Keep the saying "Sharp eyes, pure heart".

((Baonghean.vn) - One day in December 2011, we arranged to meet him to discuss work at the Nhan Dan Newspaper. Upon arriving at his residence, we found him neatly dressed with his familiar black leather briefcase, waiting at the bottom of the stairs of building 173 Nguyen Ngoc Vu. Over 70 years old, with 50 years of experience, the demeanor of a journalist remained intact – journalist Nguyen Thanh Phong, senior reporter, former Director and Head of the Party Building Department of the Nhan Dan Newspaper. Writing about him, I feel a sense of powerlessness in the face of such a towering figure in the journalistic world. This article is merely a glimpse from a younger journalist, far removed from him both in age and professional stature.

As one of the nine people who were present from the very beginning of Nghe An Newspaper's establishment, the 50th anniversary of the first issue of Nghe An Newspaper also marks his 50th anniversary in journalism. Throughout half a century of writing, he spent 15 years working at Nghe An Newspaper (from 1961 to 1976) and 28 years at Nhan Dan Newspaper (20 years as Head of the Nhan Dan Newspaper's Resident Office in Nghe An and then Nghe Tinh, 8 years as Deputy Director and then Director, Senior Reporter at the Nhan Dan Newspaper Editorial Board), and 17 years as a dedicated reporter covering the General Secretary's work.

Journalist Thanh Phong's career also included 10 years of teaching journalism to staff in Laos. For this reason, he was honored with the Third-Class Labor Medal by the State of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. He retired in 2004. As he wrote in his recent article, "Unforgettable Years": "Although I've retired, my love for the profession hasn't. Because to this day, I remain a special contributor to the Vietnam Communist Party's online newspaper, and a regular contributor to several newspapers, magazines, and special features on the Party for Vietnam Television. If someone asks, 'When did you start loving the profession?', I answer immediately without hesitation: 'Since the day I joined Nghe An Newspaper.'"

A time to remember

In early 1961, bidding farewell to the lecture halls of the People's University, young Nguyen Thanh Phong, from the imperial city of Hue, eagerly packed his bags and headed to Vinh town in Zone Four (formerly). At that time, the young reporter Thanh Phong was considered a "child" of the newspaper (because his first colleagues, Le Ngoc Vuong and the poet Tra Ngan, were also more than 20 years older than him). He brought the enthusiasm of youth and a clear, fresh perspective to begin his writing career. Thanh Phong was assigned the task of reading and summarizing information sent in by correspondents, then forwarding it to the broadcasting department or keeping it for the newspaper.

As a student from the regionMaleHe was nurtured and educated by the Party and the State, and during his evacuation to various places such as Hung Dao (Hung Nguyen), Thanh Chuong, Do Luong, etc., wherever he went, he was loved and protected by the people. It was also during this time, under the old light box (now donated to the Nghe An Newspaper's Traditional Room on the occasion of its 50th anniversary), that 200 articles were published.

He still remembers his first trip to write about the rice planting festival at Ba To Cooperative (Hung Thai, Hung Nguyen). It was over 5km from Vinh, and without transportation, he had to walk and hitch a ride on a horse-drawn carriage to get there. He filled two pages with just the news report about the winter-spring rice planting festival and felt very proud. The next morning, he submitted it to Comrade Phan Huy Chuyen, both happy and nervous, waiting for the result. His older brother, Phan Huy Chuyen, carefully corrected it in red ink with a gentle but profound comment: "You know how to gather information, but your presentation is too convoluted. I've revised it like this; please let me know if you agree." That was one of the first lessons in his journalistic career. Traveling, writing, and stumbling a lot taught him how to get back up and become stronger.

Each issue of the newspaper marked a significant milestone in his journalistic career. New fields such as industry, handicrafts, agriculture, the military, commerce, and transportation were all explored by Thanh Phong through numerous impactful articles. On one occasion, assigned to write about the Trung Kien boatbuilding cooperative (Nghi Thiet, Nghi Loc), he painstakingly traveled on foot and by horse-drawn carriage to reach the facility. Upon learning of his journey, Mr. Nguyen Than Men, the cooperative's chairman, was speechless, offering only the compliment, "The journalist is so good at walking!" He then arranged for a cooperative member to take him back to the editorial office by bicycle, along with a package of dried mackerel as a gift. Two days later, the quick report, "Trung Kien carves through mountains to build a boatbuilding factory," was published.

He also matured thanks to colleagues and mentors like Thép Mới. During his first overseas trip to the Soviet Union with Thép Mới, Thanh Phong filled an entire notebook with notes but only managed to write four articles, while Thép Mới wrote thirteen articles in a row without taking any notes at all. He said it was a blessing to have such mentors! Thép Mới himself taught the younger generation how to be "as solid as a three-legged stool," especially those working for the Party's press.

The book "Long Journey Across the Country" contains many photographs of him sitting and listening to President Ho Chi Minh tell stories and writing reports at the Vinh Mechanical Factory, or a photograph on the battlefield at the summit of Mount 102, capturing him interviewing soldiers of the anti-aircraft artillery unit protecting the city's skies. He especially remembers the heart-wrenching moments of grief when he and his comrades dug up the remains of the 12 girls of Truong Bon who were buried by bombs. He remembers when they found Thong's hand; opening her palm, they still clutched the letter inviting her to attend vocational school (although she had the letter, she still asked to stay). He and everyone else fell silent, their hearts aching, wanting to cry out in the vast emptiness. Those tears, even now, flow freely as he recounts the story to us. Twenty years later, he wrote another article, "Remembering the 12 Girls of Truong Bon." Because of his dedication, the representatives of the Nghe An Youth Volunteer Force agreed to accept him as a witness, contributing to building the image of the Truong Bon Youth Volunteer Force squad.

The word "heart" will live on forever.

In our conversation, he didn't hide his feelings when recalling the imperfections of his journalistic career. There were times when he wrote incorrectly, poorly, or didn't investigate thoroughly, presenting inaccurate examples, even though many of the examples he wrote about were later recognized as heroes, such as Ho Thi Luom (Quynh Luu), Nguyen Trong Tuong, Nguyen Huu Tung, and Hoang Thi Lien. One example was even written incorrectly based on hearsay. In 1964, during the provincial "Two Excellences" emulation movement's awards ceremony, a young woman shared her story. She loved a man from Xa Doai, who later joined the army and died. Although she wasn't yet his wife, she volunteered to be his daughter-in-law and helped his parents. During the ceremony, she sang the song "My Love, Step Firmly," which deeply moved everyone. From that story, he wrote the article "The Volunteer Bride," which was published on the front page of the newspaper. However, upon further investigation, it was found that this case was not true; the girl had fabricated the story. He bravely admitted his mistake in writing the article without conducting thorough research.

In his modest room on the 14th floor of the apartment building at 173 Nguyen Ngoc Vu (Hanoi), he still dedicates a room to worship and to books, documents, and mementos from his lifetime as a journalist.

Among his vast archives are notebooks from a bygone era. These notebooks, faded with time, contain hastily scribbled notes from trenches still reeking of gunpowder, from a winter rice field, or even from moments spent waiting for a ride—all still vividly alive. These notebooks, yellowed by time and having endured decades of bombs, bullets, and hardship, are carefully and respectfully stored on his bookshelf.

Among the many documents of journalist Thanh Phong, we also found a stack of A4-sized notebooks containing numerous articles he wrote over various periods. He was deeply committed to the places where he tirelessly left his mark, such as in the article: "The Man Who Revived a Land," about the "billionaire" forest planter Vo Van Thiem in Ly Thanh (Yen Thanh). Or his scathing exposé of fraudsters who stole over 16 billion VND from the people of Nghi Thuy and Nghi Tan communes in his nearly 2,500-word investigative report, "A Fraud Case That Devastates 250 Households," and his article on anti-corruption in Nghe Tinh, "Early Action..." in 1990. He even has a long section titled "Articles Against Corruption," each article carrying significant weight and contributing to the purification of society. But alongside these, there are also many articles imbued with reflection and concern about the homeland, or deeply moved by those who have fallen, such as the series of articles about the 12 girls of Truông Bồn: "Remembering the Twelve Girls of Truông Bồn", "About the 12 'Living Marker' Girls of Truông Bồn"...

Throughout his life, and still not having stopped even at the age well past the age of "seventy, a rare age in ancient times," what journalist Thanh Phong has contributed to society, with his sincere heart and lifelong devotion to the Party, is truly a legacy that few can possess.

Tran Hai