The role of the press in Party building and rectification

Contributing to the success of the work of building and rectifying the Party and the political system, the press and the team of revolutionary journalists always play an important role.

"Arms" are especially important in ideological work.

During his life, President Ho Chi Minh was both a staunch revolutionary and an exemplary pioneer journalist, with great merit in the birth of Vietnam's revolutionary journalism. Journalism for him was never a purely professional activity, but always considered journalism and journalists as a part of the revolutionary cause, a sharp weapon in the struggle for national independence and building a new life for the people. On June 9, 1949, in "Letter to the Huynh Thuc Khang journalism class", President Ho Chi Minh advised: "The target audience of the newspaper is the vast majority of the people. A newspaper that is not favored by the vast majority of the people is not worthy of being a newspaper" (1). On September 8, 1962, at the 3rd Congress of the Vietnam Journalists Association , he continued to emphasize: “The task of the press is to serve the people, to serve the revolution” (2) and “Press cadres are also revolutionary soldiers. Pens and paper are their sharp weapons” (3).

President Ho Chi Minh met with reporters from domestic and foreign press agencies in Hanoi (May 1968). Photo archive

Throughout the process of building, developing and leading the revolution, our Party has always affirmed that journalism is a particularly important field in the entire ideological work of the Party, especially in the turning-point periods of the revolution.

The 6th Party Congress, opening the period of national renewal, Comrade Nguyen Van Linh was elected as the Party's General Secretary. In Party building, General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh paid special attention to the motto adopted at the 6th Congress: Be brave to "look straight at the truth, speak clearly the truth, evaluate the truth correctly". The General Secretary emphasized that implementing innovation must be closely linked to the fight against negative phenomena, removing bottlenecks must go hand in hand with resolutely eliminating those who have taken advantage of conservative and bureaucratic mechanisms to make profits, disrupting the discipline of the country's laws. To fight negativity, Comrade Nguyen Van Linh thought of the press as a particularly important military branch in ideological work. He chose the press "military branch" to fight negativity. The General Secretary has been a pioneer on this front. On May 25, 1987, Nhan Dan Newspaper published on the front page an article with the title "Things that need to be done immediately", by author NVL. Following the guiding ideology of the General Secretary, it opened the flow of the country's press in preventing and fighting corruption (PCTN), negativity, and "internal forces", helping the masses know the Party's resolutions, understand the Party's resolutions, and fight against those who do wrong and cause injustice among the people.

In the task groups and solutions on Party building identified in the Resolution of the 4th Central Committee of the 12th tenure, the role of the press is emphasized: Promoting the role and raising the responsibility of press agencies and press management agencies in the fight against degradation, bureaucracy, corruption, waste, negativity, "self-evolution", "self-transformation". Proactively orienting and providing information regularly or suddenly; focusing on propagating the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, achievements in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland, positive factors, advanced models, good people, good deeds. Timely rewarding collectives and individuals with achievements; strictly handling collectives and individuals who violate regulations on information, press and propaganda.

Play the role of a special "army" well

Over the past 98 years, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has always accompanied the steadfast struggles of our Party and people. In the heroic resistance wars against invaders and to protect the Fatherland, the press has become an important "army" on the ideological front; many journalistic works have truly been "revolutionary proclamations", "calls to the country" urging the people of the whole country to join the battle... During the renovation period, over the past 35 years, journalists have continued to be the main force in orienting public opinion, propagating, encouraging and motivating the entire Party, people and army to successfully implement the renovation policy initiated and led by our Party.

Press and media agencies have performed well their role in propagating and educating Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh's thought; actively popularizing the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, in which the Party building and rectification work has received top attention, creating great confidence among all classes of people in the Party's absolute leadership. The press has actively reported on correct policies that have strong impacts and improve people's lives; reflected the contributions of experts, scientists, and all classes of people throughout the process of policy development and promulgation, helping the Party and State have more data bases, a more comprehensive, multi-dimensional, and in-depth view to build policies that are suitable to real life and the legitimate interests of the people.

Through the press, people also find “feedback information” to know how far the Party has received their recommendations and how to make corrections, thereby strengthening and enhancing people’s trust. Through that, the press has also made an important contribution to promoting democracy, improving people’s knowledge, and increasing publicity and transparency in the process of building and implementing the Party and State’s guidelines, policies and laws.

Reality has proven that press information reflecting on household contract models in agricultural production, product contract mechanisms in industry, articles reflecting vibrant life practices, rising out of poverty... are an important information channel helping our Party change its thinking, promoting the cause of national innovation. Many decisions of the country have been issued, in accordance with the law of development, at the same time demonstrating the role of the press as a "bridge" of trust between the Party, the State and the people, creating more trust in the public.

Press agencies also actively fight against and refute distorted, incorrect, hostile viewpoints and arguments; at the same time, they play a good role in participating in monitoring, detecting and criticizing negative, anti-cultural and unethical manifestations in the Party by cadres and party members. Press works on Party building, in addition to serving propaganda work, also guide, motivate and encourage cadres, party members and people to actively implement the Party's guidelines and policies, reflect the results of Party building and rectification work in localities and units; discover good practices and good models to commend and fight against shortcomings and defects in Party building and performing political tasks, helping each Party committee and organization to better perform its leadership role, so that each cadre and party member can look at them and strive to preserve the spirit of a communist, setting a shining example in work and daily life.

The press is also always the address providing initial information to the authorities, investigating and exposing many corruption and negative cases. The press is always at the forefront of the fight against negativity, corruption, and waste in detecting, monitoring, and bringing to light thousands of cases related to corruption and negative cases. A series of typical corruption cases have been discovered and followed closely by the press to report promptly. Through the detection and fight against corruption with cases brought to trial, the press has created people's trust in the determination of our Party and State in the fight against corruption, cleaning up the state apparatus, and improving social life. This is a result of great significance to the cause of Party building and rectification, and to the cause of building and developing the country's economy. Information and propaganda work has been creating positive changes in the awareness and actions of Party committees, Party organizations, authorities, cadres, and Party members towards anti-corruption work; Strengthening people's trust in the Party and State, contributing to building and rectifying the Party, repelling ideological and moral degradation, "self-evolution" and "self-transformation". Through the press, thousands of exemplary people and Party members who are pioneers in anti-corruption have been discovered, set examples, and rewarded by the Party and State.

Writing about Party building is not an easy task. To have vivid, attractive and highly convincing journalistic works requires the dedication of many journalists, regardless of danger; the rolling up their sleeves to explore and discover the urgent issues that life is posing; the courage and uncompromising struggle against signs of degradation, corruption and negativity; the effort to overcome pressures and difficulties from many sides... But reality shows that the more difficult and challenging the situation is, the more journalists demonstrate their mettle, intelligence and enthusiasm, always seeking to be creative and improve the persuasiveness of journalistic works on the topic of Party building.

Speaking at a working session with the Vietnam Journalists Association (June 13, 2023) on the occasion of the 98th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - June 21, 2023), Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh emphasized: “Throughout history, the press and media have always accompanied the country and made great contributions to the cause of national liberation and reunification. Many journalists and reporters have not been afraid of danger and hardship to be present at the front to convey information from the battlefield to the rear, from the rear to the battlefield. When the Fatherland needs them, journalists are ready to go anywhere, do anything, and are ready to sacrifice, and many have heroically sacrificed, leaving in each of us a symbol of responsibility and love for the homeland and country." This is a priceless tradition of Vietnam's revolutionary press that needs to continue to be preserved and promoted.

According to VNA

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(1): Ho Chi Minh Complete Works, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2011, vol. 6, p. 102

(2), (3): Ho Chi Minh Complete Works, op. cit., vol. 13, pp. 463, 466

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