Vietnamese Journalists’ Day holds great significance for those in the journalism profession while also paying tribute to President Ho Chi Minh, who played a crucial role in establishing Vietnam’s first press. It serves as a reminder of his words to every ‘cultural soldier’ to uphold high spirits and preserve moral values while actively contributing to the construction and protection of a civilized and knowledgeable society.
In addition to his role as the leader of the nation, President Ho Chi Minh was also a pioneering journalist at the forefront of the revolutionary movement for ideological and cultural reforms. Throughout his 50 years of journalistic activities, he left behind approximately 200 pen names, with over 2,000 articles, nearly 300 poems, and an additional 500 pages of memoirs and illustrations. What is remarkable is that President Ho Chi Minh self-taught and became proficient in 10 languages, producing numerous outstanding works published in both domestic and international newspapers.
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The Origin and Significance of Vietnamese Journalists’ Day
According to the history of Vietnamese journalism, from the 1860s onwards, newspapers were published in Saigon, Hanoi, and several other local provinces. However, these newspapers did not fully adopt the national language (Vietnamese), and there was a lack of unified social ideology.
It wasn’t until June 21st, 1925, that the first Vietnamese-language newspaper, Thanh Nien, was officially launched. Its headquarters were situated at 13/1 Van Minh Street, Guangzhou, China. The newspaper was established by the revolutionary leader Nguyen Ai Quoc, later known as Ho Chi Minh, to foster patriotic sentiment. During that time, Mr. Ho Tung Mau and Mr. Le Hong Son were responsible for overseeing the editorial process. Despite being limited to just four pages per week, the production process was quite labor-intensive as most of the content had to be handwritten and then printed using an iron stylus on wax paper. On average, each issue had a circulation of approximately 400-500 copies.
The first Vietnamese-language newspaper was handwritten. Photo documentation.
Although it lasted only 2 years in a foreign land and faced numerous dangerous obstacles, Thanh Nien newspaper continued to publish nearly 100 issues, equivalent to 50,000 copies, attracting a large number of Vietnamese intellectuals. This marked an important milestone and the beginning of the reform of Vietnamese journalism. In the subsequent years, technological advancements in the 1970s, such as typewriters and computers, were introduced, contributing to reducing the labor of handwriting for journalists as well as enhancing the readability of newspaper pages. However, it wasn’t until 1985 that significant improvements were made, accompanied by state recognition and the designation of June 21 as Vietnam Press Day, a traditional day to honor the profession for its contributions to building and developing knowledge for the community.
Journalism’s mission is to help people and beautify society
With profound knowledge and experience in journalism, Uncle Ho imparted advice on ethics to intellectual journalists: “Before you put pen to paper, you need to have a clear understanding of your purpose: Whom are you writing for? What is the goal of your writing? How should they approach your writing?” because Uncle Ho believed that “The pens of journalists are sharp weapons in the noble mission of preserving the good and eliminating the bad”. Additionally, he cautioned against poisoning people’s minds with trivial stories, as the mission of journalists is to help and beautify society by spreading positive values, fostering community connection, and promoting unity.
The pens of journalists are sharp weapons in the noble mission of preserving the good and eliminating the bad.
Uncle Ho with journalists from the media. Photo documentation
Looking back at the recent COVID-19 pandemic, there have been poignant stories that touch the hearts of viewers, conveying profound messages about life and fostering human connection during times of crisis. All of this is made possible through the selfless dedication of true journalists, who have worked in perilous conditions, with some enduring long periods without seeing their loved ones. Some have made sacrifices to bring the most genuine footage, images, and real-life stories to the audience.
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The media’s development and the consequences of ‘misusing’ negative trends.
Since 1925, the role of journalism and media has continuously expanded and become more widespread. According to the Ministry of Information and Communications of Vietnam, as of the end of 2022, the country had a total of 127 newspaper agencies and 670 magazine agencies, including 327 political and scientific magazines, and 72 literary and artistic magazines. Additionally, there were 72 radio and television stations, including 2 central stations and 64 local stations, operating in 5 locations. It demonstrates that the official mouthpiece alone has accounted for approximately 1,000 organizations, not to mention numerous unofficial pages.
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From this point on, fierce competition has emerged among units within the same industry, aiming to retain and increase their online traffic. Furthermore, the prevailing mentality of living in haste and a lack of reading motivation have gradually eroded viewers’ patience.
On the contrary, they show great interest in negative content, particularly when it relates to celebrities. Recognizing the vast availability of information, certain ‘tabloid journalism’ publications opt to exploit personal subjects, thereby publishing controversial and sensationalized content, occasionally lacking in authenticity, with the aim of captivating viewers’ attention. This has exerted a substantial influence on the mainstream media. Meanwhile, others, driven by the desire to sustain interaction levels, also join the negative trend, but if subjected to intense criticism, they will acknowledge their mistakes.
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However, allowing the frequent ‘abuse’ of negative content to spread can create an unhealthy environment, causing people to lose their sense of unity, lack compassion, and foster mutual suspicion, resulting in many families and relationships being torn apart, an increase in crimes, and social disturbances. This goes against the responsibilities and ethical standards of journalism. Therefore, whether life becomes good or ugly depends on the ‘fairness’ of those who hold the pen.
By TVVN Press
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