A copy of a 1929 November issue of Bua Liem (Hammer & Sickle) by the Indochinese Communist Party, appealing for unity from the oppressed people all over the world (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Ninety-five years ago on June 21, 1926, the firstissue of Thanh nien (Youth) newspaper representing the voice of VietnameseRevolutionary Youth League founded by Nguyen Ai Quoc (aka Ho Chi Minh) waspublished, marking the birth of Vietnam’s revolutionary press as the countryremained under the yoke of French colonial rule.
After Thanh nien, he set up Kong Nong (Workers & Farmers) newspaper in 1926to spread patriotism to the farmers and workers under the light of scientificsocialism, Linh Kach Menh (Revolution Soldiers) in 1927 to encourage Vietnamesesoldiers in the French colonial armies to stand up against the oppressor oftheir own people and Bua Liem (Hammer & Sickle) newspaper – the mouthpieceof the Indochinese Communist Party – in 1929, among others.
Despite the arrests of Vietnamese patriots, successive newspapers and magazineswere put into circulation from within the cells of the colonial regime,including Hoa Lo Ha Noi (Hoa Lo Prison Ha Noi), Nguoi Tu Do (The Red Inmate), Duocdua duong (Guiding Torch), Nha tu Buon Ma Thuot (Buon Ma Thuot Prison) and Lao tutap chi (Jail magazine), in addition to many newspapers from studentorganisations and communist cells across the country.
According to the General Government of Indochina, by June 1936, there were some230 newspaper, magazines and journals of all types circulating in Vietnam.
Since the birth of Thanh nien, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has upheldthe revolutionary banner, conveyed the will and aspirations of the nation andguided the Vietnamese in the fight for independence, freedom and pursuit ofsocialism.
In the following years, the revolutionary press incorporated political strugglewith armed struggle, contributing to the building of armed forces towards thegeneral uprising to seize back power for Vietnamese in August 1945.
During the resistance war against the French colonialists attempting to regaincontrol over Indochina, after 1945, newspapers and magazines were born oneafter another to serve Party building, dissemination of Marxism-Leninismideology and the Communist Party of Vietnam's civil rights revolution,inspiring resolution against imperialism and feudalism and preparing to takethe opportunity to elevate the revolution to a new height.
Some exemplary newspapers and news agencies, radio in this period include Cuuquoc (National Salvation), Nhan dan (The People), Thong tan xa Viet Nam(Vietnam News Agency), Thong tan xa Giai phong (Liberation News Agency, latermerged into VNA), Quan doi Nhan dan (People's Army), Tap chi Cong san (CommunistReview), Van nghe (Arts), Tien Phong(Vanguard), Lao Dong (Labour) and Dai tieng noi Viet Nam (Voice of Vietnam),many of which are prominent press agencies in the country to this day.
During the war, revolutionary newspapers infiltrated every part of society andthe country, from remote areas to places where the enemy held control and wouldbe welcomed.
The Vietnamese press even reached the overseas audience of like-minded partiesand friends around the world, helping the world understand the righteousness ofVietnamese people’s struggles and revolution.
On June 2, 1950, the Vietnam Journalists Association was established. In July1950, the association joined the International Organisation of Journalists.
On May 20, 1957, President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh promulgatedLaw No.100SL/L002, the first press law in the country. Chapter I of the lawreaffirmed the responsibility of revolutionary newspapers and journalists: “Thepress under our administration, whether it belongs to a Government agency, apolitical party, a mass organisation or a private agency, are all tools of thepeople's struggles, must serve the interests of the Fatherland and of thepeople, and protect the people's democracy, and support the Government of theDemocratic Republic of Vietnam.”
During the resistance war against American imperialism, the Vietnameserevolutionary press made great strides. The newspapers born during theanti-French resistance war evolved to serve the new mission.
In addition to the press agencies already available such as The People,People's Army, the Voice of Vietnam radio, or Vietnam News Agency, a series ofnewspapers, magazines, radio channels emerged from the central level down toprovince and city and district level, unions and agencies and sectors. Severalforeign-language newspapers were also published to introduce Vietnamese issuesto international friends.
Over the decades, the revolutionary press has matured considerably in allaspects, becoming a “sharp instrument” of the Party and the State inpropaganda, advocacy and education of the whole Party and State to help unitethe people to overcome hardship and bring victories to the revolution.
In the wars against the French and the Americans, Vietnamese journalistsweathered so many challenges and never shied from making sacrifices to bepresent on all fronts to report the developments of the nation’s strugglesagainst foreign enemies.
Thousands of officials and journalists have stood side by side with the armyand volunteers on all battlefields. Hundreds of journalist-martyrs have madebrave sacrifices for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.
Non-stop evolvement
Nearly a century since the first issue of the weekly Thanh nien newspaper waspublished, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has blossomed in number and quality.
According to data from the Ministry of Information and Communications, by theend of November 2019, the country had a total of 850 press units, including onenews agency, 179 newspapers, 648 magazines, 23 independent online news sites;72 certified radio and television broadcasters including two nationalbroadcasters and 64 local broadcasters.
There are about 41,000 people working at press agencies, with 20,407 grantedpress cards.
At all times, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has been the fastest and mostpopular information instrument, the means to keep in touch with the people andhelp solve emerging problems, while at the same time, it combats vileconspiracies and tricks of hostile forces as well as erroneous slants inthoughts and actions, and makes contributions to the organisation of thepeople’s revolutionary action movement.
The Vietnamese press has effectively contributed to the protection of thenational sovereignty over sea and islands, as well as the Party and State’scrusade against corruption and waste.
Press activities have helped maintain political stability, sustaining the causeof innovation, gradually building new people and new lifestyles.
The press has promoted new economic and business models, new factors, goodpeople and good deeds; promoted the upholding of the Vietnamese people’s valuesand cultural traditions, encouraging people to selectively acquire influencesfrom the advanced nations of the world.
Reporters and editors have gotten in touch with contemporary life and socialconcerns, not backing down from danger, to produce quality work.
The press has fulfilled its duties as a bridge between the Party and the Stateand the public, becoming an important information channel for the Party andState in the making of policies and mechanisms that can respond to theinterests and demands of the people.
However, the Vietnamese press has also revealed some limitations andshortcomings. Many newspapers are similar in content, expression or appearanceor vague in identity and mission. Unhealthy competition for views and clickshas also led to the spread of misinformation and unverified reports.
To materialise the Party’s viewpoints on building and developing a press systemto protect the nation and promote country-building efforts, the Government hasissued planning for press agencies until 2025, aiming to reorganise the presssystem in the country.
In the new context, with relentless advancements of information technology andthe fierce competition from and between various types of media, therevolutionary press of Vietnam needs to continue cultivating its special role –serving as the voice of the Party, the State, the country’s varioussocio-political organisations and professions, a reliable forum of the people,protecting the interests of the people while being a sharp weapon in the fightagainst hostile forces and struggles against immoralities – to help realise theambition of a prosperous and robust Vietnam./.
After Thanh nien, he set up Kong Nong (Workers & Farmers) newspaper in 1926to spread patriotism to the farmers and workers under the light of scientificsocialism, Linh Kach Menh (Revolution Soldiers) in 1927 to encourage Vietnamesesoldiers in the French colonial armies to stand up against the oppressor oftheir own people and Bua Liem (Hammer & Sickle) newspaper – the mouthpieceof the Indochinese Communist Party – in 1929, among others.
Despite the arrests of Vietnamese patriots, successive newspapers and magazineswere put into circulation from within the cells of the colonial regime,including Hoa Lo Ha Noi (Hoa Lo Prison Ha Noi), Nguoi Tu Do (The Red Inmate), Duocdua duong (Guiding Torch), Nha tu Buon Ma Thuot (Buon Ma Thuot Prison) and Lao tutap chi (Jail magazine), in addition to many newspapers from studentorganisations and communist cells across the country.
According to the General Government of Indochina, by June 1936, there were some230 newspaper, magazines and journals of all types circulating in Vietnam.
Since the birth of Thanh nien, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has upheldthe revolutionary banner, conveyed the will and aspirations of the nation andguided the Vietnamese in the fight for independence, freedom and pursuit ofsocialism.
In the following years, the revolutionary press incorporated political strugglewith armed struggle, contributing to the building of armed forces towards thegeneral uprising to seize back power for Vietnamese in August 1945.
During the resistance war against the French colonialists attempting to regaincontrol over Indochina, after 1945, newspapers and magazines were born oneafter another to serve Party building, dissemination of Marxism-Leninismideology and the Communist Party of Vietnam's civil rights revolution,inspiring resolution against imperialism and feudalism and preparing to takethe opportunity to elevate the revolution to a new height.
Some exemplary newspapers and news agencies, radio in this period include Cuuquoc (National Salvation), Nhan dan (The People), Thong tan xa Viet Nam(Vietnam News Agency), Thong tan xa Giai phong (Liberation News Agency, latermerged into VNA), Quan doi Nhan dan (People's Army), Tap chi Cong san (CommunistReview), Van nghe (Arts), Tien Phong(Vanguard), Lao Dong (Labour) and Dai tieng noi Viet Nam (Voice of Vietnam),many of which are prominent press agencies in the country to this day.
During the war, revolutionary newspapers infiltrated every part of society andthe country, from remote areas to places where the enemy held control and wouldbe welcomed.
The Vietnamese press even reached the overseas audience of like-minded partiesand friends around the world, helping the world understand the righteousness ofVietnamese people’s struggles and revolution.
On June 2, 1950, the Vietnam Journalists Association was established. In July1950, the association joined the International Organisation of Journalists.
On May 20, 1957, President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam Ho Chi Minh promulgatedLaw No.100SL/L002, the first press law in the country. Chapter I of the lawreaffirmed the responsibility of revolutionary newspapers and journalists: “Thepress under our administration, whether it belongs to a Government agency, apolitical party, a mass organisation or a private agency, are all tools of thepeople's struggles, must serve the interests of the Fatherland and of thepeople, and protect the people's democracy, and support the Government of theDemocratic Republic of Vietnam.”
During the resistance war against American imperialism, the Vietnameserevolutionary press made great strides. The newspapers born during theanti-French resistance war evolved to serve the new mission.
In addition to the press agencies already available such as The People,People's Army, the Voice of Vietnam radio, or Vietnam News Agency, a series ofnewspapers, magazines, radio channels emerged from the central level down toprovince and city and district level, unions and agencies and sectors. Severalforeign-language newspapers were also published to introduce Vietnamese issuesto international friends.
Over the decades, the revolutionary press has matured considerably in allaspects, becoming a “sharp instrument” of the Party and the State inpropaganda, advocacy and education of the whole Party and State to help unitethe people to overcome hardship and bring victories to the revolution.
In the wars against the French and the Americans, Vietnamese journalistsweathered so many challenges and never shied from making sacrifices to bepresent on all fronts to report the developments of the nation’s strugglesagainst foreign enemies.
Thousands of officials and journalists have stood side by side with the armyand volunteers on all battlefields. Hundreds of journalist-martyrs have madebrave sacrifices for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland.
Non-stop evolvement
Nearly a century since the first issue of the weekly Thanh nien newspaper waspublished, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has blossomed in number and quality.
According to data from the Ministry of Information and Communications, by theend of November 2019, the country had a total of 850 press units, including onenews agency, 179 newspapers, 648 magazines, 23 independent online news sites;72 certified radio and television broadcasters including two nationalbroadcasters and 64 local broadcasters.
There are about 41,000 people working at press agencies, with 20,407 grantedpress cards.
At all times, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has been the fastest and mostpopular information instrument, the means to keep in touch with the people andhelp solve emerging problems, while at the same time, it combats vileconspiracies and tricks of hostile forces as well as erroneous slants inthoughts and actions, and makes contributions to the organisation of thepeople’s revolutionary action movement.
The Vietnamese press has effectively contributed to the protection of thenational sovereignty over sea and islands, as well as the Party and State’scrusade against corruption and waste.
Press activities have helped maintain political stability, sustaining the causeof innovation, gradually building new people and new lifestyles.
The press has promoted new economic and business models, new factors, goodpeople and good deeds; promoted the upholding of the Vietnamese people’s valuesand cultural traditions, encouraging people to selectively acquire influencesfrom the advanced nations of the world.
Reporters and editors have gotten in touch with contemporary life and socialconcerns, not backing down from danger, to produce quality work.
The press has fulfilled its duties as a bridge between the Party and the Stateand the public, becoming an important information channel for the Party andState in the making of policies and mechanisms that can respond to theinterests and demands of the people.
However, the Vietnamese press has also revealed some limitations andshortcomings. Many newspapers are similar in content, expression or appearanceor vague in identity and mission. Unhealthy competition for views and clickshas also led to the spread of misinformation and unverified reports.
To materialise the Party’s viewpoints on building and developing a press systemto protect the nation and promote country-building efforts, the Government hasissued planning for press agencies until 2025, aiming to reorganise the presssystem in the country.
In the new context, with relentless advancements of information technology andthe fierce competition from and between various types of media, therevolutionary press of Vietnam needs to continue cultivating its special role –serving as the voice of the Party, the State, the country’s varioussocio-political organisations and professions, a reliable forum of the people,protecting the interests of the people while being a sharp weapon in the fightagainst hostile forces and struggles against immoralities – to help realise theambition of a prosperous and robust Vietnam./.
VNA
