The Vietnam Journalists’ Association was established on April 21, 1950 in Viet Bac (the Northern-most revolutionary base) under the guidelines of the Party Central Committee and the late President Ho Chi Minh. Over the past 60 years, the association’s members have always been loyal at every significant moment in the nation’s history. They have made a great contribution to the cause of national construction and defence.

Since its establishment with only 200 members, the association has enlarged its membership to 16,800, including 15,000 professional journalists. They are present at every important event and cover every aspect of people’s daily life.

Vietnamese journalists have overcome many difficulties and challenges both in the past and at present to successfully carry out their task of disseminating information honestly and truthfully.

During the past struggles against US and French occupying forces, as well as during the wars of resistance against foreign invaders in the northern and south-western border regions, many journalists laid down their lives in order to complete their mission. They used their pens as weapons like soldiers did in the fight against the enemy. This is a special feature of Vietnamese journalism. The Vietnam Journalists’ Association has already honoured 400 journalists whose sacrifices were described as a price worth paying for the nation. They had formed a powerful force that made people feel confident in the nation’s final victory over foreign aggressors.

Upholding this glorious tradition, Vietnamese journalists nowadays continue to be in the vanguard of the national renovation process. They highlight good people and good deeds, and do not hesitate to point out shortcomings in current mechanisms. They are actively involved in the fight against corruption and social evils, with a view to promoting democracy and social equality, as well as helping the country to enter a new period of development.

In fact, there are some journalists who have made mistakes and used their privileges to further advance their careers. But there’s no denying that journalists have made a significant contribution to turning over a new page in the nation’s history.

A lesson drawn from Vietnam’s revolutionary journalism shows that to carry out their mission successfully, journalists have to put the national interests first and report events for the benefit of the people, national renovation and development. This is the principle that had influenced the whole life and work of late President Ho Chi Minh, who was also an outstanding journalist.

Apart from enjoying support from Party and State policies, journalists still run into a lot of trouble when doing their duties. Many agencies and organisations which want to cover up their failings or misdemeanours, often refuse to cooperate with the press, and try to prevent journalists from seeking out the truth. Sometimes they even attack journalists. Therefore, one of the Vietnam Journalists’ Association’s key tasks is to protect the legal rights of its members.

In addition, the association should strictly follow the ethics of journalists and encourage all sections of people to engage in press activities.