Reliving heroic memories at Huynh Thuc Khang Journalism School

Huynh Thuc Khang Journalism School is not only a historical milestone but also a symbol of dedication and devotion to the revolutionary cause.

On April 4, 1949, in Bo Ra hamlet, Tan Thai commune, Dai Tu district, Thai Nguyen province, Huynh Thuc Khang Journalism School was established under the directive of President Ho Chi Minh . This was the first and only journalism training facility during the resistance war against France, aiming to meet the urgent need for a team of press cadres to serve the revolutionary cause.

This was the only revolutionary journalism training facility during this period, with journalist Do Duc Duc as Director and journalist Xuan Thuy as Deputy Director. The board of directors also included famous journalists such as Nhu Phong, Do Phon, and Tu Mo. The school's teaching staff included intellectuals, political activists, journalists, and prominent artists of the country at that time such as: Truong Chinh, General Vo Nguyen Giap, Hoang Quoc Viet, Le Quang Dao, To Huu, Tran Huy Lieu, Xuan Dieu, etc.

During the short training period of three months, from April 4 to July 6, 1949, the school trained 42 students who later became excellent revolutionary journalists, continuing to undertake important tasks at the press and propaganda agencies of the Party and State.

On July 6, 1949, the class closed. In a letter to the class, Uncle Ho praised and reminded the class of 4 main points about the tasks, principles, purposes, and objects of each newspaper, and the goals of journalism. He emphasized that to write for a newspaper, one needs to: “1 - Be close to the masses, if you just sit in a paper room and write, you cannot write practically. 2 - At least you must know one foreign language, to read foreign newspapers and learn from other people's experiences. 3 - When you finish writing an article, you must review it yourself three or four times, and carefully edit it. It is better to ask a few uneducated people to read it and ask them which sentences or words they do not understand, then edit them to make it easier to understand. 4 - Always try to learn, always strive to improve…”

General Secretary Truong Chinh wrote in June 1949: "The first course of Huynh Thuc Khang School is a very good experiment. I believe that after learning from the experience of this course, the Viet Minh General Association will be more successful in training cadres to fight the enemy with their pens and guide public opinion."

From that school, the students spread out to all parts of the country, appearing on the fiercest battlefields, where the fire line was the most tense and complicated. They were the ones who made their names on the revolutionary journalism front such as journalists Thep Moi, Chinh Yen, Tran Kien (Nhan Dan Newspaper); Mai Thanh Hai, Mai Ho (Cuu Quoc Newspaper); director Bang Bao; writer Huu Mai; poet Tu Bich Hoang (pen name Viet Phuong), poet Hai Nhu... Photo: Journalists' handwritings are displayed at Huynh Thuc Khang Journalism School.

They were a generation of journalists who were “trained amid bullets and bullets”, without formal education, but with their courage, thinking, skills and solid political qualities, they created a glorious and proud period of journalism in the history of the Vietnamese revolution. Photo: The first journalism class was recreated.

Huynh Thuc Khang's class has given us the secrets of writers, but to become sharp writers and journalists, we need to carry our pens and experiment in real life, especially in existing newspapers," said journalist Xuan Thuy.

Journalist Phan Huu Minh, former Head of the Inspection Committee, Vietnam Journalists Association, emotionally shared: "Although it was only three months, with a huge amount of knowledge, both practical and theoretical, the participants of the first Huynh Thuc Khang journalism class were almost equipped with the most basic knowledge, learned the most textbooks, especially two letters of Uncle Ho teaching journalism. I think these are very valuable documents, they are eternal in time".

Ms. Nguyen Thi Kim Hoa, Director of the Vietnam Press Museum confided: "At that time, a school was built of bamboo and thatch on a hill in Bo Ra hamlet, Tan Thai commune, Dai Tu district, Thai Nguyen province. Now, although Bo Ra hamlet no longer exists, there is a historical structure by Nui Coc lake that reflects the historical land of the past. With our efforts, this stilt house will become a house to tell the story of journalism in the Viet Bac War Zone."

On January 18, 2024, the Vietnam Journalists Association started construction of the project to restore and embellish the National Monument of Huynh Thuc Khang Journalism School in Tan Thai Commune (Dai Tu).

Journalist Le Quoc Minh, Chairman of the Vietnam Journalists Association, shared: "We will also step up propaganda to local journalist associations, branches and journalist associations nationwide with the hope that all journalists will clearly see the importance of this relic, thereby considering this a red address for journalists, especially young journalists, to turn to the source, to learn about the heroic history of journalism, listen to stories about generations of predecessors and build for the future of the country's journalism."

For the younger generation, Huynh Thuc Khang Journalism School is not only a historical relic but also a great source of inspiration, reminding them of the glorious tradition, dedication and responsibility of revolutionary journalists. Tran Huong (student of the Academy of Journalism and Communication) shared: "When visiting the first journalism school in Vietnam, the first thing I felt was deep pride when I learned about a school that was established in the fierce war, where the first journalists were trained to serve the revolution".

Phuong Doan (Thai Nguyen) also could not hide his emotion when visiting the relic site: "The artifacts are all living proof of the training achievements of Huynh Thuc Khang Journalism School, the place that inspired passion, fostered courage and skills for a generation of dedicated and loyal journalists." Photo: Information & Communication Magazine.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/song-lai-ky-uc-hao-hung-o-truong-bao-huynh-thuc-khang-post1549387.html