Party building

A century of heroes - A century of innovation

. • June 12, 2025 08:00

On February 5, 1985, the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam issued Decision No. 52, designating June 21st (the date when President Ho Chi Minh's Thanh Nien newspaper published its first issue) as Vietnam Press Day.

On February 5, 1985, the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam issued Decision No. 52 designating June 21st (the day the first issue of Ho Chi Minh's Thanh Nien newspaper was published) as Vietnam Press Day to enhance the role and social responsibility of the press, strengthen the relationship between the press and the public, and reinforce the Party's leadership over the press. On June 21, 2000, at the suggestion of the Vietnam Journalists Association, the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam agreed to rename Vietnam Press Day as Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day.

The 20th century ushered in the most glorious era in the nation's history. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, headed by the great President Ho Chi Minh, our people rose up to overthrow the century-long colonial rule of the French and the millennium-long feudal rule, establishing the first people's democratic state in Asia and repeatedly defeating the most brutal invading enemies. With the Great Victory of Spring 1975, for the first time, the country was reunited, the vast Vietnamese Fatherland stretching from Lung Cu to Ca Mau, from the majestic Truong Son Mountains to the boundless Truong Sa Islands.

Then, amidst the surrounding blockade and embargo, and the collapse of many political doctrines and systems, Vietnam not only stood firm but also rose up and confidently successfully implemented the Doi Moi (Renovation) Revolution, making Vietnam a shining example of development, peace, and friendship, and enhancing its role and position on the international stage.

Writing those glorious pages of history was made possible thanks to the immense and proud contributions of the journalist-soldiers, members of the Vietnam Journalists Association, who were pioneers in the revolutionary struggle and sacrificed themselves for the great cause of the nation.

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On April 15, 1865, Gia Dinh Newspaper, the first Vietnamese-language newspaper, was published, marking the beginning of the development of journalism in the country. However, under the colonial regime of the French, patriotic and progressive newspapers were always banned and heavily censored, with no organization to unite and protect the rights of journalists. Some newspapers, like Le Nhaque, were shut down after only a few issues, and its editor, Nguyen Khanh Toan, received a suspended prison sentence!

To make a revolution, you need a revolutionary force.

On his path to national salvation, Nguyen Ai Quoc deeply understood that for a revolution to succeed, it needed a political party of the proletariat and the building of a broad revolutionary force with the worker-peasant alliance as its core. One of the sharpest weapons and a vanguard revolutionary force was the press.

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To make a revolution, you need a revolutionary force.

In 1922, in France, he founded the newspaper "The Oppressed People". On June 21, 1925, in Guangzhou, China, he founded the newspaper "Youth", breaking the French colonialists' monopoly on the press and inaugurating the revolutionary press in Vietnam.

Throughout his life, President Ho Chi Minh not only worked in journalism, founding many newspapers, but also built and trained a team of journalists, and directed the establishment and operation of the Vietnam Journalists Association.

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"The duty of the press is to serve the people, to serve the revolution";
"Journalists are also revolutionary fighters";
"The pen is a sharp weapon in the cause of upholding justice and eliminating evil."

President Ho Chi Minh

During the years 1925-1945, Vietnamese journalism experienced remarkable development. Besides the newspapers established by the colonial government to enforce its rule, a series of patriotic and progressive newspapers emerged; especially revolutionary newspapers, which were published from clandestine to public; from weak and inexperienced, they became important voices, playing a leading role on the ideological front.

Many Party leaders also served as editors-in-chief of major newspapers.

The Communist Party of Vietnam and revolutionary journalists advocated for the unity of the press nationwide for the goal of national independence. In March 1937, Hai Trieu and Hai Thanh chaired the Central Vietnam Press Conference. In mid-1937, the Northern Vietnam Press Conference elected an Executive Committee of 19 members, primarily communist journalists such as Vo Nguyen Giap, Tran Huy Lieu, and Khuat Duy Tien. In Saigon, in August 1939, the Southern Vietnam Press Conference was held at a time when world war was imminent, and therefore could not reach a conclusion.

Immediately after the successful August Revolution, President Ho Chi Minh directed the establishment of an organization for journalists. He said: “Journalists are also soldiers. Those who wield pens and those who wield guns and swords are on the same front line, together with the entire nation to save and build the country. Chopsticks, when separated, are easily broken, but when bundled together, they cannot be broken.”

On December 27, 1945, nearly 100 journalists met at the headquarters of the National Salvation Cultural Association in Hanoi to establish the Vietnam Journalists Association.

Journalist Nguyen Tuong Phuong, Editor-in-Chief of Tri Tan Magazine, was elected Chairman.

On December 19, 1946, following President Ho Chi Minh's sacred call, the entire nation unanimously embarked on the holy resistance war.

In 1947, the Resistance Press Association was established, bringing together journalists into a unified, tightly organized national salvation organization, under the leadership of the Party and the Viet Minh Front, with journalist Xuan Thuy, Editor-in-Chief of the Cuu Quoc Newspaper, as its Chairman.

The delegation was very active, such as coordinating with the Viet Minh General Headquarters to open the Huynh Thuc Khang School of Journalism in Viet Bac - the first revolutionary journalism training facility in our country, a milestone in the history of journalism, which was recognized as a national revolutionary historical site in 2019.

On April 21, 2019, the road leading to the Roòng Khoa National Monument in Điềm Mặc, Định Hóa, Thái Nguyên, the birthplace of the Vietnam Journalists Association, was inaugurated.

Along this route, in 1950, journalists representing central press agencies based in the Viet Bac war zone, on behalf of the national press, attended the founding congress of the Vietnam Journalists Association. Journalist Xuan Thuy, who spearheaded the establishment of the Vietnam Press Group and the Resistance Press Group, and who had extensive journalistic experience since the 1930s, was trusted and elected as the first President of the Vietnam Journalists Association.

From this point on, the Vietnam Journalists Association officially undertook the mission of building a solid foundation for the revolutionary Vietnamese press; training and educating a team of journalist-soldiers wholeheartedly dedicated to the Fatherland; and protecting and enhancing the status of journalists. The charter adopted at the Congress affirmed: "The Vietnam Journalists Association aims to contribute to the building of a people's democracy through its profession, defending the rights and enhancing the status of journalists."

In July 1950, the Congress of the International Organization of Journalists (OIJ), held in Helsinki (Finland), recognized the Association of Vietnamese Journalists as a full member.

From Viet Bac, journalists Thep Moi and Tran Lam represented the Vietnamese press at the OIJ congress.

Pioneering on the information and propaganda front, the press in the revolution and resistance war was a battle cry that awakened the nation and united the people; like a flame igniting a great fire that burned to ashes the dark specter of colonialism and feudalism, illuminating the path to independence.

The heroic spirit and sacred value of freedom brought about by the August Revolution led Bao Dai, the last emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, to exclaim: "I would rather be a citizen of a free country than a king of a slave country."

On the evening of August 19, 1945, immediately after Hanoi seized power, the Provisional Revolutionary People's Committee of Northern Vietnam met and approved the decision to establish the Northern Vietnam Information Department and the National Radio Station.

On August 22, journalist Tran Kim Xuyen was assigned to head the Information Department, later the Vietnam News Agency (VNA); Tran Lam was assigned to head the National Radio Station, now the Voice of Vietnam (VOV).

On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Vietnam's Revolutionary Press Day, it is necessary to mention Tran Kim Xuyen, an exemplary journalist-soldier; the first journalist martyr. He was born in 1921 in Son My commune, Huong Son district (Ha Tinh province). After graduating from Vinh National School, Tran Kim Xuyen passed the civil service examination and worked at the Bac Giang provincial court, beginning his revolutionary activities. In 1944, he was arrested by the French colonialists and imprisoned in Hoa Lo prison; he organized an escape and participated in the General Uprising to seize power in Hanoi. On March 3, 1947, while evacuating documents to counter the French raids, he was shot and killed at Dam Sen, Ngoc Son commune, Chuong My district (Hanoi). Before dying, he shouted: "Long live completely independent Vietnam! Long live President Ho Chi Minh!" Upon hearing of Tran Kim Xuyen's sacrifice, President Ho Chi Minh and all journalists wept, mourning the loss of a rare journalistic talent, a steadfast revolutionary fighter; a key figure in establishing Vietnam Radio and the Vietnam News Agency.

At 11:30 AM on September 7, 1945, the Voice of Vietnam broadcast its first Vietnamese-language radio program worldwide. On December 1, 1947, in Dong Thap Muoi, the Voice of Southern Vietnam Resistance Radio officially began broadcasting.

On September 15, 1945, VNTTX broadcast its first news bulletin in three languages: Vietnamese, English, and French; making Vietnam, which was previously unknown on the world map, a source of pride across the five continents.

From 1950 onwards, many more major newspapers were established; the first networks of newspapers, printing houses, distribution stations, and journalist associations were formed in the war zones. The People's Army Newspaper organized its printing and publication right at the Dien Bien Phu front.

The arduous resistance war caused many journalists to fall in the prime of their youth, when their pens were at their most powerful, such as Tran Kim Xuyen, Thoi Huu, Tran Dang, Nam Cao, Nguyen Van Nguyen, Phan Ngoc Hien...

As of 2025, the Museum of Journalism has compiled a list of 535 martyred journalists, 535 writers who shed their blood to enrich the nation.

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The resistance war against French colonialism ended in victory with the glorious Battle of Dien Bien Phu, which shook the world.

The North was completely liberated, and the land, the sky, and the people's hearts were filled with joy in the spring of socialism.

The South was temporarily occupied. Suffering permeated every blade of grass and every fiber of the trees.

In 1959, the Central Committee issued Resolution 15, demonstrating its determination to liberate the South. The entire country pursued two strategic tasks: building socialism and fighting for reunification.

The Second Congress opened and renamed the Association "Vietnam Journalists Association," affirming its goal: "Striving for the victory of socialism in the North, fighting for national reunification, and protecting world peace." "Basic principles and ethics of journalists" were announced. "International Journalists' Solidarity Day" was initiated.

President Ho Chi Minh attended the meeting, clearly stating the nature of the Association as "a political and professional organization" and assigning the task of "ensuring that members are closely united and help each other to raise their political and professional level."

In 1960, the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam was established. On November 11, 1961, under the canopy of the forests of Southeast Vietnam, the Patriotic and Democratic Journalists Association of South Vietnam was founded, with journalist Vu Tung (Nguyen Van Tho) as its chairman.

In September 1962, 160 delegates representing nearly 1,500 journalists nationwide attended the Third Congress, unanimously agreeing that "we must always be a revolutionary fighting force."

Speaking to the Congress, President Ho Chi Minh affirmed:

"Journalists are also revolutionary fighters. The pen and paper are their sharp weapons. To fulfill their glorious mission, journalists need to cultivate revolutionary ethics."

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"Journalists are also revolutionary fighters. The pen and paper are their sharp weapons. To fulfill their glorious mission, journalists need to cultivate revolutionary ethics."

President Ho Chi Minh

In 1964, the US bombed North Vietnam and poured hundreds of thousands of troops into South Vietnam. The whole country was at war. The whole nation was seething with a single resolve: "Everything for the sake of defeating the invading American enemy"; "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom."

That aspiration burned brightly in the heart of every journalist, urging members of the Association to enthusiastically pursue their profession, venturing into hardships and dangers, to the burning fronts of life, working alongside the people, discovering exemplary individuals, and encouraging the nationwide emulation movement to learn from and follow "The waves of the Coastal region, the winds of Dai Phong, the drums of Bac Ly, and the flag of the Three Best."

The press enthusiastically wrote about exemplary figures in production and combat, truly acting as collective propagandists, collective motivators, collective organizers, and propagators of revolutionary movements such as "Youth Ready for Three Challenges," "Women's Capabilities for Three Challenges" in the rear; and "Each bullet, one enemy," "Clinging to the enemy's waist to fight"... on the front lines.

The news of the victory was so exciting it filled the people with joy.

All for our beloved South, all to defeat the American invaders. Thousands of journalists, armed with guns and pens, went to the battlefield; they wrote and fought simultaneously, developing liberation press agencies. The articles, films, and photographs written amidst the gunfire of those days are invaluable documents for future generations. Journalistic works such as "Living Like Him" ​​by Tran Dinh Van (aka Thai Duy), and "The Mother with a Gun" by Nguyen Thi (aka Nguyen Hoang Ca, Nguyen Ngoc Tan)... have become immortal literary works.

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Journalism during this period had three characteristics.

1.It is a beautiful symphony of revolutionary heroism under the leadership of the Party and the guidance of the Association.

2.It was a wonderful combination of literature and journalism. Poems, memoirs, songs, paintings... sent from the battlefield were broadcast on the radio and published in newspapers, carrying the power of the armed forces.

3.It served as a channel for implementing resolutions and secret orders from the Party and the Central Military Commission under conditions of extremely difficult communication. During the Tet Offensive of 1968, when the radio waves broadcast President Ho Chi Minh's New Year's greetings in verse, it also served as the order to attack for the various army units...

On the diplomatic front, many journalists participated in negotiations, organized press conferences, and spoke to the international press, contributing to the great success of the Paris Conference, including Nguyen Minh Vy, Nguyen Thanh Le, Ly Van Sau, Hong Ha, Ha Dang, Le Binh, Hoang Phong, and others.

Political commentary journalism reached its peak, especially the editorials in the Nhan Dan newspaper. From inside a bomb shelter at 71 Hang Trong, Thep Moi wrote "Hanoi - The Capital of Human Dignity," illuminating the belief in the victory of justice when the US dropped B52 bombs, aiming to push Vietnam back to the Stone Age.

Then came the Southwestern and Northern border wars. Newspaper articles, like powerful proclamations, rallied the nation, awakening the strength and unwavering will to win of the entire people, such as Hoang Tung's "The whole country fights the enemy, the whole people are soldiers," which, in just half a month, from February 17th to March 5th, 1979, crushed 600,000 invading troops from the north.

In Saigon and the temporarily occupied cities of South Vietnam, the press openly organized itself into the "Unified Press Movement"; bravely speaking out against the invasion and demanding peace and reunification right in the heart of the invading regime.

The climax was the massive "Beggar Journalists" street protest on October 10, 1974, launched by the South Vietnam Journalists' Union, attracting a large number of organizations, students, intellectuals, small business owners, and others to participate.

Progressive press around the world also stood alongside the just struggle of the Vietnamese people. Journalists from socialist countries such as Carmen, Blaga Dimitrova..., Western journalists such as Madeleine Riffaud, Wilfred Burchett, and hundreds of others made important contributions to helping the world better understand and support Vietnam.

British writer and philosopher Bertrand Russell, Nobel laureate in Literature, wrote: "It can be said that only after reading Wilfred Burchett did I truly stand with the Vietnamese people with profound determination."

We will forever be grateful to international journalists and the people of the world for this.

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The Sixth National Congress of the Party marked the beginning of a new era, a new revolution, leading the country onto the path of integration and development.

The press, the harbinger of revolution, has fulfilled its glorious mission of "renewing itself to promote the cause of national renewal."

Never before has journalism flourished and been celebrated as it has during this period.

Vietnam National Television (VTV) was established on September 7, 1970, and is one of the leading media organizations, along with the Voice of Vietnam, Vietnam News Agency, Nhan Dan Newspaper, and many other media outlets. It has developed strongly domestically and is gradually expanding its reach to many territories and countries around the world.

Online newspapers are rapidly becoming the primary means of communication. Many media organizations are developing multimedia communication, simultaneously publishing print newspapers, broadcasting, television, and going online, attracting increasing attention from the public both domestically and internationally.

The press has become an effective forum contributing to policy-making and the reform of management mechanisms in industry and agriculture, unleashing productive forces and creating bountiful harvests in agriculture; it has also strongly exposed negative aspects and fought against corruption and malpractice. Many articles and investigative reports have caused social upheaval and created a positive impact on reform in newspapers such as Nhan Dan, Lao Dong, Tuan Tin Tuc, Tuoi Tre, etc.

In particular, the column "Things That Need to Be Done Immediately" in the Nhan Dan newspaper from May 25, 1987 to September 29, 1990, written by General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh himself, clearly expressed the view: "Combating corruption is an urgent and important task."

The vigorous and diverse development of journalistic forms and media outlets is a prominent feature of this period; it broadly and sharply expresses the voice of the people, the voice of social criticism, and the voice of struggle against the subversive plots of hostile forces on the ideological front.

Since 1983, the Congresses of the Vietnam Journalists Association have been held regularly. The theme of the 5th Congress, "Renewing journalism for the cause of national renewal," has been the overarching theme of the Association's activities from 1989 to the present. Professional activities have been continuously improved in quality, most notably the National Journalism Award, later the National Journalism Prize, and the Project to support high-quality journalistic works, receiving and evaluating tens of thousands of entries each year.

The Association has expanded its foreign relations, actively and proactively integrating into the international community. Since 1995, it has been a full member of the ASEAN Federation of Journalists and is currently a core member of this organization.

The 1989 Press Law and subsequent amendments, actively proposed and drafted by the Association, aim to guarantee freedom of the press and freedom of expression, promote the role of the press in the cause of national construction and defense in accordance with the reform line, create a legal framework for the activities of journalists, and prevent the abuse of freedom of expression to violate human rights and harm national interests.

Since 1985, June 21st, the founding date of Thanh Nien Newspaper, has been recognized as Vietnam Press Day, later renamed Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day.

On June 21, 2000, the Association had the honor of representing the press nationwide in receiving the Ho Chi Minh Order awarded by the State and a banner embroidered with gold lettering from the Central Committee of the Communist Party: "Loyalty, unity, intelligence, and innovation for the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country."

On June 21, 2010, on the occasion of the 85th anniversary of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press Day, the press force was once again honored to receive the highest award from the Party and the State: the Gold Star Order!

Along with the Spring Press Festivals organized at the central and local levels, since 2016, the National Press Festival has been established, becoming a professional festival, an occasion to showcase the strength of the press nationwide, adding vibrancy to the spiritual life of the people and the spring of the nation.

To honor, preserve, and promote the heritage of journalism, the Vietnam Journalism Museum was established on July 28, 2017, by a decision of the Prime Minister. Part of the national museum system and under the Vietnam Journalists Association, it has become a continuously attractive destination for both domestic and international visitors. With over 30,000 collected artifacts and documents, and numerous activities since its opening, the museum has contributed to protecting and promoting the invaluable heritage of journalism, serving as a "second classroom" for students and providing a rich source of materials for researchers.

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Born amidst the flames of revolutionary war, with serving the Fatherland and the people as its guiding principle and purpose, the Vietnam Journalists Association has grown alongside the nation, achieving remarkable progress:

1950: 300 members.

1989: Nearly 500 media outlets. 6,200 members. 32 provincial and city-level journalists' associations. 260 branches.

March 2021: 779 media outlets. 26,413 members. 287 affiliated organizations, 63 provincial and city journalists' associations, 19 branch associations, and 5 branches directly under the Central Association.

In 2024, there were 884 media outlets nationwide.

By 2025, the whole country will have 26,000 members participating in 309 organizations.

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By 2025, the whole country will have 26,000 members participating in 309 organizations.

The glorious history of the Vietnam Journalists Association over the past seven decades has been built upon the outstanding contributions of its former presidents such as Xuan Thuy, Hoang Tung, Hong Chuong, Phan Quang, Hong Vinh, Dinh The Huynh, Thuan Huu, and other distinguished journalists in the Association's Executive Committees during various terms.

In October 2021, on the eve of the 11th National Congress, journalist Le Quoc Minh, member of the Central Committee of the Party and Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper, continued to shoulder the responsibility of Chairman of the Association.

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For the past 100 years, Vietnamese journalists have marched alongside the people under the glorious banner of the Party, writing epic poems of the era. More than 500 journalists have fallen in the wars of national defense, and many more have perished in peacetime.

With a heart that shines like sunshine.

Bright eyes, a pure heart, a sharp pen…

No temptation or power could make him surrender.

He dedicated his whole life to it!

Within the Association's headquarters, the team of Vietnamese journalists, with their courage, wealth of knowledge, and experience honed over a century, have been and continue to write glorious chapters in history about patriotism, love of peace, truth, and justice on their journey forward, with the unwavering and steadfast faith of revolutionary fighters…

Content: NGUYEN SI DAI

Present: NAM PHONG

Image:VNA, ARCHIVES