'Journalists from Uncle Ho's hometown must be pioneers in the field of media'

(Baonghean.vn) - The speech commemorating the 92nd anniversary of Revolutionary Press Day presented by Chairman of Nghe An Journalists Association Tran Duy Ngoan affirmed the great role of Revolutionary press.

Chairman of Nghe An Journalists Association Tran Duy Ngoan reads a speech commemorating Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day. Photo: Hoai Thu

92 years ago, on June 21, 1925, the Thanh Nien newspaper, founded by President Ho Chi Minh, published its first issue, marking the birth of the Vietnamese revolutionary press. Over 92 years of construction, development and growth, with its functions and tasks, the press has always accompanied the glorious, indomitable struggles of our Party and our people for national independence and socialism. The press has become an important force on the ideological front; many press works have truly been "revolutionary proclamations", "calls to the country" urging compatriots and soldiers across the country to join the battle. From the blood and fire of war, hundreds of journalists and soldiers have heroically sacrificed, contributing to adding more color to the glorious history of the revolutionary press and of the nation.

Over 30 years of innovation, the press has continuously developed. Currently, the whole country has 861 press agencies (including 199 printed newspapers, 662 magazines, 150 electronic newspapers, 67 radio and television stations), 17,000 journalists; 19,500 journalist members. The press always strongly promotes the functions of information, education, organization and social criticism. Always for the benefit of the people and the country. Timely reflecting the developments in all aspects of social life, encouraging typical new factors and achievements of the innovation process.

.....Throughout the revolutionary periods, Nghe An press was born early and has continuously developed, matured and is considered the cradle of revolutionary press. The Provincial Party Committee, the People's Committee of Nghe An province and the people of the province have always paid attention to and created conditions for the press to develop, improve the quality and efficiency of its operations, and do a good job of propagating the political tasks of the locality. Nghe An press agencies and the team of journalists in Uncle Ho's homeland have increasingly developed in a professional and modern direction, and have a strong network of collaborators capable of ensuring press activities in the locality. With 7 press agencies, nearly 200 journalists were granted cards in the 2016-2020 period and 274 Journalist Association members were granted new cards in the 2017-2021 period.

...As a "political, social and professional organization" of Vietnamese journalists, in recent times, Nghe An Journalists Association has had many practical activities in fostering professional qualifications and skills; improving political capacity, professional ethics and protecting the right to practice according to the law for member journalists. Actively participating in the National Press Awards, Nghe An Press Awards, the project to create high-quality press works; the annual Spring Press Festival has created good conditions for Nghe An journalists to practice their skills in press activities. Many journalists have risen up and increasingly asserted themselves through excellent press works that have been honored by colleagues and loved by readers and audiences.

However, in addition to the results, we have also revealed some limitations and shortcomings such as: There are still signs of lack of political sensitivity, not doing a good job of orienting public opinion, not implementing the objectives and goals well; still letting in dishonest, inaccurate, sensational, clickbait, and secret-disclosing information; Not doing a good job of discovering and propagating advanced models, good people, good deeds, and encouraging patriotic emulation movements in all fields. Some press agencies are slow to innovate content and form; propaganda is not attractive, not mastering information, and not having press works summarizing practices on par with a large province. There are still cadres, members of the press association, and reporters who have not properly implemented the Code of Ethics for Vietnamese journalists. Coordination in handling violations in press activities is not strict. The operating conditions of the Journalists Association are not up to par with new requirements. The press economy (especially industry newspapers and magazines) is still limited, and the lives of journalists in these units are also full of difficulties.

Regarding the 2016 Nghe An Press Awards, the Provincial Press Awards Council received more than 100 press works from selected journalistic associations, with all types of press: printed newspapers, visual newspapers, radio newspapers, electronic newspapers, press photos. The content of the works closely followed the political events of the country and the province in 2016. They had the right ideological and political orientation; they discovered new issues, reflected promptly, truthfully, objectively, vividly, and diversely the economic, cultural, social, security, national defense, sovereignty over seas and islands, foreign affairs, and investment attraction activities that had a positive and effective impact on the social life of the people in the province. They promoted typical examples, new factors, good people, and good deeds in economic, cultural, social, health, educational, and social evils prevention and reduction in remote areas and ethnic minority areas; new rural construction

Issues in Party building, studying and following Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality and style, and Party Resolutions are also reflected in all types of press. Works on preventing and overcoming the consequences of natural disasters and climate change; economic development associated with environmental protection; forest protection, agriculture, rural areas, farmers...

Based on the award rules, with the requirement of constant innovation and improvement of content quality and presentation, the works must have the ability to discover problems, creativity in presentation methods, and the ability to spread and influence society. With its responsibility, in the preliminary round, the Council selected 40/85 works (Printed Newspaper, Electronic Newspaper, Visual Newspaper, Spoken Newspaper and Press Photos) for the final round.

Regarding the works participating in this year's award, the reportage and investigative reportage categories accounted for a high proportion (48/85, equivalent to 56.4%); the reflection article category (24/85, equivalent to 28.25%). The professional methods shown in the Radio and Television press works between reporters of the district radio and television stations and reporters of the provincial stations have shortened the gap. The outstanding points are beautiful frames, angles, lighting, fairly standard sharpness, sound, scene noise, music dubbing, clear interviews... The use of Flycam cameras is reasonable, not abused, especially in the production of documentary films. The number of works by resident reporters and representative offices of central and industry newspapers in Nghe An, and collaborators participating is higher than in previous seasons.

The limitation of the types of journalism is that the topics of good people, good deeds, typical examples, new factors are not many, not attractive. The way of headlines in printed, electronic and visual newspapers is sometimes and in some places not suitable, even to attract readers, not close to the theme and content of the work. There are quite a lot of long-term printed and electronic newspaper works, the content is spread out, overlaps or breaks up the issue, there are even investigative works but the conclusion is still open. There are too few press photos submitted (7%), especially single photos. Based on the results of the preliminary and final rounds, the Award Council presented to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee 25 best works including: 11 Encouragement prizes, 08 C prizes, 04 B prizes, 02 A prizes to award today.

Faced with the development and globalization of media and information, the difficulties and challenges are still very great in many aspects for us journalists. In addition, hostile counter-revolutionary forces are looking for every way to sabotage, distort, and divide the Party and our people, and sabotage the renovation and integration of the country and homeland. Promoting the tradition of Vietnamese revolutionary journalism, journalists in Uncle Ho's homeland need to immediately overcome shortcomings and continue to better perform the following key tasks:

1. Continuously improve the political capacity, professional qualifications, and professional ethics of journalists, unite and collaborate, build a strong and comprehensive press agency and Journalists Association. Propaganda, build and consolidate the great national unity bloc, smash all plots of sabotage by counter-revolutionary forces, contribute to protecting the Party, the government and the political system, create social consensus, and combine domestic and foreign information well in the process of socio-economic development of Nghe An and the country.

2. Continue to proactively adhere to the political tasks of the country and the province, enhance the combativeness in propaganda against corruption, waste, and negativity, and promote the critical nature of the press. Accurate, timely, complete, and verified information has the effect of propaganda and education, bringing new and valuable awareness to people in receiving information.

3. Discover, propagate and popularize new and typical things in all areas of social life. Encourage and promote the patriotic emulation movement of all classes of people in the province. Replicating typical examples of "Studying and following the moral example and style of Ho Chi Minh". Actively respond to the national "Golden Hammer and Sickle" Journalism Award...

4. Uphold the social responsibility and civic duty of journalists, constantly innovate and improve content and form, create many high-quality journalistic works, increase attractiveness, attract readers, listeners, viewers, actively participate in social activities, so that Nghe An press is truly an indispensable information and cultural product for all people in the province, contributing to promoting the image of Nghe An to domestic and international friends.

...Promoting the glorious tradition of Vietnamese revolutionary journalism cultivated by generations of journalists over the past 92 years, journalists in Uncle Ho's homeland promise to continue to strive, pioneer in the field of communications, excellently fulfill their tasks, worthy of the trust of the Party, the State and the expectations of the press public./.

* Title by Nghe An Newspaper

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