Journalists talk about journalism

Each person has a different image of journalism. For journalists and insiders, journalism is a glorious but also challenging profession, requiring commitment, responsibility and passion.

Journalist Nguyen Thang, Vietnam News Agency. Photo: NVCC

Journalists should not "sleep"

Journalist Nguyen Thang (Vietnam News Agency) was born and raised in Hai Duong - one of the hometowns with a rich tradition of journalism, with many famous journalists.

Mr. Thang said: I was lucky to be taught and advised by a great journalist: Journalists should not "sleep"!

"Sleep" here means that journalists always need to be alert, always awake with the news, and not "sleep" on the achievements they have had.

In each location and each press agency, journalists have different working requirements.

"I am working at a large press agency, in charge of the Hanoi area. The first time I came to the agency and approached the area was really difficult, with strict requirements, refinement, speed, and accuracy more than all the agencies I had worked for before. Later, after many years of working, I realized that I had to be alert to "scan" every event, every breath of the streets and villages to be able to turn it into a hot news story" - Mr. Thang said.

According to journalist Nguyen Thang, if we "sleep", the event will pass by indifferently, which is the fault of the writer towards the readers. Journalists also have to stay awake, because information often happens irregularly, without prior notice, such as natural disasters, fires...

Journalists should not rest on their laurels. A few awards and good articles are just temporary recognitions, but not enough to make a good journalist. To be recognized by colleagues and readers, journalists must be humble and always have a clear goal in mind.

"Oath" of a journalist

Journalist Nguyen Gia Tuong ( Agriculture and Environment Newspaper) during a reporting session. Photo: NVCC

Journalist Nguyen Gia Tuong, Agriculture and Environment Newspaper, believes that each journalist and reporter needs to have their own "oath" and that oath should be considered a compass on the path they have chosen.

Before entering journalism, reporters do not have to take an oath, like the Hippocratic oath of physicians, but perhaps everyone has their own oath to serve the path they have chosen, to serve the readers, and to serve the people.

For Mr. Tuong, that "oath" is to commit, to accept hardships and difficulties and overcome those hardships to confidently walk on the path of journalism.

Among the difficulties and challenges that every journalist must overcome is moving. Mr. Tuong himself has been working as a journalist for 24 years, and half of that time he has worked away from his family. His parents are in Thuan Thanh town (Bac Ninh), his wife and children are in Hanoi, and he is in the Quang Ninh office. Before returning to Quang Ninh, Mr. Tuong had spent 3 consecutive years living in Lang Son.

"At first, being away from home caused me and my relatives certain difficulties. For example, when I was living alone in a strange place, without relatives around, when I was sick, no one bought me medicine, having to cook alone at night... if I wasn't really strong, I would easily give up. Meanwhile, at home, my children were still young and my wife had to take care of them and pick them up, which also made journalists like me always feel heavy-hearted with the thought that I had not fulfilled my duties as a father and a husband..." - Mr. Tuong shared.

But above all, with love for the profession, with his own "oath", Mr. Tuong and his colleagues overcame difficulties to continue on their path.

In the context of provinces and cities preparing to merge, it is inevitable that journalists working for local Party newspapers will have to travel longer distances or be away from their families. This is a big change for journalists who are used to working mostly in one location, so there will certainly be certain difficulties at first.

In the context of the press, including local Party newspapers, undergoing many changes from the rearrangement of units and localities, reporters and journalists also need to keep up with this shift to maintain smooth operations of the work.

Journalist Le Tan, Vnexpress Newspaper. Photo: NVCC

Always stick to the area

Journalist Le Tan, Vnexpress Newspaper, believes that for journalists, the important thing is to always stick to the area, and not have the mindset of "big newspaper, small newspaper".

Mr. Tan calls journalists from local Party newspapers "local journalists" because of their unique strengths.

They have new and creative ways of doing things and perspectives. The strength of local Party journalists is that they stick to the local area, are close to the grassroots, and know the people and the cadres.

"I have worked with reporters and journalists at many local Party newspapers across the country, including journalists at Hai Duong Newspaper (now Hai Duong Radio and Television) and have clearly felt that. We have realized that the gap between "central newspapers and local newspapers" has been erased, and in some areas, they have even demonstrated outstanding abilities, with a professional, serious attitude and high concentration," said Mr. Tan.

There was a time when some journalists had the mindset of "big newspapers - small newspapers", and local newspapers were considered "small newspapers". However, with what they have done in recent times, it shows that the gap between newspapers has narrowed significantly.

To some extent, journalists from local Party newspapers have forced readers and colleagues to reconsider the current position of local Party newspapers.

Mr. Tan reads Hai Duong newspaper every day, considering it a close source of information to refer to and develop topics suitable for his newspaper.

"In the current context of merging press agencies, journalists of local Party newspapers need to continue to promote the strengths of "local journalists" to provide the earliest, most accurate and reliable news. Especially, strengthen criticism of many social issues, bringing the breath of life, especially in the context of fierce information competition like today" - journalist Le Tan shared.

TIEN HUY (written)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/nha-bao-noi-ve-nghe-bao-414374.html