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Journalism in the revolutionary cause in our country

Author: Nguyen Si Dai - Technique: Diep Thanh • DNUM_CFZAFZCACF 08:06

The Vietnamese revolutionary press, under the skillful leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and generations of Party leaders, has always affirmed its role as a shock force, a sharp spearhead in the struggle for national independence, building and defending the Fatherland. From the first days with the mission of awakening patriotism and the will to gain independence, to the Doi Moi period with the task of fighting against negativity, the press has continuously developed, accompanying the great historical turning points of the nation.

Publication date: May 25, 2025 - Technical: Diep Thanh

The Vietnamese revolutionary press, under the skillful leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and generations of Party leaders, has always affirmed its role as a shock force, a sharp spearhead in the struggle for national independence, building and defending the Fatherland. From the first days with the mission of awakening patriotism and the will to gain independence, to the Doi Moi period with the task of fighting against negativity, the press has continuously developed, accompanying the great historical turning points of the nation.

President Ho Chi Minh was a great teacher, the founder and founder of the Vietnamese revolutionary press. Even when he was working abroad, he used his pen as a sharp weapon, stirring up a strong wave of patriotism among the people. The work “The Verdict of the French Colonial Regime” and hundreds of articles of struggle by Nguyen Ai Quoc not only exposed the brutal nature of colonialism, but also aroused the spirit of national independence among our people. These were pioneering fires, contributing significantly to the collapse of the colonial regime in Vietnam.

After gaining power, thousands of Uncle Ho's articles continued to be the guiding principles for the resistance and nation-building movements. Works such as "The Call for National Resistance" (1946), "The Call for Resistance to Save the Country" (1967) or "Promoting Revolutionary Morality, Eradicating Individualism" (1969) were not only manifestos of action but also heroic songs that aroused the strength of national unity.

Besides President Ho Chi Minh, many generations of Party leaders, especially General Secretaries, have made great contributions to the development of revolutionary journalism. Comrade Tran Phu, the first General Secretary of the Party, soon realized the strategic role of journalism in the revolutionary struggle. During his short leadership, he founded the first newspapers such as Co Do, Tranh Dau and Tap Chi Cong San, and established the Party's Propaganda Department - the forerunner of later propaganda work. His great dedication and sacrifice at a very young age left deep regret and was a source of inspiration for the generation of revolutionary journalists.

As Secretary of the Overseas Command of the Indochinese Communist Party, comrade Le Hong Phong founded the Bolshevik Journal - the first official theoretical organ of the Party Central Committee, thereby contributing to training cadres, strengthening international relations and spreading revolutionary ideology. Later, comrade Ha Huy Tap, with his journalism experience from the Soviet Union and France, when assuming the position of General Secretary, publicly published newspapers such as L'Avant garde (Tien phong), Le Peuple (1937) and Dan chung (1938), for the first time bringing the Party's voice closer to the masses in a legal, public form, contributing to creating a strong wave of struggle in society.

Continuing that flow, comrade Truong Chinh was directly in charge of the Liberation Flag newspaper from 1942 and later the National Salvation Newspaper of the Viet Minh Front - publications that had a profound influence in the pre-uprising and resistance periods. In particular, his article "The Japanese and French Shoot Each Other and Our Actions" promptly guided actions, contributed to promoting the revolutionary movement, clearly demonstrating the ideological leadership role of the press.

During the Doi Moi period, General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh left a deep impression with a series of articles “Things to do immediately” published in Nhan Dan Newspaper from 1987 to 1990. These courageous and direct articles not only exposed negative phenomena and corruption in the apparatus but also affirmed the pioneering role of revolutionary journalism in protecting justice and strengthening people's trust in the cause of renovation led by the Party.

From those solid foundations, the press continued to affirm its decisive role in historical periods. The 8th Central Conference (May 1941) chaired by President Ho Chi Minh issued important instructions on the press and strategic orientation: "At this time, propaganda books and newspapers should not use the name of the Party too much, but must use the name of the Viet Minh and other national salvation organizations instead."

This wise directive led to the birth of the National Salvation Newspaper (January 25, 1942) – the mouthpiece of the Viet Minh, with its first issue directed by comrade Truong Chinh. The front page appeal was in a heroic tone: “National Salvation will explain the suffering and misery of the people… will be the loyal guide to accompany the people on the path to national liberation”. The press at this time not only reflected the revolutionary reality, but also encouraged, led and aroused the strength of the entire people, truly becoming a fighting force.

In 1951, Nhan Dan newspaper was born, inheriting the spirit of the newspapers.revolutionary newspaperThe newspaper quickly became the main voice of the Party, where Uncle Ho wrote more than 1,200 articles and many great writers such as Hoang Tung, Thep Moi, Huu Tho, Ha Dang... were attached to it for life. From the practice of "three together" with farmers of Dai Phong Cooperative, journalist Ha Dang wrote the article "Three times catching up with middle farmers" (January 9, 1961). Only two days later, Uncle Ho published the article "A model cooperative" in Nhan Dan, creating a widespread emulation movement in the North to catch up with and surpass Dai Phong.

During the resistance war against the US, the press continued to be the flame that kept the faith. On December 26, 1972, in the midst of the days when Hanoi was bombed by B52s, Thep Moi wrote an editorial “Hanoi, the capital of human dignity”, affirming: “Houses can collapse, but there is one thing that cannot collapse, and that is people”.

And on March 5, 1979, in the context of the country facing the threat of invasion from the North, Hoang Tung's editorial "The whole country fights the enemy, the whole people are soldiers" resounded like a call from thousands of years of history, stirring up the spirit of "every tree and blade of grass wants to rush up to fight the enemy".

During the Renovation period, the role of the press became even more urgent. Before the 6th Party Congress (1986), the press promptly reflected the inadequacies of the mechanism, promptly discovered and set examples of people's innovations from the grassroots, contributing to the Party and State's promulgation of important renovation policies such as Contract 100 (1981), Contract 10 (1988) in agriculture, or Decision 217 (1987) increasing autonomy in industry and commerce. Famous journalists such as Hong Ha, Ha Dang, Huu Tho, Thai Duy... played an active role in guiding public opinion, contributing to promoting management reform.

Although there are no official “no-go zones”, in reality there are still “sensitive areas” that few people dare to touch – especially high-ranking leaders. However, the People’s Army Newspaper under the leadership of Editor-in-Chief Tran Cong Man bravely paved the way by publishing the article “The Truth About Comrade To Duy’s House” (July 22, 1987, author Tran Dinh Ba), creating the first breakthrough in preventing and fighting corruption and promoting multi-dimensional press coverage.

Then, in a meeting with 100 artists and intellectuals on October 6-7, 1987, General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh emphasized: “Comrades, you should not bend your pens. It is better to go into reality before writing to understand more, rather than writing in a timely manner…”

From those bases, the press stepped in.period of innovationstrongly, both in content and form. Theoretical articles, seminars, series of articles such as "Things to do immediately" in Nhan Dan Newspaper, along with many articles reflecting negativity and social injustice appearing frequently in Van Nghe, Lao Dong, Tien Phong, Tuoi Tre newspapers... touched the hearts of readers and became the flag of encouragement for Doi Moi. Many journalistic works created great resonance, causing a stir in public opinion at that time: The story of the tire king (Tran Huy Quang, Van Nghe, 1986); The kneeling woman (Tran Khac - aka Le Van Ba, Van Nghe, December 7, 1987); That night... what night (Phung Gia Loc, Van Nghe, March 21, 1988); Procedures for being a living person (Minh Chuyen, Van Nghe, May 19, 1988); The defendant's testimony (Tran Huy Quang, Van Nghe, December 1988).

On television, VTV commentator Nguyen Truong Phuoc emerged as an honest and upright voice. It can be said that the press during the Doi Moi period contributed to raising social awareness, helping people understand their rights, and boldly fight against injustice and corruption. In the context of the country's transformation, the press is not only a voice of criticism but also a driving force for reform and development.