summer, and all the reporting locations were crowded…but for us, when working, the weather temperature was a “minor issue.” The first requirement was to always complete the assigned tasks, even to an excellent degree. Whether it was pouring rain or scorching sun, we still had to stay at the scene and pursue the event.

Turn that emotion into motivation.

The work, "Touching Images from the Funeral of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong," although the event took place six months ago, still evokes strong emotions in many of us whenever we look back at it. Clearly, to capture such emotionally rich images, journalists themselves need to have emotions and transform those emotions into motivation to produce authentic photographs.

In my opinion, journalists, especially photojournalists, must be emotional and appreciate every moment they capture… Witnessing the affection of the people and international friends for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, we, journalists, especially photojournalists, are deeply moved.

Cherish every moment (image 2) — Journalist Le Hieu - Nong Thon Ngay Nay Newspaper/Dan Viet Online.

Overwhelmed with emotion and grief, we were constantly surrounded during the two days of covering the funeral. However, with the responsibility of being journalists and custodians of every memory and moment, the team of photojournalists from Nong Thon Ngay Nay/Dan Viet Online newspaper always strived their best to convey images to our esteemed readers near and far.

You can't do photojournalism without "passion".

Many people assume that when a photo is published in a newspaper, the reporter simply goes there, takes a picture, and sends it back to the editorial office. However, that's not entirely true! For photojournalists like us to capture the most authentic, vivid, and artistic photos—both topical and artistic—we must undergo a rigorous training and challenging process.

The profession of photojournalist is unique; those with specialized training in photography may not necessarily become photojournalists. Conversely, some individuals who are simply passionate about photography and diligently hone their skills can become outstanding photojournalists, earning recognition from their peers.

Photojournalism is impossible without "passion," because it's a profession that requires a huge investment. A whole setup costing hundreds of millions of dong just to earn a few hundred thousand, or even tens of thousands of dong per photo, is something not every journalist can sustain.

Creativity in photojournalism is also a highly valued aspect. For the same event, a photojournalist's unique perspective, which impresses professionals, media leaders, and the managing agency, is what constitutes a journalist's success.

I've noticed that to produce beautiful photos, reporters need to hone their knowledge, be willing to challenge themselves to overcome their limitations, learn from previous generations, and refer to international journalistic perspectives to find modern angles – all of which are crucial for progress and development. Following the guidance of the Editorial Board, at Nong Thon Ngay Nay/Dan Viet Online, we regularly organize professional exchange sessions and invite lecturers to share their expertise to improve quality. Thanks to this, the overall quality of the newspaper's photos has also improved.

The Photojournalism Moment award creates a colorful competition.

The Photojournalism Moment Award is now in its sixth year. I've noticed an increase in both the quality and quantity of entries each year, demonstrating the growing appeal of the award. This also presents a challenge, forcing journalists to actively explore, discover, and present topics more effectively.

The "Journalistic Moment" photo contest can be considered one of the most highly regarded purely for photojournalism competitions. The judging panel consists of professionals with many years of experience and solid theoretical and practical knowledge. The prize money is also considered substantial compared to other competitions.

These factors attracted thousands of professional and amateur journalists, creating a vibrant and diverse competition, a rare sight in any other contest. While covering each event, we'd whisper to each other, "Let's do a good job and enter the 'Journalistic Moment' contest at the end of the year!"

On this occasion, I would like to thank the Organizing Committee, and thank the Newspaper of Journalists and Public Opinion – Vietnam Journalists Association for organizing this extremely meaningful competition. It can be said that this is a great platform for photojournalists nationwide, creating motivation for future generations of journalists to work and strive for excellence.

Comment (0)