Special Reporter

(Baonghean) - They are not official staff of Baonghean Newspaper, but they live and work like reporters of the editorial office. These are "special" collaborators - people who are closely associated with the editorial office, with the mindset of reporters of the provincial Party newspaper, wholeheartedly contributing to making the newspaper even richer, more diverse, and more attractive.

Driven by the need to innovate and improve the quality of content, format, and distribution of the Party newspaper, since 2012, in addition to focusing on developing a team of regular and irregular contributors inside and outside the province, quickly strengthening the staff, and recruiting more reporters, the Editorial Board of Nghe An Newspaper has implemented a "special" contributor model. Those chosen are usually individuals with competence, political integrity, good moral character, and high prestige in the profession. This includes retired journalists and young writers...

Journalist and "special" contributor Viet Long infiltrated the Cam Muon gold mining area to report on the problem of illegal gold mining.

They are "special" compared to ordinary contributors because the editorial office assigns them to specialized departments and they participate in activities like reporters. They are intimately connected to the editorial office not only professionally but also in all activities and social movements. Besides writing news articles, providing advice, and coordinating with reporters to carry out projects as assigned by the Editorial Board, they also form the core force for fixed columns that suit their individual strengths. For example, when mentioning the column "Village People Speak" on the ethnic minority section of the Nghe An Weekend newspaper, readers immediately remember the author Huu Vi, the pen name of the young writer Vi Van Choong, born in 1983, from Dinh village, Chi Khe commune, Con Cuong district.

With its concise, simple, easy-to-understand, and memorable writing style, focusing on practical and essential issues relevant to the lives of the people in the highlands, the "Village People Speak" column is highly appreciated by the ethnic minorities in western Nghe An province for "giving voice to our people." What is admirable about Vi Van Choong is that despite his poor eyesight, he is very passionate and responsible in his work. Before and during his studies at the Nguyen Du School of Creative Writing, Vi Van Choong collaborated with the Voice of Vietnam Radio and several newspapers in Hanoi. At the end of 2011, after a probationary period, he became a "special" contributor to the Nghe An Newspaper. For Vi Van Choong, the local Party newspaper is truly a bridge through which he can convey the policies and guidelines of the Party and State to the people in the mountainous areas and reflect what he sees and hears, the opinions and aspirations of the people in the border region to the Party committee and the government.

With years of experience and a strong professional reputation, journalist Tran Hong Co, a contributor to the Political News Department, is dedicated to the "Ideological Activities" column in the Party building section. Writing about Party building is already difficult, but writing "Ideological Activities" that is both concise, insightful, and impactful is even more challenging. Yet, under the pen of journalist Tran Hong Co, the "Ideological Activities" column is far from dry; it is engaging and closely related to the issues raised in practice. Besides contributing articles, in professional meetings of the News Department, journalist Tran Hong Co also enthusiastically shares his experience, provides guidance to young reporters, and advises the department's leadership on specific topics. "After retiring, I accepted the 'special' contributor role to live out my passion for the profession and to write for the Party newspaper," journalist Hong Co confided. It seems that time and age have not diminished the burning passion for his work. According to journalist Tran Hong Co: collaborators are not just "participating for fun," but must work seriously and responsibly. In 2013, journalist Tran Hong Co made his mark as a "special" collaborator of the local Party newspaper by winning the Nghe An Journalism Award with his work: "Implementing the Project to Reorganize Party Organizations: Enhancing the Leadership Capacity of Party Organizations."

The implementation of a "special" collaborator model involving participation in specialized departments not only aims to build a core group and strengthen the connection between the editorial office and collaborators, facilitating exchange and guidance to ensure their articles are more aligned with the correct direction and of higher quality, but also creates favorable conditions and an environment for collaborators to develop their individual abilities and strengths. For example, collaborator Viet Long from the Social and Cultural Affairs department often focuses on issues related to public order, national defense, and security. He has also made his mark by regularly collaborating with the newspaper's reporters on investigative reports on hot and sensitive issues such as: "The Journey to Find the Truth About the Hoang Thien Long Sect" - awarded the B Prize at the provincial level in 2013, and most recently, the investigative series "The Truth About Tam Duc Black Garlic". Young contributor Phuong Chi, born in 1987, works for the Weekend Mountain Regions section. Her smooth and eloquent writing style is often associated with cultural and artistic segments such as "Four Seasons Through the City," "My Story," and "The Land and People of Nghe An"... For Phuong Chi, "each trip to visit the people in the mountainous border regions is a fascinating real-life experience, enriching my knowledge and life experiences."

In recent years, Nghe An Newspaper has paid special attention to investigating reader letters, providing legal advice, and offering legal support to citizens. Responding to this practical need, Lawyer Trong Hai, born in 1976, a graduate of Hanoi Law University and currently the Head of Trong Hai and Associates Law Office, has become a "special" collaborator for the reader's section of Nghe An Newspaper. For Trong Hai, "Collaborating with the Party newspaper is not simply about demonstrating the role of a lawyer in society, bringing legal knowledge closer to the people, but also about expressing his opinions and offering critiques on issues reflected in the press..." Besides appearing in the newspaper as a lawyer, Trong Hai also contributes insightful and engaging articles to the sports commentary section…

To ensure the efficient operation of the newspaper production line and to improve the quality of the newspaper by increasing the number of pages and issues, in addition to directing reporters to stay close to the grassroots and go to hotspots, the Editorial Board has reformed its leadership and management, strengthening links with collaborators outside the province, creating appeal for the Party newspaper. Therefore, some collaborators from afar, even without contracts with the editorial office or participation in the professional departments, are still considered "family members" and "loyal" contributors due to their close relationship with the local Party newspaper, such as Major General, Associate Professor, Dr. Le Van Cuong – former Director of the Institute of Strategy, Ministry of Public Security, with his insightful, intelligent, and in-depth articles for the "International Commentary" column. Or journalist Duy Huong – a native of Nghe An working at a central Party newspaper. Duy Huong impresses with his concise, witty, yet insightful and direct writing style, imbued with the distinctive character of Nghe An, in his columns such as "Exchange," "Commentary," "Perspectives from Nghe An," and "Around a Green Tea Pot"... Many young reporters covering Party building have called him "master," because during his work trips to Nghe An, he has collaborated with reporters from Nghe An Newspaper, diligently sharing his experience and guiding young reporters on how to explore and familiarize themselves with in-depth topics related to Party building.

Currently, the newspaper also has a team of young collaborators participating in activities in specialized departments such as Dinh Nguyet, Pham Ngan… Not only are they closely connected in terms of work, but the staff and reporters of Nghe An Newspaper always consider their "regular" and "special" collaborators as "family," sharing the joys and sorrows of life with them.

It can be said that, along with an increasingly standardized team of staff and reporters, the general force of collaborators, and especially "special" collaborators, have been contributing their efforts to help Nghe An Newspaper continue its strong transformation, changing in both content and form, creating appeal and widespread influence among a large number of readers inside and outside the province.

Text and photos:Khanh Ly