The highest and most sacred Party spirit

Preserving Party Nature – The “Red Thread” of Vietnam’s Revolutionary Journalism

The Vietnamese Revolutionary Press is a press that clearly demonstrates the Party's character and orientation, taking the interests of the People as the goal to strive for, serving the People, for the development of the nation. This is also the core, immutable value of journalism - a "sediment" that can never be lost, never change. The journey to preserve and promote the Party's character is ultimately the journey to protect and nurture the "survival" of the Vietnamese Revolutionary Press. That responsibility belongs to those involved, the press agencies, the team of revolutionary journalists in the new situation...

When the team of journalists joins hands for the goal of “having the Party in our hearts”, it will certainly create a power that can “fill the sea and move mountains”, and no force can change it. To better understand that journey, on the eve of the 99th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day, the Journalist & Public Opinion Newspaper has a special topic “Preserving the Party’s character – the “red thread” of Vietnam Revolutionary Press”.

In our society, there is no journalist who does not “know” this, the press is the most basic and essential means of information in life. Every press, radio, and television publication is the voice of the Party agency, state agency, socio-political organization, socio-political-professional organization, social organization and is a forum for the People.

From one's position, one clearly recognizes one's duties, tasks, and powers, of which the most core and consistent task is to truthfully inform about the situation of the country and the world, in accordance with the interests of the country and the people, reflecting the legitimate thoughts and aspirations of the people.

The Party nature of the Revolutionary Press is like a source of permeation in all journalistic activities, like a compass guiding each article, each propaganda policy, each newspaper. A veteran journalist said that if a press boat sets sail on the ocean without Party nature, it will easily sway and deviate. Praise or criticism, support or opposition, whether to publish or not, whether to emphasize or not to emphasize... all depend largely on the Party nature.

Readers with the Party newspaper at the Da Nang Spring Newspaper Festival. Photo: Da Nang Newspaper

The Party nature of revolutionary journalism is like a source that permeates all journalistic activities, like a compass that guides each article, each propaganda policy, and each newspaper.

In the tradition of Revolutionary Journalism for nearly a century, the Party's character has always gone hand in hand with the People's character and the national character. And there are other opinions about honesty, criticality, and attractiveness. Of course, covering everything is the Party's character. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow, the Vietnamese press has the glorious duty of serving the revolutionary cause, for the Party, for the People. That is both the goal, the condition, and the ethical standard in journalistic activities. That is also the Party's character of the press; it is the expression of the press's loyalty to the Party, and its contribution to the cause of building a prosperous country.

During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh said very briefly: "We must put the interests of the Party and the nation above all else." This does not contradict the honesty, the hotness, the timeliness, and the attractiveness of journalistic works. And it is not just "our" business but the business of journalism for all humanity. The world press also always emphasizes the issue of respecting the truth and the public's right to know the truth, considering this the first duty of journalists.

The 2024 Pulitzer Prizes have recently been awarded for outstanding journalism. These are articles, documentaries, and photos still covered in the dust of war. They are an excellent series of articles about the Hamas-Israel conflict and the suffering of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip in The Times. On this occasion, the Pulitzer Prize Board also issued a special statement to honor journalists who covered the conflict.

Now, we would like to talk more specifically about Party nature in the press. This concept should be understood broadly. It is not only political newspapers that need to have and ensure Party nature, but all newspapers and magazines in our country need to properly implement their principles and purposes. Regardless of the circumstances, we must maintain a firm political orientation, grasp and guide public opinion. At the same time, depending on the specific functions and tasks, we must have appropriate methods and forms of struggle, refuting the wrong views of hostile forces and political opportunists. That is the manifestation of Party nature.

As a matter of course, the press must constantly promote Party spirit. Photo: XB

Yesterday, today and tomorrow, the Vietnamese press has the glorious mission of serving the revolutionary cause, for the Party, for the People. That is both the goal, the condition, and the ethical standard in press activities. That is also the Party nature of the press; it is the expression of the press's loyalty to the Party, and the press's contribution to the cause of building a prosperous country.

In some recent seminars, many Editors-in-Chief mentioned quite specific issues, deeply analyzed the Party nature in the current situation, emphasizing the manifestations of deviation from the Party nature. Is there a situation where someone speaks very smoothly about building a cultural press agency, but there are manifestations of anti-culture and sub-culture (disunity, forming cliques, running for positions and power, "selling things" to brokers from content to distribution...). Are there interest groups in the press community who use the name of fighting corruption to commit corruption?

When hands are "dipped in ink", writing anything is awkward, lacking objectivity, honesty, and even protecting bad things. Is there a situation of relying on sources of information, taking advantage of social networks without thoroughly investigating and ensuring the accuracy of the information? Are there manifestations of opportunism, populism, distrust but still raising hands in agreement? Is there a situation of hiding or distorting the truth for advertising and commercial purposes, even degrading honor and dignity, to make illegal profits?...

Dare to speak up, speak everything, say things that others are afraid to say, that is a positive sign to correct mistakes, to do better in the future.

Economic difficulties have an immediate and strong impact on the press economy. The issue of profit, circulation, and income levels are always a headache for press managers. At this time, the press cannot pursue commercial purposes. Developing the press economy but cannot make money at all costs, not allowing the newspaper to be "controlled". We still have to pay attention to and value the "profit" in terms of political ideology and spirit, and maintain the "bridge" between the Party's will and the People's heart.

In the coming time, in our opinion, it is necessary to focus on promoting the preparation of Party congresses at all levels, towards the 14th Congress of our Party in early 2026. The difficulty and the new thing is to find the most important topics and issues to orient and focus on propaganda. Orientation is shown in two aspects, one, standing on the Party's viewpoint to perceive, two, reflecting and solving the issues mentioned by the press.

Regarding our Party's viewpoint, the closing speech of the 9th Central Conference (13th Term) by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong raised very big and very new issues. Which are the valuable source of "nutrition" for the press. He said: "After 40 years of renovation, have we really formed a Theory on the renovation path in Vietnam?"; "We need to focus on very key, more specific and more realistic contents such as: Building and synchronously implementing institutions and policies to promote the development of science, technology and innovation, encouraging the spirit of daring to think, daring to do, daring to take responsibility, daring to make breakthroughs in development; fundamentally and comprehensively innovating personnel work, attracting, nurturing, developing and making good use of talents..."

“Theory on the path of innovation”, “Fundamental and comprehensive innovation of cadre work” are press topics that need special attention. And high-quality press works, well received by the public, will be like healthy green trees growing from this “land”. Along with promoting propaganda, bringing the Party’s viewpoints and policies into life, newspapers and each journalist, depending on their capacity, strengths, and field of activity, also have the responsibility to contribute to summarizing the theory and practice of party building and building the political system.

The development of modern journalism in Vietnam has greatly contributed to orienting public opinion, encouraging the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. Especially in the third decade of the 21st century, we must seize opportunities, overcome challenges, participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, consider it a breakthrough solution with appropriate steps and roadmap, an opportunity for our country to make a breakthrough in socio-economic development.

However, on the path of development, the Vietnamese press still often encounters many difficulties and obstacles. Some hostile and reactionary individuals and organizations use all kinds of tricks to fabricate and distort the situation of press freedom. This is a specific plot in the "Peaceful Evolution" strategy to sabotage, defame, and lower the prestige and image of Vietnam in the international arena.

Recently, in early May 2024, as usual, the organization “Reporters Without Borders” (RSF) published its annual report on the “Press Freedom Index 2024”. In the name of protecting press freedom in the world and fighting censorship, they claimed that: Vietnam ranked 174th out of 180 countries in terms of press freedom, belonging to the group of countries “with the worst press in the world ” (!). They loudly said: “ The state must allow private press to operate”.

Some Western media agencies have no goodwill towards Vietnam, and whenever there are specific events or incidents related to the press, they complain, speculate, and distort the situation in the country. “Relying on” outside, some reactionary elements in the country have set up illegal groups to promote so-called “press freedom”, “civil society”, and one-sidedly promote “creative personality” which is actually speaking the opposite, in order to counterbalance the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Now when discussing the enhancement of Party spirit in the press, we also need to see all the difficulties of the press in the market economy mechanism, in the economy that is struggling to grow after more than two years of the country's resilient fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Then there are the daily and hourly impacts of the international situation. The "proxy war" between Russia and Ukraine, the Hamas-Israel conflict is spreading throughout the Middle East, the arms race, ethnic and religious conflicts... are causing the world economy and security to be disrupted, with complicated developments that are difficult to predict.

Economic difficulties have an immediate and strong impact on the press economy. The issue of profit, circulation, and income levels are always a headache for press managers. At this time, the press cannot pursue commercial purposes. Developing the press economy but cannot make money at all costs, not allowing the newspaper to be "controlled". We still have to pay attention to and value the "profit" in terms of political ideology and spirit, and maintain the "bridge" between the Party's will and the People's heart.

To maintain stability, we must continue to innovate. Innovate the way we exploit information, innovate the way we write, innovate the editorial management model, digitize the press... An Editor-in-Chief said that our newspaper's motto at this time is: Use any tool we have at hand to spread information to the widest possible audience and international friends, ensuring the most accurate, most effective, and focused information, with the ability to guide and orient public opinion.

Yes, that is the highest and most sacred manifestation of the Party's spirit before the demands of the country, the people, the renovation process, and the rich and sustainable development of the country's press. If so, each journalist is not only a contemporary historian but also a talented forecaster, like the early morning bell, like the first thunder of the season.

Journalist Hai Duong

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tinh-dang-cao-nhat-thieng-lieng-nhat-post299556.html