Current events

The story of 'one like person'

Dao Tuan; Presented by: Huu Quan • September 18, 2025 08:23

There is too much data for me to start with him, but perhaps I should choose the story of "one like person" to easily see the portrait of a journalist - a person who with all his enthusiasm "infused" into the journalistic life works that were realistic, vivid and also harsh, thorny like the way he always took upon himself.

Dao Tuan• September 18, 2025

There is too much data for me to start with him, but perhaps I should choose the story of "one like person" to easily see the portrait of a journalist - a person who with all his enthusiasm "infused" into the journalistic life works that were realistic, vivid and also harsh, thorny like the way he always took upon himself.

During the years 2012 - 2013, when social networks, specifically Facebook, were not yet fully developed, many people were still hesitant, even wary of this platform. At that time, although we reporters were always active and flexible in approaching and applying new trends, many people still thought that Facebook was a "frivolous" thing that was just a waste of time. He was the same! Every time he saw someone swiping on their phone, he always thought it was useless (to tell the truth, sometimes it was really useless).

But things have changed. Realizing the new trend of journalism in the context of digital platforms and digital technology gradually dominating social life, the leaders of Nghe An Newspaper at that time, while focusing on strongly developing digital journalism infrastructure and innovating electronic newspapers, required staff, reporters, and editors to create personal pages on Facebook. The goal was to "sell", introduce, and promote their "brainchildren" on digital social platforms, first of all, Facebook.

Unable to “talk tough” anymore, he was forced to change. One day, he - in a very natural way, brought his new smartphone in front of me:“Create a Facebook account for yourself. Just practice!”.So the nickname Nhat Lan Ngo has been around since that day. By now, everyone must have known who he is. Yes! It's none other than journalist Ngo Nhat Lan.

From the time Nhat Lan "learned to play" Facebook until he mastered it and used it as a means and tool to serve his work quite quickly. He is very diligent in "sharing" his works, his brainchildren and his colleagues. Those who regularly follow him on the internet will see that almost all of the works and press products he shares carry meaningful messages; they are thorny issues that life and public opinion pose. Sometimes the statuses on his "wall" only have a few dozen "likes". When we teased him, he just smiled lightly:“I only need a like if it comes from an individual who is responsible for solving the problem the post raises.".

For journalists, especially those who specialize in reporting and investigative reporting like journalist Ngo Nhat Lan, a "like" from a responsible individual for their work can be considered half the success.

In terms of age, I am the younger brother of journalist Nhat Lan, but above all, we are colleagues. He and I have had many trips together on the far, far roads of investigation and reporting. At those times, I realized that this person exudes perseverance, determination and courage. This is what has shaped him, a journalist who dares to commit, dares to take risks, dares to sacrifice for life. I still remember the day we repeatedly crossed forests and waded through streams to Huoi May, Cam Muon commune, Que Phong (old) to report on the illegal gold mining situation. In the early days when there were no functional forces, we had to face hundreds of cold eyes in the deep forests and mountains and always felt like we were being watched and monitored invisibly. Or like the 4-day and night trip through the Pu Mat forest in the bitter cold to determine the location of the lost forest and the amount of trees cut down.

I also remember the image: on the slope through Buoc Mu village, Na Ngoi commune (old Ky Son district), journalist Ngo Nhat Lan with his haggard face turned purple, despite the ice and snow on his hair and eyelids, he still tremblingly opened his notebook to write down lines and words for the investigation article. That journey was in December, we had to cut through the forest, traveling through the night for nearly 5 hours from Buoc Mu village through the communes of Muong Ai, Muong Tip, Bac Ly, Ta Ca to reach Muong Xen. That business trip left Nhat Lan with many worries and concerns. That feeling was not because of the hardship, nor because the incident had not been published or announced in the newspaper, but because he felt helpless and disappointed!

In the Nghe An press, there are not many reporters and journalists who are as diligent in pursuing the matter and the truth as Nhat Lan. He always appears before the eyes of the person opposite as "a mass of thoughts" - always like that, always pensive, unable to stop with thoughts. Very rarely do people see this man at ease, even when he appears to be free, I still see that he is "holding back" some worries in his heart. Or maybe it is because this person's personality is so serious that it is austere.

Speaking of this, I remember a series of articles related to the issue of resolving the rights of contract workers at Quy Hop Radio and Television Station (Quy Hop Culture, Sports and Tourism Center). He wrote dozens of articles, contacted many responsible organizations and individuals to resolve and resolve the issue. And when everything was thoroughly resolved, he remained the same - silently left and never mentioned it again.

We are journalists, but I always think that only Nhat Lan is immersed in that space with all the meanings of this word. He is always calm to strong, steadfast to thorny every time he faces a reality of life that is posed to the press. I still remember 4 years ago, public opinion in the province was stirred when Nghe An Newspaper published an article: "Heartbreaking resignation letters of forest rangers in Nghe An”. This article and many others that followed mentioned the situation of hundreds of forest protection officers in Thanh Chuong district (old) resigning because their unstable income was not enough to cover their living expenses. Fortunately, one of the articles by journalist Nhat Lan reached the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Minh Hoan (currently Vice Chairman of the National Assembly), thereby untangling the bottlenecks in forest protection work, and forest protection officers received attention in terms of policies.

That's the forest, but also the sea. Journalist Nhat Lan once wrote a series of articles about "ship 67" (ships supported to be built under Decree No. 67 of the Government) when he realized the difficulties of fishermen in accessing policies. Recently, the public must not have forgotten the incident of 10 workers on 2 fishing control ships of Nghe An losing their jobs in early 2024 because they were not subject to Decree 111/2022/ND-CP replacing Decree 68/2000, and due to difficulties in implementing legal regulations.

Among the 10 workers on the 2 ships that have been stranded for many months, there are people who have continuously contributed to the field of fisheries control for more than 20 years. This is also the force that carries out the task of protecting aquatic resources to meet the demands of fishing grounds and the requirements of exploitation and fishing according to domestic and international regulations. It is still journalist Nhat Lan with a series of investigative articles, reports, reflections, news, photos, and clips on the publications of Nghe An Newspaper. That sense of responsibility, his pursuit to the end of the matter has brought results. The leaders of the province and the Department of Agriculture have directed and removed difficulties,put two fishing control ships and 10 workers back into operation. And Nhat Lan's greatest joy was to have made the voyage with the fisheries control brothers on their first trip out to sea after many months of being on shore.

It is difficult to list all the imprints that journalist Ngo Nhat Lan has created in the press space. The works: "Sludge bomb bag on Lan Toong mountain"; "Gold bandits on Phu Phen mountain"; "So sorry for sa mu"; "Mong village reservoir project"; "Acacia mining road or illegal quartz ore mining road?"; "A decade of abandoning boarding school in the highlands"; "Journey to find the truth about Hoang Thien Long heresy"; "Eliminate "localism" in clean water production and business"; "Replacement forestation: A difficult problem that needs a solution!"; "Preventing threats from across the border";... are just a few strokes in the vast picture of the genre of reportage and investigative reportage that journalist Ngo Nhat Lan has created with his enthusiasm and practice. I also cannot count all the awards that he has been honored with over the years. Just know that the places he went to, the regions he passed through all left behind a heart passionate about life and humanity.

And there is one thing that not everyone knows about Nhat Lan. He is a painter by background. Therefore, he also has personality traits formed from the aesthetic thinking of a painter. However, I also see in him the rationality and profound knowledge of a portrait painter or sculptor. Is this what has helped him become sharp and confident in the media space? I think that whether it is a brush or a pen, his works are still unmistakable: authentic, warm and full of life!