This is what all newspaper readers expect the newspaper to further promote, especially in the context of social life that is changing strongly and rapidly in many aspects, including new means and methods of information and the diverse needs of soldiers and people.

General Secretary Do Muoi reads the People's Army Newspaper, No. 181, 1993 (now the People's Army Weekend Newspaper). Photo courtesy

“One twenty one” and...

“Let’s go together, Red Army. We march with one heart. Don’t let the enemy escape. We are determined to sacrifice...” The march “Let’s go together, Red Army” by musician Dinh Nhu reminds us that “One twenty one” began right from the first steps of the Red Self-Defense Army, the first revolutionary armed organization under the leadership of the Party, born in the first revolutionary climax of the Nghe Tinh Soviet (1930-1931). “Let’s march with one heart” is the first basic requirement and action for people of different backgrounds to become unified, disciplined, and united to form an armed unit. That was the beginning of our Army and will always be so.

That is why writing about soldiers in peacetime is really difficult when almost every unit is the same, repeating strict discipline, methodical work, study, training, routine activities, daily life... Even eating, sleeping, listening, reading, watching, singing... are the same. A special collective organization in society, if not unified and strict, has no strength. It is not strange that many writers still say to each other: Writing about soldiers is difficult to find something new, difficult to be attractive, easy to dry. That is the reality, a challenge for all journalists. Although the perspective is mentioned and approached from culture, the writers of the Weekend People's Army Newspaper always have to face this challenge and it is gratifying that step by step, the brothers, sisters and collaborators near and far have had successes.

“One twenty one” is dry and monotonous. That’s right, but when soldiers overcome it, their stories are not dry. Seeing the footsteps, the faces, the eyes looking straight ahead… all in a row on the daily training ground or especially the parades and inspections during the country’s solemn holidays, every citizen finds it beautiful and proud. But only journalists can let the public know what rain and sun, hardships and difficulties they have gone through.

Soldiers on the anti-aircraft artillery field of Regiment 213, Division 363, Air Defense - Air Force read the People's Army Weekend Newspaper. Photo: PHU SON

How many nuances of soldiers are depicted in the Weekend People's Army Newspaper? It is impossible to tell them all. Detailed reports on the efforts to help people and the initiatives to organize life, grow vegetables, trees and flowers, sports matches, military-civilian art nights... of officers and soldiers in remote border and island areas. The hard training, the passion for learning to master military science and technology, master tanks, cannons, warships, airplanes and modern weapons. The bewilderment and innocence of young soldiers in front of girls, their joy when going through villages and streets, talking and confiding with grandparents, brothers and sisters, taking care of and playing with children...

What is the quality of a soldier, the quality of Uncle Ho's soldiers? It is the steel of will and courage, the pure youthful quality full of ambition, desire to love and dedicate... The People's Army Newspaper Weekend has contributed to spreading and highlighting those qualities and that is the foundation for adapting and promoting in the changes.

The sky of beauty

Writing about and writing for soldiers are two major tasks of the newspaper, so the question of what soldiers need and what they expect always urges writers. With the QĐND Cuoi Tuan newspaper, the responsibility and also the advantage is to approach culture, discover and bring beauty, a top need in the perception and soul of soldiers, to themselves. Why do Uncle Ho's soldiers become a model of new people in life and a noble image in the country's literature and art if they are not the embodiment of the distillation and development of the quintessence of national and human culture?

Remember, right in the first days of its launch, the QĐND Weekend newspaper mentioned each block, each work and detail of the nation's huge cultural heritage treasure. What are the habits and customs of traditional agricultural society, festivals, folk song and dance regions, art forms of cheo, tuong, cai luong... left behind and how are they preserved and developed in today's life, along with the waves of modern culture, literature and art? The classic works, immortal poems and literary works in the thousand-year history of the nation and humanity, the contributions and achievements of literature and art in the sacred resistance wars of the nation in the 20th century. The unique features of Vietnamese and world military culture, trends, events, new phenomena, new works... All are reviewed, their value affirmed and suggestions for the present and the future. In the press, the issues and works mentioned are not only introduced and analyzed with new perspectives but also have in-depth exchanges and discussions. Recently, the multi-part forum on the topic "Literature and art contribute to building the character and personality of Uncle Ho's soldiers" was a success, useful and interesting.

Looking back at the work and things that have been done, we can see that the newspaper can completely and confidently innovate and further improve the quality of all aspects in the basic direction it has chosen. In general, that is so, but going into specifics, there are so many new and difficult things that need to be done and must be renewed and improved. We can be closer and younger to today's soldiers; at the same time, we must be more mature in our role of leading them. That means in political ideology and aesthetics, in working style and expression, we need to clearly define new directions and ways of doing things. In the era of multimedia journalism, we need to take advantage of and compete with social networks, so we cannot help but be more dynamic and flexible with more initiatives. For example, we need more concise and lively articles. Types of entertainment or directly referring to the cultural industry, including entertainment, are also needed more. Also in the trend of the technology era, should we organize forms of interaction between readers and the newspaper...

We all know that journalism is about constant innovation, aiming for new things; if it is not new and not lively, it is far from life and readers. We also know that journalism is about organization, here it is about exploiting the great treasure from experts, writers with deep knowledge and sharp, sensitive pens, and more broadly, people and soldiers who write and make newspapers together.

I love the newspaper so I would like to boldly express the wishes of a long-time reader and writer for the QĐND Weekend Newspaper.

The Weekend QĐND Newspaper is one of the publications of the People's Army Newspaper, which published its first issue under the name of the Saturday QĐND Newspaper on July 7, 1990, size 29x42cm, 12 pages, printed in 4 colors, distributed nationwide. In response to the political mission requirements in the new situation, on January 7, 1996, the Saturday QĐND Newspaper published a new series under the name of the Weekend QĐND Newspaper. The newspaper increased to 16 pages. With the motto "orientation, in-depth, entertainment", over the past 35 years, under the leadership and direction of the Party Committee and the Editorial Board of the People's Army Newspaper, the Weekend QĐND Newspaper publication has constantly improved, innovated and enhanced the quality of content and form to meet the increasing demands of readers.

MANH HUNG

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/nuoi-duong-van-hoa-bo-doi-cu-ho/to-tham-them-ve-dep-nguoi-linh-835553