Building consensus helps resolve grievances at the grassroots level.

(Baonghean) - With the mission of "being the voice of the Party, government, and people of Nghe An," over the years, Nghe An Newspaper has actively participated in handling many hot and sensitive issues. It has fostered consensus, overcome difficulties, resolved pressing issues at the grassroots level, and contributed to shaping public opinion and stabilizing social order, security, and politics in the province.

Removing obstacles and providing direction.

Commenting on Nghe An Newspaper, journalist Nguyen Duy Huong - Head of the Party Building Department of People's Television - assessed: "Not only does it do a good job of 'filtering out the bad and highlighting the good,' 'promoting the good and eliminating the bad,' Nghe An Newspaper also does a good job of advising the Party committee and local government to 'cool down' hot spots, resolve and alleviate pressing issues in people's lives, and suggest directions for the province's socio-economic development..."

Reporters from Nghe An Newspaper working in My Ly commune (Ky Son district). Photo: Nhat Lan

Looking back at the issues that Nghe An Newspaper has been involved in resolving over the past period, it's clear that the above statement is not an exaggeration at all. In reality, many sensitive issues directly impacting people's lives and the socio-economic development of localities have been reported by the newspaper, creating positive public opinion, helping functional agencies to promptly address issues, and strengthening people's trust in the Party committee and government. A typical example is the Ban Mong Reservoir Project's headworks in Yen Hop commune (Quy Hop district), which was stalled for four years due to obstacles in compensation and land clearance.

Recognizing the risk of delays affecting the strategically important irrigation project for the socio-economic development of Western Nghe An, the Editorial Board of Nghe An Newspaper dispatched a team of reporters to investigate the situation, gather information, and analyze the causes and responsibilities of the local authorities, contractors, construction units, and the people in a thorough and reasonable manner. In the process of creating the article, the reporters drew parallels and comparisons to the sacrifices made for the common good by the people resettled due to the Ban Ve Hydropower Project, the Hua Na Hydropower Project, etc., to influence the thoughts and feelings and evoke a sense of civic responsibility in some households affected by the Ban Mong Reservoir Project.

Nghe An Newspaper intervenes to definitively resolve obstacles in land clearance for the Ban Mong water reservoir project.

At the same time, it suggested solutions to ensure the project's early completion, solving the problem of water shortage for production and daily life for the people, bringing new vitality and hope to the drought-prone Mekong Delta region. With the active involvement of Nghe An Newspaper, the efforts of local authorities and relevant parties, the issue was finally resolved. The people, who had initially reacted strongly, even resorting to extreme actions to obstruct construction, agreed, supported, and happily signed the compensation documents, and construction resumed on June 5, 2015...

The issue revolves around land clearance for the expansion of an export garment factory within the Yen Thanh Town Industrial Cluster Construction Project (Phase 2). Although compensation and support policies, as well as the resolution of grievances from households in Hamlet 4, Yen Thanh Town, have been implemented by authorities at all levels in accordance with the law and the actual situation, eight households still refused to hand over their land. Nghe An Newspaper investigated the matter thoroughly, analyzing the issue to encourage residents, especially officials and Party members, to share the common good of the district, the province, and their own children. Ultimately, the households agreed to hand over the land, eliminating the need for coercive measures or construction protection by the authorities.

Embrace beauty and eliminate ugliness.

Besides gathering information from the grassroots, Nghe An Newspaper also participates in resolving issues arising from citizen complaints and hotline reports. Even minor issues such as unstable street lighting, incorrect street signs, fallen trees, or uncovered manholes have been addressed and rectified by relevant authorities and localities after the newspaper publishes the information. Many suggestions and feedback from readers and citizens, conveyed through sections like "Readers' Contributions," "Readers' Opinions," "Voice of the Grassroots," and "Hotline," despite their limited length of only a few hundred words, have been addressed and responded to by various levels of government and localities. Some incidents, after investigation and verification by reporters, are presented in a lighthearted manner in sections like "Behind the Village Bamboo Fence," "Legal Stories," "Events - Forums," and "Today's Issues," creating a significant impact, contributing to the stability of the situation at the grassroots level, and prompting reflection from those involved. That is both a joy and a motivation for those working for the Party's press to fulfill their responsibility as a bridge between functional agencies, local authorities, and the people.

Reporters spoke with officials from Xuan Tuong commune, Thanh Chuong district.

For complex and protracted issues, the editorial office assigns reporters to closely monitor developments, proactively gather information and documents, and grasp news to promptly address issues based on respect for the truth, demonstrating a high level of critical thinking and fighting spirit, while still prioritizing public opinion guidance and stabilizing the situation at the grassroots level. Mistakes, shortcomings, and weaknesses of individuals and groups are pointed out frankly, getting to the bottom of the truth with a humane and constructive perspective, for the sake of overall stability. Examples include the series of articles "Sad Stories We Don't Want to Tell in Cat Van (Thanh Chuong)", "The Painful Issue of Agent Orange in Nghi Loc", and "Thousands of Land Titles Disappearing with a Ghost Project"...

Furthermore, the newspaper also demonstrated a resolute stance in fighting against actions and behaviors that go against the interests of the country and the people. Many major thematic reports created a profound social impact, contributing positively to helping the province and localities overcome difficulties, improve the quality and efficiency of management and socio-economic development, and create stability in the area, such as: "Regarding the case of law violations in Nghi Phuong" (National Journalism Award A), "Land clearance for National Highway 1A" (Provincial Journalism Award First Prize); "Regarding the search for martyrs' graves using spirit possession methods", "The journey to uncover the truth about the Hoang Thien Long cult", "From green pastures to a glass of clean milk"...

One of the achievements of the Party newspaper in President Ho Chi Minh's hometown in 2015 was the establishment and effective operation of the Free Legal Aid Office, jointly organized by Nghe An Newspaper and Trong Hai & Associates Law Office. The purpose is to help people resolve difficulties and obstacles related to the law, prevent and limit disputes, legal violations, and prolonged complaints and denunciations, contributing to stability at the grassroots level. In fact, there have been cases where, despite the local authorities' efforts to resolve the issues, people still disagreed and continued to file complaints in large numbers and for extended periods. After receiving thorough and reasonable advice and explanations from lawyers, the people withdrew their complaints and left happily. In the first 10 months of 2014, the Legal Aid Office organized 45 legal aid sessions for 134 citizens.

Currently, alongside experienced, capable, and combative journalists, Nghe An Newspaper is continuing to train and develop a team of young journalists with strong foundational knowledge and multimedia skills, meeting the high demands of a model newsroom that integrates with other media. This forms the basis for the newsroom to effectively fulfill its role as a "conductor" in guiding public opinion, contributing to resolving pressing issues at the grassroots level, and promoting the socio-economic development of the province.

Khanh Ly