My child read this sentence somewhere and asked his mother, "So I don't need to study, when I grow up I can still be a journalist like you, right?"
This is not the first time I have heard this saying, I don't know where it originated from, but perhaps journalists also feel sad when they hear it. I thought: "This hard, noble profession is sometimes still ridiculed and mocked by society...". But thinking back, the hidden sayings and prejudices about journalism such as "writers lie, journalists add" also come from the "tabloid" newspapers that have appeared a lot recently. Some journalists are abusing the rights of journalism to exaggerate events, facts, make emotional and subjective inferences, and steer public opinion according to the writer's ideas. Nowadays, with the rapid development of digital technology , journalism is facing difficulties and challenges, but there are also many opportunities opening up. However, because of the competition for information, especially information from social networks, some journalists write quickly, write hastily, add and subtract sentences, even "add" for decoration, without verifying. In the 4.0 era, one of the main “enemies” of journalism comes from the press itself. That is sensational, inaccurate information, fake news, bad news, and toxic news that are rampant on social networks, making it difficult for readers to distinguish. Even in some media agencies, journalists have disregarded ethical standards, ignored aesthetic and common cultural limits to indulge in sensational and clickbait topics. It is these short-sighted articles that have given rise to prejudices about the profession and made young people think that: the path of journalism is very easy and “paved with roses”.
Currently, journalists still have many concerns about their lives and their careers. Some journalists have abused their “power” to extort money from businesses, deliberately writing false information to intimidate and profit, leading to the situation of “publishing in the morning, meeting at noon, and removing it in the afternoon”. There has been a phenomenon of some newspapers publishing excessive information, revealing national secrets; false information, negatively affecting the country’s image in the eyes of international friends. Unfortunately, there are journalists who are too absorbed in chasing events, leading to hasty subjectivity, going beyond the boundaries allowed by law. These are unfortunate occupational accidents that need to be seriously handled and lessons learned. It is these articles and journalists that have affected the reputation and nobility of true journalists and responsible writers.
Veteran journalists used to remind us that journalism is not just about telling the “dark side”, exposing corruption and negativity, the important responsibility of journalism is to discover and praise advanced examples, so that the good overwhelms the bad. Among the hundreds of heroes and emulation fighters awarded by the State, countless examples were discovered and encouraged by the press. There are people who do not need titles or ranks, but their intelligence and heart deserve to be respected and honored by society… Through those discovered articles, beauty is quickly spread, painting life with bright colors. Without needing to be big, the true examples of “good people, good deeds” reflected by the press have further strengthened faith in society and in life.
Perhaps the greatest “gain” for journalists is to travel a lot, know a lot, meet a lot, have a wide network of relationships, thereby improving their understanding of society. Despite the hardships, difficulties and dangers, journalists feel happy and honored because they always receive attention and encouragement from readers, colleagues, and leaders at all levels, sectors and comrades. After each year of hard work, journalists produce quality works that are considered for awards in competitions launched by the Central, provinces and sectors... That is an honor, recognizing the true labor of the profession through journalistic works. Greater happiness for each reporter and journalist is the effect of journalistic works that are interested in and accepted by the public, having a profound impact on social life.
“Live more deeply and passionately” is the sincere and still valuable advice of the late Prime Minister Pham Van Dong for journalists. For him, that depth is the breadth of knowledge, the experience, the contemplation, the drawing of profound human truths…
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