'I am fortunate to meet courageous and committed journalists'

The yellowed Tuoi Tre newspaper dated November 15, 1987 was kept by printing engineer Nguyen Manh Huy, because it was a souvenir of his life, with a large headline: Nguyen Manh Huy answers "no" to fate.

Tuoi Tre newspaper on November 15, 1987 with the article that helped change Nguyen Manh Huy's life - Photo: NVCC

His fate was the fate of many people at that time who were not allowed to enter university because of their background. After taking the exam four times and still not being admitted, the young man Nguyen Manh Huy sent letters for help to many agencies. When he was at the end of his rope, he sent letters to two newspapers, Tuoi Tre and Thanh Nien .

Journalist Nam Dong of Tuoi Tre visited Nguyen Manh Huy's house in Quy Nhon to rewrite the story with an emotional diary excerpt, when the family was exhausted but the young man's will to study was still burning.

And in 1988, Huy was able to enter university at the age of 25. Going to school changed his life, from a young carpenter to a printing engineer and stayed in the printing industry for about 40 years before retiring in 2024.

Go to school and be destined to follow the printing industry

* After the turning point in your life when you were able to go to university, why did you choose the printing industry to dedicate yourself to?

- In 1987, I took the university entrance exam for industrial engineering at Saigon Polytechnic University. This major had just opened so I thought people would let me study it. Later, when I got there, people said it was industrial printing engineering, I don't know why the word "printing" was missing, because the school was affiliated with a printing corporation for training.

Then this company changed direction to cooperate with Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education.

If I wanted to study the major I had taken the exam for, I would have to transfer to Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education. I consulted journalist Nam Dong and decided to transfer.

At that time, printing was very new to me, but I was passionate about technology so I learned anything about technology.

The printing industry was only in its second year of training that year. I am still teaching as a guest lecturer at the printing and media department of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education, and have signed a retirement contract in 2024.

After graduating, I was also invited to stay on as a lecturer. But I decided to work for a company to gain practical experience and gain more experience to improve my skills. At first, I worked for a private company. My batch of students were fortunate to meet the social demand for printing technology at that time.

* You didn't choose from the beginning but suddenly changed direction to the printing industry, was that fate?

- I think so too. The printing industry is not a new industry, but that period was when the Vietnamese printing industry began to approach the world 's modern techniques, and it was in great need of well-trained human resources. Before that, there were only people trained in the old-technique system. Thanks to working for the company early, I was fortunate to have access to new techniques.

After working for a private company for a few years, I returned to work for Le Quang Loc printing company, which was then part of Tuoi Tre newspaper. That was the occasion for me to return to thank Tuoi Tre newspaper for helping me. That was also supported by the editorial board, including Mr. Ba Lang.

I worked there for 11 years, rising to the position of foreman of the prepress workshop. Then the factory was transformed into Le Quang Loc LLC and directly under the Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union. At that time, I resigned and transferred to another agency until I retired.

* How do you feel when you remember the golden age of print journalism that you had the opportunity to work in and witness firsthand?

- Because I work in the printing industry, I accidentally got involved with the press in the logistics department. Therefore, I also witnessed the peak stages of print newspapers when the number of prints was very large. When online newspapers appeared, I also envisioned a future development like today. If printers do not change direction and invest in equipment for other publications, at some point they will encounter difficulties.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Huy

Reading printed newspapers is still a very good culture. Printed newspapers still have a strong influence because people usually do not skim through them. In the development of the times, there are many things we have to accept. The only regret is that if printed newspapers no longer exist, I am afraid there will be a lack of long editorials instead of short articles on phones or computers. With printed newspapers, readers can read long articles. Long articles are also where reporters can demonstrate their abilities.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Huy in conversation with Tuoi Tre - Photo: MI LY

Compassion and courage of journalism

* Not many newspapers stick to the humanistic style of journalism, care about each person's fate, dig deep and create big changes like your story. Do you think so?

- I had a period of attachment with the senior staff of Tuoi Tre newspaper. I really appreciate them and until now I still find their writing style very good. The press has always been a channel to support those in difficult circumstances, such as Tuoi Tre newspaper has scholarships for students, people who fall into disadvantaged situations in society but do not know who to call.

Like me before, I called for help from many places, and when I was at the end of my rope, I suddenly remembered the newspaper. If I hadn't sent a letter to the newspaper, I would never have been able to go to school.

Up to now, I am happy because I have studied and tried my best to become a skilled person, recognized in my profession, and considered by my colleagues as an expert in the field of prepress.

There is a very funny story about a young person whose parents gave him the same name as me because his parents loved me very much. Before going to study abroad in the US, he asked a newspaper to connect with me and meet me to chat, to get more inspiration to study.

You are quite successful now and still keep in touch with me regularly. Two years ago, you returned to Vietnam to get married and invited me to the wedding.

* His life had its ups and downs, but there were also gifts from kindness, and thanks to him, he raised his voice?

- I am lucky to meet people with compassion and courage. They are journalists, especially those at Tuoi Tre newspaper.

It is not easy to speak up. Perhaps that comes from the nature of journalists, who are humane and willing to commit. It is a difficult matter, but for the benefit of the community, for the benefit of the disadvantaged, they are willing to commit. That is a very good value of journalism.

I am currently a member of the Executive Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Printing Association, as well as the head of the alumni association of the Faculty of Printing and Communications. The alumni community is quite large. We connect successful alumni who want to support the faculty. As for the Executive Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Printing Association, I participate in the spirit of supporting businesses in training human resources for the printing industry, in coordination with the faculty.

* Going to school opens up new horizons for every person?

- Thanks to studying, I have a stable life and a career that I love. At first, I didn't know what the printing industry was, but when I went to school, I liked it and the more I worked, the more I loved the job.

As a printing engineer, what I love most is learning new technologies in the world and successfully applying them to my work. When I worked at Le Quang Loc printing factory, I also had many initiatives. At that time, I loved my job and the director there also loved me very much so he created favorable conditions.

Once I was sent to attend a printing exhibition in Singapore around the 1990s. I saw people working with electronic platemaking software. At that time in Vietnam, the prepress room had to manually place printed pages in position, while the new technology was to operate in computer software.

I was so fascinated that I stood watching the whole session and then convinced the director to buy it. That was also a way to improve print quality. In 1999, buying that software for $5,000 was a huge value, but when applied to work, it was extremely effective.

Tuoi Tre's gratitude to my family is great.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Huy said that his brother used to work at The 21st Century Joint Stock Company, through the introduction of journalist Nam Dong. He bought a piece of land to build his first house, which was also the land of Tuoi Tre newspaper at that time. Then he moved to District 10, Ho Chi Minh City and has been there until today.

"The gratitude of Tuoi Tre newspaper to my family is enormous" - he said.

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MI LY

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/toi-may-man-duoc-gap-cac-nha-bao-can-dam-va-dan-than-2025062023122278.htm