All countries value journalism and journalists.
In Vietnam today, the term "journalist" is overused. In developed countries, newly graduated journalists or those just starting out in journalism typically begin as assistant reporters (helping reporters). I chose this big question as the title because I read it in an article commemorating the 70th anniversary of Vietnamese Revolutionary Journalism (June 21, 1925 – June 21, 1995). Twenty-seven years have passed since then, and this big question still hangs over my head, while I continue to search for a satisfactory answer that I can truly accept.
One morning, in a small cafe on the lower banks of the Lam River, sipping coffee and browsing Facebook, I met some colleagues and classmates from the K22 General Studies class (who had "retired irregularly" a few years ago). I noticed my classmates and colleagues were wide-eyed and astonished by the so-called "definition" of a journalist. The story was that on the Facebook page of BTBH – a female journalist and classmate, whom 45 years ago we students, who were supposed to be military-era, revered as "Hanoi's Xi Shi" – the kind of beauty she was back then. After graduation, BTBH became a reporter for the capital's television station, and now, in her sixties, she remains as gentle as can be, yet couldn't resist posting the following on Facebook:
"The Dictionary of Southern Vietnamese Terminology by Huynh Cong Tin, published by the Social Sciences Publishing House in 2007, defines a JOURNALIST as: 'A journalist is interpreted as someone who is unemployed, without a job, and dependent on their family. For example: "After graduating, they stay at home and work as journalists because they can't do anything else!"
BTBH added a gentle remark: "This work was compiled under the direction of the Vietnam Linguistics Association and Can Tho University. No matter how unintelligent you are or how much you hate journalists, you shouldn't reveal it to the public like that."
It's true that "It's too gentle, too gentle to argue with."
BTBH mentioned the esteemed Vietnam Linguistics Association. As for me, I secretly hoped and believed that none of the Linguistics professors – my classmates from the K22 Linguistics class – would vote for such a flawed "definition" of the concept of a journalist that would be disseminated in the linguistic communication environment of the Vietnamese community.
My colleague BTBH's subtle remarks prompted me to revisit one of my favorite definitions of a journalist. Before 1945, the people of my hometown, Co Dan, called journalists "teacher clerks," while in Northern Vietnam they were called "journalists." Today, everyone knows: "A journalist is a professional journalist who holds positions such as reporter, editor, editorial secretary, editor-in-chief, deputy editor-in-chief, and heads of journalistic departments."
Ultimately, journalism has two functions: an ideological function and an informational function. The ideological function of journalism is to emphasize that it always stands for social progress, in accordance with the inevitable laws of human historical development. Journalism is a dangerous profession, yet journalists are still not adequately protected by law enforcement agencies while carrying out their work.
Journalists play a crucial role in the field of media and communication, especially with the information explosion in the 4.0 era. The profession of journalism is to convey information accurately, so honesty is considered a core quality. Journalism demands a very high level of professional ethics, yet many journalists lack proper training and education in this area, leading to serious ethical violations. Many individuals and families have been victims of journalists who are either inexperienced, unprofessional, or unethical. The social role of journalists is determined by objective factors; no one has the right to dictate how a journalist should write or speak. Objectively, social perception of the profession, in which the public plays a particularly important role, is a key factor. Subjectively, it is influenced by the political system and political culture, the self-awareness of the profession and professional competence, and the ability of journalists to meet societal needs.
Journalists are the ones who bring information to the public; this is also the primary social responsibility that society entrusts to them. With a clear conscience and professional ethics, journalists demonstrate and affirm their social responsibility through news articles. Journalists always aim for the ultimate goal of truthfully reflecting objective truth. Truthfulness here is understood as authenticity. Truth is linked to events, and authenticity also has its art. The art here is the profession, the writing style, while authenticity means writing exactly as the issue is. Writing truthfully doesn't mean saying things as they are. There are things that, when said today, contradict reality, but one shouldn't abandon writing just to get published or to gain fame. It's not necessary for journalists to write about everything they encounter or hear in community life, but when they choose to write, they must ensure the highest possible level of objective truth.
A true journalist always strives to achieve "many roles in one": They are a thinker standing on the sidelines – with the purpose of serving the people and the nation, for the ideal of social progress, and for the ideal of peaceful coexistence among nations and progressive humanity. They are a catalyst for thought and public opinion, supporting and protecting new ideas and new factors. They are a "daily historian," therefore society always demands that journalists reflect truthfully, truthfully, and objectively, without embellishing or distorting events. They are an organizer – a positive force linking social power (in the field of media). Through their profession, journalists participate in social issues, directly intervening to resolve problems in social life. They are advisors guiding the public, providing information and offering timely, helpful advice that the public trusts. As a cultural figure, the news articles published by journalists possess high cultural value and profound humanistic values, contributing to the protection of social moral standards. Ultimately, journalists are creators of new value, persuading the public through their articles and encouraging them to protect and promote the values of morality and the traditional ethical values of the community and nation. Like other professions, journalism can bring success and fame, but it requires journalists to endure and overcome pressure from work and public opinion. For every piece of information a journalist publishes, the journalist is legally responsible. The pressure journalists face comes not only from their direct superiors and public opinion, but also from healthy competition among media outlets of similar standing.
Song: Symphony
Illustrative image: Archival material
