19th National Press Awards: Receiving a record number of works

On the morning of April 22, the preliminary round of the 19th National Press Awards 2024 opened at the headquarters of the Vietnam Journalists Association, Hanoi.

This year's competition attracted the participation of many levels of the Association, with 17/21 Inter-Associations, 29 affiliated Associations and 59/63 Provincial and Municipal Journalists Associations submitting entries.

The Organizing Committee received a record number of entries, with a total of 1,962 entries. Of these, 156 were by authors who were not members of the Vietnam Journalists Association. After the preliminary round, 1,905 qualified entries were entered into the preliminary judging round.

Mr. Tran Thai Son, Head of the Award's General Secretariat, commented that this is a testament to the strong appeal of the Award and the positive response of the press, especially in the context of press agencies focusing on restructuring their apparatus.

Mr. Tran Thai Son, Head of the Secretariat of the Awards, presented the opening report of the preliminary round. (Photo: Son Hai/Vietnam+)

In his opening report of the preliminary round, Mr. Tran Thai Son said that although the organization at all levels of the Association was generally orderly and effective, the implementation of Resolution 18-NQ/TW on streamlining the apparatus had affected the progress of work selection in some localities, leading to later submission of works compared to previous years. In addition, the implementation of the new Award Regulations with a number of new regulations and award groups also caused some Association levels to not fully adhere to the Guidelines.

Radio, television, electronic newspapers, multimedia and creative journalism will be judged online through the judging software of the Vietnam Journalists Association. The preliminary round promises to be serious and fair to select the best works to enter the final round.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the preliminary round, Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association Nguyen Duc Loi expressed his joy at the record number of entries in the context of many special events of the country and the press this year, celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Association's founding and looking towards 100 years of Vietnam Revolutionary Press.

Journalist Nguyen Thi Su, Deputy General Director of Vietnam News Agency, participated in judging the preliminary round. (Photo: Son Hai/Vietnam+)

Mr. Nguyen Duc Loi said that this year the Award was organized according to the newly revised and supplemented Charter, coinciding with the time when many press agencies were busy with the work of merging and streamlining their apparatus. Besides, although there are many other large-scale press awards, the National Press Award still affirmed its position as the most prestigious press award, receiving great attention from journalists and press agencies nationwide.

“The prestige of the National Press Award has been firmly affirmed through many years of organization, becoming the most noble and prestigious award in the Vietnamese press. The value of the Award lies not only in honoring outstanding works but also in spreading strongly to local Journalists Associations at all levels and attracting the deep interest of many members and journalists nationwide,” said Mr. Nguyen Duc Loi.

Emphasizing the important role of the preliminary round, the Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association noted: "The final round will rely on the results of the preliminary round to evaluate the quality of the works. The success or failure, and quality of the Award, depends largely on the impartial and responsible work of the preliminary round members. Each member needs to maximize their ability and capacity to select and bring to the final round truly worthy works."

Permanent Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association Nguyen Duc Loi speaks. (Photo: Minh Thu/Vietnam+)

Mr. Nguyen Duc Loi also requested that the members of the Preliminary Council should uphold their sense of responsibility, "focus entirely on the quality of the work, and judge the work, not the unit or author."

According to the Standing Vice President of the Association, this year's Preliminary Council has significant changes in members, including both experienced people and young faces - excellent representatives from central and local press agencies, to bring newness and diversity to the evaluation process.

The Standing Vice President of the Vietnam Journalists Association requested the Organizing Committee to ensure progress so that the Award Ceremony can take place successfully on the evening of June 21./.

The National Press Award was approved by the Prime Minister in 2007 and assigned to the Vietnam Journalists Association to organize. It has gone through 18 seasons and affirmed its reputation as the most prestigious professional award of the press in the country.

This year, the Award enters its 19th year, marking the first year of implementation according to the Award Charter (amended and supplemented) in 2024. Preparations for the Award have been carried out in accordance with the Charter and schedule. The Standing Committee of the Award Council has issued guidelines for selecting outstanding works since December 2024. By April 2025, the Preliminary Council and the Organization and Working Regulations have also been established.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/giai-bao-chi-quoc-gia-lan-thu-xix-tiep-nhan-so-luong-tac-pham-ky-luc-post1034274.vnp