Proud of our team of "historians"

The 100th anniversary of Vietnam's Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 – June 21, 2025) takes place at a very special time, as the whole country is transforming and entering a new era. The journalistic community is also "joining the fray," ready with a new mindset for this new phase, continuing to hold the leading role of "recorders of history."

An Giang Newspaper is fulfilling its mission as the "recorder of history" of the province.

Half a century of partnership with the province

Joining in the centenary celebrations of revolutionary journalism, An Giang Newspaper also has its own joy as it reaches its 50th anniversary. After the complete liberation of the country, on May 20, 1975, the News and Press Department of the Long Chau Ha Propaganda Committee launched its first newsletter with the masthead "Long Chau Ha News," consisting of two A4-sized pages. On August 19, 1975, the "Long Chau Ha" newsletter officially became a weekly newspaper. This was a transitional issue from the war to peacetime . The editorial board and reporters at that time were comrades working in journalism from the war zone, combined with enthusiastic local students and pupils who had not received formal training. Faced with this reality, Mr. Tran Thu Dong (Editor-in-Chief from 1975 to 1981) opened a journalism training course, guiding some basic knowledge on how to write news articles.

In 1976, the newspaper "Long Chau Ha" was renamed An Giang Newspaper, with Mr. Tran Thu Dong as Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Ngo Thanh Phong as Deputy Editor-in-Chief, and editorial board members: Nguyen Thi Linh Phuong, Le Ngoc Bich; photojournalists: Van Ngan, Tran Binh, Thanh Huy; and writers: Thanh Luy, Huu Son, Nam Thang. Despite having few staff, very rudimentary equipment, and operating in a very wide area, An Giang Newspaper successfully fulfilled its role in disseminating information, reflecting and guiding public opinion during the war to protect the southwestern border of the Fatherland; improving farmland, rapidly increasing food production to overcome famine, fulfilling its duty on the front lines and throughout the country, and gradually rebuilding the homeland.

During the 1986-1990 reform period, An Giang Newspaper started with renewed vigor, reflecting diverse perspectives and expanding its distribution to the public. The circulation increased from 5,000 copies per issue per week to 10,000 copies per issue, with two issues per week; and from four black-and-white pages to eight pages, printed in two colors. From then on, An Giang Newspaper truly matured and developed comprehensively. The number of staff and reporters (in the early years) increased from 17 to 48, with over 50% being Party members. From having limited political and professional knowledge, many now hold bachelor's degrees in political science, and most reporters have one or two university degrees. An Giang Newspaper currently has nearly 200 contributors working both within and outside the province, including renowned writers, poets, journalists, and scientists nationwide. This force has been a constant companion throughout the newspaper's development. The circulation also increased with each stage of development, from 2,000 copies per issue to 5,000, 8,000, then 10,000 copies per issue, and nearly 11,000 copies per issue; making it one of the top 10 Party newspapers nationwide in terms of circulation. This doesn't even include the special annual issues, such as the April 30th issue, the Spring issue, and the issue commemorating the birthday of President Ton Duc Thang… which have attractive designs, rich content, and large circulations.

Alongside its print edition, the An Giang online newspaper, launched on May 19, 2008, marked a new stage of development for the Party newspaper in the era of the digital information boom. It averages 1 million visits per month. Throughout its development, the An Giang online newspaper has consistently adhered to its motto: "Fast, accurate information for the common good of the community." The An Giang online newspaper quickly rose to become the leading Party newspaper in the Mekong Delta region, consistently ranking among the top 10 online Party newspapers nationwide. This achievement is thanks to the continuously updated and multi-faceted information covering all fields on the An Giang online newspaper.

In addition to changes in form, An Giang Newspaper has also undergone spectacular changes in content, the clearest evidence being the increasing number of journalism awards it has won. In 2018, for the first time, the unit had a work win the National Journalism Award – the most prestigious award for Vietnamese journalists. As a "opening salvo," for many consecutive years afterward, almost every journalism award in the region and nationwide recognized works and authors from An Giang Newspaper. Between 2020 and 2025, the unit had over 80 staff and reporters win journalism awards. This achievement is something to be very proud of, and not every media agency, especially a local Party newspaper, can achieve it.

“After 50 years of development and growth, the staff, reporters, and employees of An Giang Newspaper have been professionalizing and fulfilling their mission of information dissemination; providing current affairs and current events, and serving as a broad democratic forum for the people. Besides the advantages of information technology, technical infrastructure, and professional skills, An Giang Newspaper and the journalistic community nationwide are facing some difficulties and obstacles, such as: a serious decline in print newspaper readership; fierce competition between mainstream media and social networks; increasingly high reader demands; and changes in organizational structure and working methods due to the merger of media agencies according to the provincial administrative unit reorganization… The reality demands that each staff member, reporter, and employee in the editorial office quickly adapt and transform with the new era; become more versatile and embrace digital transformation more strongly. Only then can we maintain and develop the traditions of An Giang Newspaper over the past half-century,” expressed Tran Thi Bich Van, Editor-in-Chief of An Giang Newspaper.

An Giang journalists at work. Photo: Hanh Chau

I grew up in the field of journalism.

The province currently has 4 branches of the press agency association, with 153 members including officials, reporters, editors, and journalists. The hardships and difficulties of the profession only strengthen our resolve. Because we don't just make a living from journalism, but we live to make journalism. The joy of completing a journalistic work each day, of seeing our "intellectual offspring" spread far and wide… is a great motivation for us to continue dedicating ourselves for years to come. Continuous work trips, busy hours of reporting, and authentic experiences from the field have become familiar to journalists. Each time we "travel far," we learn a lot, becoming more mature, knowledgeable, and stronger!

Having worked in the profession for the past 23 years, journalist Dang Nguyen Hanh Chau (Party Building and Internal Affairs Department, An Giang Newspaper) has affirmed her "brand," contributing to the overall achievements of her unit, winning 24 provincial and national journalism awards. Notable achievements include the C Prize at the 3rd Golden Hammer and Sickle Award in 2018, the Encouragement Prize at the 14th National Journalism Award in 2019, and the C Prize in the first "Protecting the Party's Ideological Foundation in the New Situation" writing competition (2021-2022)... Ms. Chau proudly stated: "If I had to choose again, I would still choose journalism. Having been passionate about the profession for many years, I am deeply in love with it; it has become ingrained in my blood. The greatest happiness for me in journalism is being able to travel, listen, see, experience, and reflect. From the vibrant realities of life, from specific life stories, I have had the opportunity to understand myself better, to understand life better, helping me to listen and convey emotions." "This article brings the breath of life to the readers. Although the profession is not without its difficulties, hardships, and challenges, it always brings me much joy in life. In the spirit of dedication to modern journalism, I realize that I must learn more to utilize integrated multimedia journalism technology; continue to uphold the pioneering spirit of a soldier on the ideological and cultural front, and contribute to journalism to produce many excellent works to serve readers."

Journalist Pham Thi Thu Oanh (Online News Department, Kien Giang Newspaper) is from Vinh Long, but she became involved in journalism when she passed the entrance exam to Kien Giang Newspaper in August 2011. From her initial awkwardness, she continuously learned from colleagues, self-improved her knowledge through books and newspapers, and participated in training courses to enhance her journalistic skills. The dedicated guidance and direction from the Editorial Board and department leaders helped her gradually mature in her profession, striving even harder to create better journalistic products to serve readers and contribute to improving the quality of the newspaper. Having been in charge of the defense and security sector, the propaganda sector, and having previously worked in remote areas and areas inhabited by the Khmer ethnic minority, she has had the opportunity to travel, interact with, and gain a deeper understanding of the lives and work of soldiers and people in border regions. It was her understanding, empathy, sharing, and affection for the soldiers of Uncle Ho's army, the simple, amiable, and gentle people, that inspired her to write articles that truthfully and vividly reflected the lives of the soldiers and the people. These works contributed to reflecting the results of implementing the Party's guidelines and policies, and the State's laws at the grassroots level, vividly and truthfully reflecting the thoughts and feelings of the people and the soldiers.

An Giang Spring Newspaper on the countryside

In just a few days, journalist Thu Oanh will become a member of the "big family" of An Giang's press. According to her, the merger of Kien Giang and An Giang provinces is not only a major milestone in the development of the Mekong Delta region, but also opens up new opportunities and challenges for journalists in their work. “The intersection of two regions rich in cultural identity, traditions, and the vibrant lives of their people creates a ‘golden opportunity’ for the press to explore human stories, reflecting change and community cohesion. I believe this is an opportunity for the press to contribute to shaping a shared identity, spreading the spirit of solidarity, and promoting socio-economic development in the merged region. However, alongside this are numerous challenges for journalists, from familiarizing themselves with a larger geographical area to grasping the diversity in the lives of the local people, culture, customs, and languages… This requires journalists to be more flexible, thorough, perceptive, and responsible than ever before, so that each work is not only accurate and relevant, but also imbued with human emotion, contributing to the common journey of a region that is developing day by day,” she expressed.

Revolutionary journalism has a rich history spanning a century. Proud of the achievements built by our predecessors, today's generation of journalists, carrying with them "sharp pens, unwavering loyalty, and clear minds," steadfastly continue to write new chapters in the history of our country, our homeland, and our noble profession.

“On June 4th, during a working session with the leaders of An Giang and Kien Giang provinces, General Secretary To Lam requested: After the merger, the new province must quickly stabilize its organization, while focusing intensely on socio-economic development with a proactive, creative, decisive, and flexible spirit. Strong investment should be prioritized in education and training, basic healthcare, cultural development, and the preservation of traditional values, while fostering confidence, pride, and the aspiration to contribute among the people of the new province. It is hoped that, alongside the efforts of the Party committees and government in the process of reorganizing the organizational structure and the two-tiered local government, there will continue to be many more literary, artistic, and journalistic works contributing to spreading the noble values ​​of the ethics and style of President Ho Chi Minh and President Ton Duc Thang, “fostering confidence, pride, and the aspiration to contribute among the people” as directed by the General Secretary” – Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Department, Head of the National Assembly Delegation An Giang province's Tran Thi Thanh Huong gave advice to the team of journalists.

GIA KHANH

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/tu-hao-doi-ngu-nguoi-ghi-chep-su--a422824.html