Would you mind telling the readers the most memorable event in your life that affected you as a journalist?

During the 1958-1959 period, I was assigned to move from a local area to work as a professional journalist in a central organisation. I was often defeated. Many of my articles “collapsed”, others were ignored, so I was very disappointed with myself and wanted to pursue another career.

On one particular occasion, Thep Moi, who at that time was a senior reporter and already famous, told me: “This job requires practice, you shouldn’t give up too easily. Reading your pieces, I am bored, because you only quoted the interviewees but did not present your own personal opinions as a journalist, which readers are looking for. That’s what made your pieces dull!”

Of course, personal opinions are optional, but when you give them, they have to be accurate and persuasive, and that’s not simple. His invaluable advice kept echoing in my head. Everyday I thought I must practice more, develop my own voice. That was my goal.

Could you tell us what a newspaper should do produce good writers?

Even if a newspaper has lots of good writers, it might still be unable to win readers’ hearts, because it depends on the targets and ideological tendency of the publication. But having good writers is essential for any newspaper to gain readers’ trust.

For me, a prestigious publication must operate according to the following three criteria:

– It must be fast and precise on matters its readers care about.

– Investigative work must be into hot topics that affect society. It must explain and give answers.

– Commentaries must be persuasive and talk about notable events.

Each section should be managed by capable journalists, who also have “power”, which means their voices carry weight.

But it’s not easy to find good journalists. Journalism is a craft, which you have to learn. Many come from journalism schools, but few are majors, and they learn journalism as apprentices. Anyhow, you must understand the job.

In his lifetime, celebrated journalist Nguyen Khac Vien once said to me that good journalists do not necessarily have to graduate from journalism schools. He said it has to be absorbed through a lifetime of practice and through trying to develop one’s own voice.

The important thing is for good journalists to be given the opportunity to compete with one another and show off their best features and at the same time to prevent the bad things, such as envy. After a lifetime of experience, I agree with Vien.

We are very much in need of sharp commentators, whose voices are of interest to the people. Besides having bright eyes, a pure mind and a sharp pen, what other qualities and capabilities does a good journalist need to possess?

Sharp and gripping commentaries are not only written by professional journalists, but also experts in particular fields. This shows that before becoming a sharp commentator, you must have an understanding of the field you are writing about. Besides, I think good commentators must have the skill to analyse current events. It means that they must have both knowledge of the field they’re commenting on and a good writing style. Commentary pieces, which cause nothing but annoyance to readers, are those written by journalists who have a poor understanding of the subject at hand and a forced writing style.

It’s not easy to have a newspaper identity. What should journalists do to overcome this?

One-sided articles, with the journalist trying to impose his or her will on others, is never effective. The 6th Party Resolutions opened a new chapter for Vietnamese journalism. It criticised the “monotonous and one-sided” media. Information and commentaries have to present various viewpoints, but they mustn’t cause confusion and division that can easily cause psychological and social instability.

The modern world brings lots of opportunities, but also poses many challenges. It minimises the distances and brings diversified information from various sources to every single person. But it also makes it easy to control information, particularly commentary news, allowing the viewpoints of strong nations to be imposed on others. So every journalist needs strength to pursue what is right for the people.

We can only win our international colleagues’ hearts when we demonstrate a strong will, when we have knowledge and professional skills. We fail when we only repeat what others have said, that way we are nothing more than a shadow.

* Journalist Huu Tho was the former editor-in-chief of Nhan Dan (The People) daily, former Head of the Party Central Committee’s Ideological and Cultural Commission, and former Special Advisor to Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh.

VietNamNet/VNS