Liberation Newspaper 60 years old

The revolutionary press, including Giai Phong newspaper - the newspaper on the front line - made valuable contributions to that great victory of the nation.

60 years have passed since the first issue of Giai Phong Newspaper was published. Those who founded and directly produced the hot and current newspapers from the early 60s of the last century, effectively propagating to serve the cause of liberating the South as the name and mission of the Newspaper, have become a part of history, many of whom are no longer here. With their contributions, the newspaper was full of fighting spirit, directly fighting the enemy right on the battlefield and those who overcame hardships and sacrifices, writing and shooting, both working as a journalist and fighting to successfully complete the glorious historical mission of a revolutionary newspaper - deserve to be honored with the title of Hero.

Some artifacts are working tools of old Giai Phong newspaper reporters donated to the Vietnam Press Museum. Photo: T. Dieu

Giai Phong Newspaper - the mouthpiece of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (NLF) published its first issue on December 20, 1964, to join forces with the Liberation News Agency, Liberation Radio, Liberation Army Newspaper, Liberation Literature and Arts... to form a powerful press corps, the main media force on the front line, directly serving the fight to liberate the South and unify the country. Giai Phong Newspaper completed its historic mission, publishing its last issue on January 16, 1977, nearly two years after the country was at peace and unified. At that time, the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam merged with the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and with that, the two mouthpieces of the two Front organizations, Cuu Quoc Newspaper and Giai Phong Newspaper, merged to become Dai Doan Ket Newspaper today.

Liberation Newspaper was born in War Zone C in Tay Ninh province, Southeast region, bordering Cambodia, on the occasion of the 4th anniversary of the founding of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam (December 20, 1960 - December 20, 1964). Architect Huynh Tan Phat - Vice President and General Secretary, then President of the Central Committee of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, lawyer Nguyen Huu Tho, was the Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper.

Journalist Tran Phong - former Editor-in-Chief of the Cuu Quoc newspaper was sent from the North by unnumbered ship to cross the sea to become the first Editor-in-Chief with the pen name Ky Phuong. Tran Phong - Ky Phuong's real name is Le Van Thom from My Tho, born in 1921, joined the revolution early, worked for many years in the South and the North, and in 1964, he followed the unnumbered ship to the South to join two other journalists, Tong Duc Thang (Tran Tam Tri), Thai Duy (Tran Dinh Van), also from the Cuu Quoc newspaper, to cross Truong Son to the Tay Ninh base to prepare personnel and logistics for publishing the Giai Phong newspaper.

The staff and reporters of the Newspaper were supplemented and reinforced from all three regions of the North - Central - South. They are veteran and experienced reporters and journalists, including Thep Moi, Ky Phuong, Nguyen Huy Khanh, Tran Tam Tri, Thai Duy, Bui Kinh Lang, To Quyen, Tinh Duc, Nguyen Ho, Kim Toan, Dinh Phong, Nguyen The Phiet, Mai Duong, Vu Tuat Viet, Tran Be, Mai Trang, Manh Tung...

Coming from the North, most journalists had to spend months secretly trekking across the rugged Truong Son mountain range or following unnumbered ships drifting at sea along the Ho Chi Minh Trail while enemy war vehicles lurked and fired at them day and night.

The book “Twice Crossing Truong Son” by journalist Kim Toan, also known as Cao Kim, in the form of a battlefield record, has just been published, recording the journey of more than 4 months of trekking through forests, climbing passes, wading streams, overcoming all obstacles and bombs of the 23 press cadres supporting the Southern battlefield. They were extraordinary people with iron will. They departed from Hanoi on March 17, arrived at the Southeast battlefield on July 27, 1966 and stayed to work as journalists until the day of victory.

During the years of working as a journalist and holding a gun on the front line, there were journalists who sacrificed their lives. On March 8, 1968, journalist Cao Kim was "reported dead" after a fierce battle in the suburbs of Saigon and was memorialized and had an epitaph erected in the Giai Phong newspaper. But that was a mistake. The person who sacrificed his life was Hai Ca - Captain of the armed propaganda team and Secretary of the Party Cell, where journalist Cao Kim had just been assigned and transferred the Party activity introduction letter. Hai Ca had just received the introduction letter, kept it in his shirt pocket and entered the life-and-death battle with the enemy. He was disfigured by a bullet and sacrificed his life. Journalist Cao Kim - Kim Toan survived and returned, continued to work as a journalist - soldier in the Southern battlefield, Saigon - Gia Dinh area until 1974, wrote and published many articles, reports, notes, reflecting the brave fighting spirit, the people's affection for the revolution, encouraging the spirit of the Southern people to fight and defeat the US. Later, at the age of over 80, he collected those articles to publish 4 books full of documents: "Writing in the fire of bullets", "Journalism in the battlefield", "Stories of people in the story", "Little bird in the enemy's lair", "Twice crossing Truong Son" ...

Spring Issue of Quy Suu 1973.

Veteran journalist Thai Duy, with the pen name Tran Dinh Van, is not only a pioneer journalist of Giai Phong newspaper. During his time as a journalist, he completed the famous memoir “Living like him” about the hero and martyr Nguyen Van Troi, recording his “historic moments” against the enemy as told by his wife, Phan Thi Quyen. With his sharp intelligence and the typical honest style of a journalist, he portrayed the image of a Saigon commando soldier who was brave, courageous, and fearless before the enemy, calmly facing death for the cause of national liberation.

The introduction to the work “Living like him” by the Literature Publishing House commented: “… Through the honest and delicate pen of the writer, we see the vivid image of the hero Nguyen Van Troi and of a heroic collective, a heroic nation” . The death of Mr. Troi “became immortal” as the poet To Huu wrote, spreading the heroic spirit and indomitable will of the Vietnamese people. Returning to the North, he continued his illustrious journalism career, famous for his works promoting the spirit of innovation in agriculture with “underground contracts” in the pre-renovation period and uncompromisingly fighting corruption in the later years when he was 90 years old.

Quite complete documents about the formation and development of Giai Phong newspaper can be found in the 26-minute documentary film "Giai Phong - Newspaper on the front line" produced by the Vietnam Press Museum, edited by Journalist Nguyen Ho - former Editor of Giai Phong newspaper. The film uses vivid visual materials from the war, direct stories from insiders who participated in journalism from the early days, as well as reviewing the development process of Giai Phong newspaper in more than 10 years of operation. The most touching part of the film is the confession of elderly and weak journalists that the good memories of the newspaper are still there, but the generation of people working for Giai Phong newspaper is getting smaller and smaller.

Born in the flames of war, directly serving the cause of national liberation, Liberation Newspaper has a team of professional journalists, tempered in the flames of war, imbued with the resilient qualities of revolutionary soldiers, not defeated by bullets and bombs. Journalists closely follow liberation army units to the front, deep into rural areas, urban areas, liberated areas, disputed areas and even areas controlled by the enemy to work.

During the General Offensive and Uprising of the Mau Than Spring (1968), journalists Thep Moi, Cao Kim and a number of reporters and staff secretly broke into the Saigon lair to conduct journalistic activities and prepare for something bigger.

In the fierce war conditions, journalists not only worried about making news, articles, and photos but also arranged for printing and delivering newspapers to readers. Not only publishing and distributing, Liberation Newspaper also organized professional training courses and trained local press forces, organized press research to advise the Central Propaganda Department on issues of fighting the enemy on the press front. Liberation Newspaper was truly a sharp weapon of struggle, a trusted friend of our compatriots and soldiers, and the pride of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press.

During its more than a decade of existence, the collective of cadres, reporters, and employees of Giai Phong newspaper published 375 issues of the newspaper on the battlefield. And right after the historic Ho Chi Minh campaign ended on April 30, 1975, the cadres of Giai Phong newspaper started preparing to publish a new newspaper called Saigon Giai Phong. The first issue was published on May 5, 1975, printed in color, 8 large pages, responding to the expectations of the people of the newly liberated South.

Fulfilling its function as the mouthpiece of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, on July 27, 1975, Giai Phong newspaper handed over the publishing of the Saigon Giai Phong newspaper to the Saigon City Party Committee and launched a new edition of Giai Phong newspaper, continuing to serve the post-war mission of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam's mouthpiece.

Spring Canh Tuat 1970 issue.

Liberation Newspaper only lived a short life of just over a decade, but it was also an important milestone in the 80-year journey of formation and development of the mouthpiece of the Vietnam Fatherland Front. In early 2022, Dai Doan Ket Newspaper solemnly celebrated the 80th anniversary of the founding of Cuu Quoc - Giai Phong - Dai Doan Ket Newspaper (January 25, 1942 - January 25, 2022).

As a journalist who was the Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association for the 9th term (2010 - 2015), I earnestly hope that the State will honor Giai Phong Newspaper, which has overcome many hardships and sacrifices to effectively serve the cause of liberating the South and unifying the country in a heroic historical period. Together with Giai Phong News Agency, Giai Phong Radio, Giai Phong Army Newspaper, etc., Giai Phong Newspaper has successfully completed its glorious historical mission.

Liberation News Agency was established on October 12, 1960, Liberation Radio was established on February 1, 1962, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of its establishment, was awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces by the State - the highest title given by the State to a collective with outstanding achievements in the resistance war against the US, saving the country. With its great contributions, Liberation Newspaper is also very worthy of being awarded that noble title. On the occasion of preparing to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first issue of Liberation Newspaper (December 20, 1964 - December 20, 2024), it is thought that the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, the governing body of Dai Doan Ket Newspaper, will be the appropriate agency to promote this meaningful act of gratitude.

The author also published an article in Dai Doan Ket newspaper about this proposal on the occasion of the 78th anniversary of War Invalids and Martyrs Day (July 27, 1947 - July 27, 2023).

Journalist Ha Minh Hue -

Former Permanent Vice President of Vietnam Journalists Association

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/bao-giai-phong-60-tuoi--xung-dang-duoc-vinh-danh-post260788.html