Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam’s revolutionary press, born in 1925 when Nguyen Ai Quoc, later known as President Ho Chi Minh,ꦬ founded the Thanh Nien newspaper, has gone a 100-year journey marౠked by hardships, pride, and constant growth, shaping the nation’s media landscape.
Central to this evolution is the Vietnam Journalists’ Association (VJA), which continues to lead, guid and protect journalists.
A trusted companion of the revolutionary press
Back on April 21, 1950, with the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh calling the shots, journalists gathered in Roong Khoa hamlet, Thai Nguyen province, to launch the Association of Vietnamese Journalists, now the VJA. That meet-up was a game-changer, rallying reporters to fuel the ♊fight for independence and freedom with ink and grit.
Since its founding, the VJA has been a steadfast advocate for journalists’ rights, interests and aspirations, ensuring the media serves as a mouthpiece for the Party and State while fostering public dialogue.
During the socialism building in northern Vietnam and the fight for national reunification, the VJA doubled down on professional training and political integrity, cementing its role in building an army of socially responsible journalists.
The VJA has consistently defended journalists’ rights, stepping in when press freedoms face threats and supporting reporters encountering on-the-job challenges. Across its central and local chapters, the association has worked to boost political awareness, technical skills, and ethical standards among its members.
Vietnamese journalists have upheld truth, public service, and accountability, with many risking personal safety to combat corruption, waste, and social injustices. These efforts have strengthened the media’s political role and earned public trust.
Journalist Nguyen Hoang Nhat speaks at a seminar on AI application in news reporting held in Da Lat on December 1, 2023 (Photo: VNA)
To keep pace with global media trends, the VJA has revamped its training, emphasising multimedia skills, specialised reporting, and journalism education. Hot topics like artificial intelligence, digital content management, fact-checking, and data security are now front and centre.
Phan Xuan Thuy, deputy head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation, noted that said Vietnam’s press has grown in size, political mettle, and technological adaptability, with its output increasingly aligning with global communication standards.
Toward a humanistic, professional, and modern press
As Vietnam approaches the revolutionary press’s centennial on June 21, 2025, coinciding with the end of the VJA’s 11th Congress (2020–2025), the association sees both opportunities and challenges.
Echoing Party General Secretary To Lam’s call for a new era of media that is modern, professional, and deeply rooted in national values, the VJA is tasked with redefining its vision. At its 75th anniversary, Thuy urged the association to streamline operations, matching the Government efforts to cut overlap in socio-political organisations. Under the Vietnam Fatherland Front’s oversight, VJA branches are expected to operate with greater efficiency and impact, he added.
The VJA’s Standing Vice President Nguyen Duc Loi called the back half of 2025 a “sprint” to the finish line. Top to-dos include drafting agenda for the VJA’s 12th National Congress, conducting structural reforms under Resolution 18, beefing up training and professional ethics courses, and enhancing international cooperation and prestige, particularly within ASEAN.
The VJA is also strengthening internal governance to align with Directive 43-CT/TW of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat, a blueprint for a strong, dynamic, and ethically grounded press, he added./.
National Assembly (NA) Chairman Tran Thanh Man noted that press coverage has vividly and comprehensively reflected the activities of the NA, with timely and topical reporting before, during, and after each session of the legislature and its Standing Committee.
At this place, President Ho Chi Minh personally wrote articles, laid out, and printed the issues of Thanh Nien - the first official organ of the Vietnamese revolution. There, the leader held three political training courses for Vietnamese revolutionary cadres.
On April 21, 1950, in Roong Khoa hamlet, Diem Mac commune, Dinh Hoa district, Thai Nguyen province, the founding congress of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association was held. Over the past 75 years, the association has grown into a unifying and motivating force for journalists nationwide, helping them overcome immense challenges and fulfil the noble mission of revolutionary journalism. The association has contributed significantly to strengthening public trust in the Party and State.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the agency’s centre for digital contents and communications (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is intensifying efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as part of the country’s goal of having the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning lifted.
Throughout its 80-year history, the VNA has remained at the forefront of information dissemination. It has consistently delivered timely, accurate, and objective reports on both domestic and international events, serving the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the public’s demand for official news.
With strong support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, and residents, the province has successfully built or repaired 10,707 homes for disadvantaged households, including war veterans, families of martyrs, ethnic minority people, and low-income residents.
Throughout its resistance against colonialists and imperialists, Vietnam developed a revolutionary press that has served as a benchmark for just and legitimate causes worldwide.
Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic is regarded as a cultural ambassador of Austria, with prestigious conductors like Mahler and Karajan who shape its legacy. Its New Year’s Concert, broadcast to over 90 countries annually, stands as a global symbol of classical music excellence.
PM Chinh lauded the press’s historic role in the nation’s fight for independence and its ongoing process of national development, affirming that the Government always highly appreciates the close partnership and steadfast support of press agencies and journalists nationwide.
In recent decades, Vietnam’s mainstream media has become a reliable and persuasive channel for showcasing the nation’s development policies and achievements, especially in economic matters, according to a senior assistant editor at the Times of India.
A hub for sharing best practices, the event aims to forge solutions for financial sustainability, public media contracts, audience engagement, content innovation, and newsroom restructuring. It is also a moment for Vietnam’s media to accelerate its progress and figure out what the “revolutionary press” means in a new era.
From “Thanh nien”, Vietnam’s first revolutionary newspaper founded by Nguyen Ai Quoc (later President Ho Chi Minh) on June 21, 1925, the revolutionary press has remained devoted to its sacred missions -accompanying the nation, serving the Fatherland, and working for the people.
The official launch of Emirates’ Dubai–Da Nang route on June 2 has sparked a “tourism revolution” for Vietnam’s central coastal city. Da Nang is emerging as a top destination for high-end travelers, particularly from the lucrative Middle Eastern market.
Bernama CEO Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said VNA has been a consistent and reliable partner in OANA, contributing actively to the regional media landscape through content sharing, coordination, and policy discussions. Their coverage of ASEAN and Indochina issues adds valuable perspectives. Bernama appreciates the collaboration with VNA.
In this era of global integration and digitalisation, the press must adopt modern multimedia models to not only meet increasing information and communication demands but also align with the broader socio-economic development of the country.
A master plan on implementation of recommendations accepted by Vietnam under the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) took effect on June 17.
