The  Association of Journalists of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics held its first Congress, 2021-2025 tenure - Photo: Ta Phuong Lien

As a national center for training and fostering middle and senior leadership and management cadres of the Party and State, as well as for research on political theory, dissemination of the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws, the Academy has 12 journal agencies, 06 bulletins, and electronic web portals. The Academy of Journalism and Communications under the HCMA is a leading national institution for training press and communications. Evidently, the Academy’s press unit system is quite extensive, with unique features compared to other local journalists’ associations.

With an aim to perfecting the apparatus and operation mechanisms of a socio-political-professional organization according to the Party and State’s guidelines, as well as in response to the Academy’s management requirement, after multiple years of preparation, under the leadership of the Academy’s Party Committee and the Board of Directors, the Academy’s Association of Journalists was established and premiered on the 96th Anniversary of Vietnam’s Revolutionary Journalism (June 21, 2021). The Association’s establishment is seen as an important milestone for the entire Academy’s press staff, creating favorable conditions for members, including cadres, journal and bulletin editors, and lecturers from journalism training institutions throughout the Academy system, to exchange expertise, cultivate ethics and develop professional skills. In addition, the Association is an essential political entity for the Academy’s Party Committee to effectively implement Directive No. 43-CT/TW dated April 8, 2020, of the Secretariat on strengthening the Party’s leadership toward the activities of the Vietnam Journalists Association in the new situation.

The first Congress of the Academy’s Association of Journalists offers an excellent opportunity to look back on its role and performance outcomes since its establishment and, more importantly, to be better aware of the position and role of the Association in the Academy’s and national press work. This is also a chance for leaders and staff to have a better view of all political tasks and encourage and promote the responsibility among press staff in implementing guidelines and resolutions of the Party, policies and laws of the State, thereby making contributions to the overall victory of the country on all fronts, and successfully fulfilling the Academy’s political tasks assigned by the Party, State and people.

The birth of the Association of Journalists serves as important content in the Academy’s Project on press work arrangement and development by 2025 with a vision towards 2030. It illustrates the timely attention and direction of the Academy’s Board of Directors, party committees and leaders at all levels. Accordingly, it is required that the role of the press should be promoted in training and fostering cadres, conducting scientific research, and advising the Party and State about formulating guidelines and policies.

In the context of the complicated developments of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Academy’s journals, bulletins, and web portals have operated under challenging conditions. However, with the sense of responsibility and unanimity of journalists to the Party and State, and the cause of training and scientific research of the Academy, the Academy’s press work has achieved several outstanding results:

Firstly, all information channels, including journals, bulletins, and web portals, are continuously operated under the Party’s guidelines, the State’s policies and laws, and the Academy’s orientation. Specifically, these press units have focused on disseminating Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought and the Party and State’s lines and policies, defending the Party’s ideological foundation, and fighting against wrongful and hostile viewpoints. Also, many studies by the Academy’s scholars and political theory researchers across the nation have been published, contributing to the perfection of the Party’s lines and policies and the State’s policies and laws.

Secondly, along with the Academy’s establishment and development, the performance of press agencies at the Academy has been revolutionized with plenty of new positive features. Several journals have affirmed their position and role as the press agencies under the theoretical body of the Party.

Various journals have been published in English and online with additional special issues, making them available to many domestic and foreign readers. Numerous quality articles and columns have vividly reflected the country’s renovation and socio-economic development, as well as the overall achievements of the national industrialization, modernization and international integration.

Journals and bulletins have actively contributed to publishing and putting the Academy’s scientific research findings into practice, effectively serving the tasks of training and fostering cadres and advising the Party about planning guidelines and policies, thus contributing to enhancing the prestige and status of the Academy domestically and internationally.

Thirdly, in the past year, most journals have developed meaningful research columns and issues such as “Bringing the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress into reality” and “Protecting the ideological foundation of the Party”. Implementing Resolution No. 35-NQ/TW of the Politburo, a website called vietnamthinhvuong.com was launched by the Academy’s headquarters in Hanoi; Academy of Politics Region II built the blog “Sang mai niem tin” [The everlasting belief]; the Academy of Politics Region III opened the fan page “Nhung ngon lua nho” [Small Flames], and so on.

Fourthly, the Academy’s apparatus and journal and editorial board staff have consolidated. Most of the Journalists’ sub-association cadres and members have honorary titles, wisdom, and high professional qualifications and always stay firm on the ideological - theoretical fronts. Moreover, they are always passionate and enthusiastic about work and strive to overcome difficulties to fulfill assigned tasks.

Fifthly, journalism training has witnessed efforts to overcome all challenges, especially given the context of complicated developments of the pandemic. Fundamental and comprehensive renovation of education and training has been continuously carried out based on linking learning with practice, focusing on quantity and quality, and synchronizing knowledge with skills and journalism ethics. Furthermore, regulations towards standardization, modernization and international integration have been thoughtfully implemented, making progress in training and developing high-quality journalistic human resources.

These achievements have been made thanks to the active contribution of the Academy’s Journalists Association members.

However, along with the achievements above, the press work and operation of the Academy’s Journalists’ Association have specific weaknesses that need to be pointed out and worked on. The most noticeable limitations can be named as follows:

Firstly, organizing a press association fails to be fully recognized by members. Accordingly, the preparation for establishing a journalism association and membership promotion has been poor over the past time. The Academy has a widespread press system with 12 journals and six bulletins; however, only six sub-associations from affiliated press units and two sub-associations from journalism training institutions were established. Despite having such a wide-ranging press system and a large contingent of members, a journalists’ Association was not founded. It was not until June 2021 that the Association of Journalists was established in the Academy after years of being directed. So far, the Association has just organized the Congress of journalists throughout the Academy for the first time.

Moreover, journalists’ sub-associations under the Academy still operate sporadically and lack unity, cohesion, and coordination in implementing professional work. The relationship between sub-associations and journals’ specialist leaders is underdeveloped, and no working regulations have been set. Additionally, the sub-association’s role is still vague, not making considerable contributions to improving journalistic work process and expertise, sharing experience in publishing, and building a contingent of journalists.

Secondly, many sub-association members have not yet received training in journalism and publishing. They have little experience editing, governing, and managing editorial offices, especially in the digital era. Most of the press staff are multi-tasking cadres, lecturers, researchers, and specialists; hence, they do not spend a satisfactory amount of time and make essential efforts to improve their journalistic work.

Thirdly, press units under the Academy have not yet issued regulations on editorial standards, not paid sufficient attention to the development and implementation of international scientific journal standards, online publishing and article review procedures, research article writing formats, etc. No journal is listed in world scientific citation indexes.

Press diversification and digital transformation are under par. Only three journals publish both printed and electronic versions; five journals release English-language publications, not periodically. No journal is completely digitalized; no editorial office applies the digitalization of system administration, editing, article approval, format design, and measurement of public demands. A model of a converged editorial office has not yet been built.

Fourthly, journal agencies and journalists’ sub-associations have not actively participated in professional and journalist-networking activities organized by the Vietnam Association of Journalists, not paid much attention to submitting press works to national and specialist journalism awards, as well as to cooperation in professional training, etc. The number of prize-winning articles in Golden Hammer and Sickle and National Press Awards is still modest.

Fifthly, most of the Academy’s journal units offer free distribution or complimentary publications within the Academy and to a number of the Party and State’s leaders, political schools and universities. The quantity of orders is still limited.

The current context is placing urgent requirements for the national press in general and press units of the Academy in particular. These include: working out a breakthrough solution to overcome challenges of the national digital transformation; taking part in solid international integration in the field of journalism; setting out new requirements on publishing procedures and standards in line with the changing needs of the public; implementing the political tasks of the HCMA in particular and on the Party’s political, ideological and theoretical fronts in general. In other words, the Academy’s press agencies and journalists must take steps to transform and evolve.

Based on the functions and tasks of the Association of Journalists, as well as the requirements and political tasks of the Academy, today, at this Congress, I would like to emphasize some essential contents so that we can reflect and facilitate press activities in the coming time:

Firstly, thoroughly grasping the guidelines of the Party, the State, and the Vietnam Journalists Association towards press agencies.

Directly under Vietnam Journalists Association, the Academy’s Journalists Association, first and foremost, needs to well comply with its charter, principles, and purposes. Accordingly, associations and sub-associations need to be fully aware of their position and role as a political - social - professional organization, and operate under the Party’s leadership and the State’s management, serving the revolutionary cause of the Party, State, and people.

The sub-associations need to focus on renovating contents and operation methods through diverse and creative forms; pay attention to protecting the legitimate interests of members and upholding solidarity, discipline, and responsibility; attach importance to the training and cultivating theoretical knowledge, political and ideological stances, expertise, and especially journalists’ ethics, thereby contributing to improving the accountability and fulfilling missions of revolutionary journalists.

The associations must be robust, ideology-oriented, professional, and modern, becoming a fulcrum of professionalism and professional ethics for journalists. Concurrently, the Party building and rectification should be facilitated among press agencies and journalists’ associations in line with Conclusion No. 21-KL/TW of the 13th Party Central Committee through specific and close-to-reality programs and plans.

Secondly, closely following the Party and State’s political tasks, the national renovation, construction and defense, as well as the Academy’s critical political tasks.

Emphasizing on disseminating Marxism - Leninism, Ho Chi Minh’s thought, the Party’s viewpoints and lines, the State’s policies and laws, achievements of the national renovation, construction, and development, actively contributing to theoretical research and practical review of socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam; well-implementing the task of protecting the Party’s ideological foundation, fighting against fallacious, hostile, reactionary and politically opportunistic views; vividly and effectively disseminating the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress to a large number of cadres, Party members and people from all walks of life, creating a unity of will and action to successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress, the Party’s resolutions and directives, and the State’s laws.

Apart from such columns as Grasping and Implementing the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress, Protecting the Party’s ideological foundation and fighting against false and hostile views, all journals need to include columns on disseminating the General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s book On socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam in an organized, quality and effective manner.

In addition, the Academy’s press units need to continuously take the lead in carrying out the political tasks of the Academy, closely following the tasks to promptly inform and implement guidelines, plans and action programs promulgated by the Party Committee and Board of Directors. Also, the press agencies focus on popularizing the outcomes of the Academy’s training, science research, theoretical research and practical summaries, providing scientific arguments for developing and perfecting guidelines, policies of the Party and State. Efforts to renovate and improve editorial quality also need to be made so that the Academy’s journalistic publications can be increasingly of higher quality, becoming an official and reliable source of learning materials not only for cadres, lecturers, and students, but also for scientists showing interest in political theory and national press and media. Press publications must become learning materials on political theory for cadres and Party members, including leaders and managers at all levels, provide scientific evidence for the Party and State in formulating viewpoints, lines, policies, and laws in general, and should be used in the fields of political ideology, press and media in particular.

Thirdly, improving professional qualifications and ethics among the Academy’s contingent of journalists.

To enhance the role of the press in general and scientific journals in particular, journalists must uphold their professional and ethical responsibility. Reality poses new challenges that require scientific journalists to self-study, renovate and perfect themselves. Journalists need to play an active role in continuously promoting the construction and rectification of the Party and the political system; preventing and reversing the deterioration of political ideology, morality, lifestyle, the manifestations of “self-evolution”, “self-transformation”; enriching the understanding of socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam, as well as foreign affair and national security strategies, etc.

Each press cadre of the Academy must be a pioneer soldier on the ideological and theoretical fronts with enthusiasm, commitment and high responsibility; complying with the Press Law, providing truthful information on the situation of the country and the world in accordance with the national interests and people; contributing to ensuring political stability, socio-economic development, building and promoting socialist democracy; not allowing journal works to unintentionally abet hostile forces and reactionaries taking advantage of or misunderstanding the Party’s guidelines and the State’s policies and laws.

Direct governing bodies, journalists’ sub-associations, and members need to frankly evaluate their strengths and weaknesses for self-training and self-improvement. The Executive Board of the Association and the Secretariats of the sub-associations must grasp their position and role in developing and fostering political, ethical, and professional skills for members, as well as promoting studying and following President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, style and ethics of journalism.

Fourthly, continuously strengthening the organization of journalists’ sub-associations and Association; developing, training, fostering, and managing members.

It is essential to quickly consolidate the organization of the sub-associations and promote their operation and membership, affirming the cohesion and unity of the entire press sector throughout the Academy. This is deemed a turning point for the Academy’s Association of Journalists to truly become an organization with its imprint and identity of the Academy in the revolutionary press system of Vietnam.

The Academy’s Association of Journalists is responsible for advising on the structural arrangement of press agencies to ensure consistency in organization and human resource size throughout the Academy, promoting systematization and overcoming the lack of connection between press units. At the same time, the Association and sub-associations of journalists must do an excellent job of recommending and giving a social review on guidelines and policies related to the press work of the Academy. Furthermore, the Association needs to develop a mechanism to attract experienced, skilled, and well-managed press staff and protect the legitimate rights and interests of the Academy’s circle of journalists.

The Executive Board of the Association is responsible for advising the Academy’s Party Committee and Board of Directors on developing mechanisms and policies for the development, education, and training of members, especially the contingent of leaders and managers. The sub-associations also need to enhance their role in supervising the compliance with laws and regulations regarding members’ professional ethics and pay attention to planning and training leaders of press agencies and sub-associations.

The sub-associations are also required to actively recommend leaders at all levels to provide annual training as well as create conditions for cadres, editors, and employees to attend advanced training courses on writing, editing, IT, and foreign language skills, meeting the requirements of modern and integrated journalism.

Fifthly, sub-associations from journalism research and training institutions are to consider the followings:

Continuously promoting the practical review and development of journalistic theory to improve the training quality and propose scientific and reasonable arguments to develop and perfect the Party and State’s guidelines and policies on journalism; better performing their role as a national center for research and training in journalism, focusing on comprehensive training in journalistic expertise, skills, and ethics, contributing to the development of the country’s high-quality journalistic human resources. Additionally, sub-association activities should be centered on building research and teaching staff with solid political willpower, in-depth theoretical and practical knowledge, creativity, and pedagogical skills. It is also crucial to pay attention to discovering and fostering young talents, motivating young staff, intensifying international cooperation in training and research, and directly contributing to building a modern and internationally integrated press system in the Academy.

As a Central Party School, the HCMA is a national center for training and fostering leaders and managers and a national center for political theory research and policy advice for the Party and the State. All press units under the Academy must affirm their prestige and status regionally and internationally, becoming a red address for scientists to exchange scholarly, publish new research findings, and exert their social influence.

The revolutionary cause and the national construction and defense in the new period pose arduous but glorious tasks for the national press in general and the Academy’s press in particular. I am convinced that, with the achieved results and with the efforts and determination of the sub-associations and members, the Academy’s journalism work and staff will grow stronger in the time to come.

Editorial Board