Thai Duy - a bold and humble journalist

From passion for writing

Journalist Thai Duy, birth name Tran Duy Tan, pen name: Thai Duy, Tran Dinh Van, born in 1926, in Bac Giang. He entered the journalism profession in the late 40s of the last century, working for the newspapers Cuu Quoc, Giai Phong, Dai Doan Ket until his retirement. I had the opportunity to meet Journalist Thai Duy for the first time in 2017, when the Vietnam Press Museum had not yet been established, and was in the process of collecting documents, artifacts, and completing steps towards its establishment.

Journalist Thai Duy

At that time, the Museum made portrait films and exhibited about 10 veteran journalists: Thai Duy, Ha Dang, Phan Quang, Tran Kien, Ly Thi Trung... The first impression when I met Journalist Thai Duy was the image of a person with noble features with "eyebrows" (according to physiognomy, this is a sign of men with great will and virtue) and gentle eyes, creating a feeling of closeness and affection for the person opposite from the first meeting.

When meeting and talking with Journalist Thai Duy, I noticed that: He rarely talked about himself but often talked about his colleagues and the newspaper where he worked. He had a very natural and quite humorous speaking style, not heavy on theory but more on reality. He had a spirit of learning, always learning from senior journalists. For example, since the 1950s, he was very impressed with Journalist Hong Ha for his series of articles exposing the corruption case of Tran Du Chau published in installments in the newspaper Cuu Quoc. He mentioned this detail many times with a passionate and eloquent attitude. Perhaps, this series of articles had a great impact on him so that later, Thai Duy became a sharp pen in the fight against corruption and negativity.

Journalist Thai Duy (sitting far right, second row) with leaders and reporters of Cuu Quoc newspaper at But Pass, Bac Giang, in 1949.

Some of the thematic exhibitions of the Vietnam Press Museum later, were fortunate to have journalist Thai Duy attend. Despite his old age, he still took a taxi to meet his colleagues who used to work in wartime journalism such as Nguyen Khac Tiep and Pham Phu Bang (People's Army Newspaper). His eyes lit up with joy, they were so passionate about telling about the memories of a time when journalism was difficult but heroic, they forgot about time.

It can be said that God has blessed him with good health and flexible legs, so when the Vietnam Press Museum made a film about him, there were a few scenes in his hometown Bac Giang and wanted to invite him back, he still happily accepted. The leisurely steps on the fields of his hometown, the affectionate handshake with the farmers on the green rice fields, in him seemed to revive the memories of the time when he rushed to the localities to write about "underground contracts" from the early 80s of the last century. And in the eyes of that veteran journalist, there was always admiration, affection, and appreciation for the role of the people.

Journalist Thai Duy speaks at the event of the Vietnam Press Museum, 2021

The most recent meeting at the screening of a film about him by the Vietnam Press Museum, on July 12, 2023, he still took a bus to attend by himself, still calm, thoughtful, listening more than speaking, making those present even more impressed with the noble character of a veteran journalist who has made many contributions to Vietnam's revolutionary journalism.

When asked about his path to journalism, Journalist Thai Duy recalled: "Since my youth, I have read many newspapers, which my father often ordered. I read newspapers to grasp the situation at that time, but I don't know when, but I had a passion for writing for newspapers. At that time, Cuu Quoc was the only newspaper of the Party and the Front, with branches in many inter-zones. I sent articles to Cuu Quoc many times but they were not published, I was not discouraged, I still wrote and sent articles regularly. Finally, writer Nam Cao agreed to accept me to the newspaper because of my perseverance and passion for writing. In early 1949, I officially became a reporter for Cuu Quoc newspaper".

At the newspaper Cuu Quoc, Thai Duy was assigned to be a front-line reporter, following the 308th Regiment. Wherever the unit went, the journalist went, from one campaign to another for months, eating and living thanks to the soldiers, taking care of writing and sending articles himself. Despite the difficulties and hardships, especially in communication, due to his passion for journalism, his firm grasp of the guidelines and policies of the resistance war, and his close adherence to reality, journalist Thai Duy's articles were still published regularly and were enthusiastically read by the people and soldiers, for example, the series of articles: Liberation of the Northwest, The Independent Company of the Northwest People's Salvation, 6 days of fierce fighting to liberate Lao Cai Town, Soldiers practicing in 1950... He was honored to be one of the few journalists participating in the Dien Bien Phu campaign, with an article published in the People's Army newspaper No. 148, published on May 16, 1954, published at the Dien Bien Phu front: Parade of victorious units at Dien Bien Phu...

Some articles on agricultural contracts by Journalist Thai Duy.

When asked why he took the pen name Thai Duy, he happily shared: "When I was accepted into the Cuu Quoc newspaper, I was assigned to follow the 308th Regiment, which was commanded by comrade Thai Dung, famous for its bravery and courage in fighting, which terrified the enemy. With admiration and the desire to follow the indomitable fighting spirit of this heroic regiment, I took the pen name Thai Duy."

During the period of working for the newspaper Cuu Quoc, there was a memory that journalist Thai Duy always remembered, which was the lesson that Uncle Ho reminded the newspaper's staff about the virtues of modesty, simplicity and always upholding the element of secrecy during wartime. That was when going to the Viet Bac resistance base, the newspaper Cuu Quoc built a very large and magnificent editorial office that could be said to be unmatched (this was also very understandable because Cuu Quoc was the only newspaper of the Party and the Front). On the day of the inauguration of the editorial office, the newspaper invited Uncle Ho to visit, however, when arriving, Uncle Ho frankly reminded: This house needs to be abandoned, the war is still long so the element of secrecy must be given top priority. Moreover, even a big newspaper should be modest, simple and frugal in all aspects. That was also a profound lesson that journalist Thai Duy and his colleagues always remembered and followed throughout their journalism career.

To the pen that is active and devoted to the people

Few people know that Journalist Thai Duy was one of the first journalists to walk across Truong Son for three months to Tay Ninh to join in founding the Liberation Newspaper, the central agency of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, in 1964. In 1965, Journalist Thai Duy was also entrusted by his superiors with the task of meeting and recording Ms. Quyen's stories about Mr. Troi, with a deadline of 15 days. And another stroke of luck, the finished work was immediately sent to the North by a Soviet reporter by plane from Phnom Penh, to Uncle Ho, who saw it, praised it, and directed it to be printed into a book.

Journalist Thai Duy added: "At first, I named my book "The Last Encounters". After I sent it to Hanoi, I read on Voice of Vietnam Radio the work "Living like You", I found it strange that the title was different from the content, which was my book. Later I learned that the book had been renamed by Prime Minister Pham Van Dong and due to confidentiality, the author's name could not be mentioned". Living like You is a collection of valuable notes and documents and is also a great literary work. Through the pure and loving soul of the young wife, through the honest and delicate pen of the writer, we see a very vivid image of the hero Nguyen Van Troi and of a heroic collective, a heroic nation.

Some articles against corruption and negativity by Journalist Thai Duy.

After the country was unified, Thai Duy's pen embarked on a new mission, which was to write articles in response to the agricultural contract to each household. He was extremely saddened by the reality of cooperative agriculture, "no one cries for the common father" and then "Cooperative members work twice as hard/ Let the director buy radios and cars"... He wondered: Why is the land assigned to cooperative members always highly productive, while the opposite is true when it comes to concentrated cooperatives? Then the reality of illegal contracts in Vinh Phu, Hai Phong... made his pen more confident, becoming a weapon to fight for the cause of Innovation in Agriculture from Contract 100 to Contract 10.

As the author of hundreds of articles on "underground contracting" published in Dai Doan Ket newspaper and many other newspapers in the early 80s of the last century, his works contributed to discovering and affirming new ways of doing things in agriculture: Breaking the monoculture, New mechanism - New people, Hai Phong wind, From Hai Phong to a delta rice area, Visiting the cradle of the rice contracting movement, Product contracting: A fast and strong movement, widespread in the countryside, "Underground contracting" or death...

Not only that, Thai Duy's pen is also a sharp pioneering weapon in the fight against corruption and negativity. Although he is calm and modest, when asked about the role and responsibility of journalists in the fight against corruption and negativity, his eyes and voice become eloquent, completely opposite from his original appearance. He believes that the press must respect the truth and speak the truth, and journalists must not ignore or bend their pens to wrong and bad things.

Journalist Thai Duy on a trip back to his hometown Bac Giang, late June 2023.

Since the late 1980s, he has actively responded to the "say and do" column of General Secretary Nguyen Van Linh, promptly reflecting many of the people's concerns and the phenomenon of abuse of power by some local leaders such as in Thanh Hoa (Article: A boil has burst, 1988), planning violations in Con Dao, 1991 (Article: Bureaucracy - A dangerous enemy) or giving personal opinions in responding to anti-corruption measures proposed by the Council of Ministers in 1990 (Article: Embezzlement is too serious). Journalist Thai Duy's articles always promote the role and leadership of the Party in the fight against corruption and negative practices, besides speaking up for the people, affirming the importance of the people with the close connection between "Party's will, people's heart". He believes that: "Always being close to the people, listening to the people and creating conditions for all classes of people to get rich legitimately and have a prosperous life is one of the wishes of our Party when setting the goal of building a socialist rule-of-law state. That is also the aspiration of the whole nation when looking towards the Party".

Just recently, in 2023, the Vietnam Press Museum made a film about him. When asked about his feelings about his life as a journalist, Journalist Thai Duy, still with a passionate voice, said: In his whole life, he only had one title, that of a reporter, but that was what made him feel proud. For him, being able to write, to contribute a part of his efforts to the struggle for national liberation and using that pen to speak up for the people's voices and aspirations, exposing the dark corners of society, the "boils" of corruption and negativity... that is what makes him satisfied. This article is like a fragrant incense stick, respectfully remembering Journalist Thai Duy - who devoted his whole life to the cause of Vietnamese Revolutionary Journalism.

Nguyen Ba

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/thai-duy-mot-nha-bao-xong-xao-khiem-nhuong-post291804.html