HÀ NỘI — To mark the 80th anniversary of its founding on September 15, 1945, the Vietnam News Agency Publishing House has released a bilingual photobook celebrating the development of the national news agency.

Titled 80 năm Thông Tấn Xã Việt Nam (1945-2025) (80 Years of Vietnam News Agency), the book features historical images, articles, news threads and thematic sections for each period, offering readers a clear understanding of the agency’s role throughout the country’s revolutionary history.

Presented in both Vietnamese and English, this edition builds on earlier publications such as 60 Years of the Vietnam News Agency (1945-2005), 70 Years of the Vietnam News Agency (1945-2015) and The Heroic Liberation News Agency.

This latest version is enriched with numerous new photographs and documents drawn from the archives of the Photo Editorial Board, the Information and Documentation Centre and the VNA’s Traditional Room.

Deputy Head of the Editorial-Publishing Department at the VNA Publishing House Nguyễn Ngọc Bích explained that while the agency’s archives hold tens of thousands of historically significant images, selecting those that best represent the agency’s activities for the book was a considerable challenge due to space limitations.

The editorial team had to balance historical significance with aesthetic appeal, choosing between famous images and those never published before, in order to highlight the dedication, loyalty, commitment, sacrifice and contributions of staff, reporters, editors and technicians throughout various periods.

“Verifying the captions for photographs taken several decades ago is also a challenging task. Some battlefield images have faded with time, and we have to search for information in old records and consult experts and former leaders, reporters and editors to ensure accuracy," she said.

Throughout the compilation process, the editorial team consistently set the highest standards for accuracy and objectivity. The information and images were checked multiple times and the bilingual translation was done meticulously to ensure the conveyed message fully reaches both domestic and international readers.

Bích said what impressed her most and made her proudest were the opportunities to meet generations of leaders from the VNA, as well as veteran staff and reporters such as former General Directors Hồ Tiến Nghị, Lê Quốc Trung, Trần Mai Hưởng, former Deputy General Director Lê Duy Truyền and former Head of the Domestic News Editorial Board Vũ Thị Kim Hải.

They are regarded as 'living archives' who recount many valuable memories about the agency, its battlefield reporters and technicians during the war, who always overcame difficulties to deliver official news.

She was particularly impressed by President Hồ Chí Minh’s advice during his New Year visit to the VNA, as well as those from First Secretary Lê Duẩn in 1972.

“Even if Hà Nội is devastated, the VNA must not lose even a minute of information provided to the Central Committee,” she said.

These words reflect the absolute trust of the Party and the State in the VNA, an honoured agency that has received the title of 'Hero' three times.

"There were moments when holding the photographs of battlefield reporters who sacrificed their lives at the front lines, we were truly choked with emotion. Those moments made us realise that we must strive to work with all our hearts to be worthy of the sacrifices made by the generations that came before us,” Bích said.

Historical value

Director of the VNA Publishing House Phùng Thị Mỹ highlighted that the book, through its concise articles and over 670 photographs and documents, recollects the formation, construction and development of the VNA in connection with the revolutionary career of the nation.

The photographs, articles and news stories that have accompanied the passage of time bear historical value, marking the dedication, loyalty, commitment, sacrifice and contributions of generations of staff, ensuring that the mainstream news of the VNA continues without interruption, Mỹ said.

According to her, 80 Years of Vietnam News Agency is a tribute to the generations of employees throughout various periods, as well as to the war veterans and families of martyrs who have contributed their efforts and sacrifices to build the VNA into what it is today.

This is also an opportunity to reflect on the proud historical journey of the agency over 80 years, along with valuable lessons on how to practise mainstream journalism in a modern way, closely linked to social responsibility and the mission of serving the people. It is a reaffirmation of the determination to innovate, adapt and integrate within the context of a rapidly changing global journalism landscape.

In the face of the digital technology era, integration and creativity, the VNA continues its mission, affirming its position as the national news agency and a leading multimedia communication organisation.

“The photobook therefore is not just a collection of images but a vivid story about history and the people who made that history," the director said. "By embedding this message in the book, the editors hope that when young people, especially today’s reporters at the VNA, hold this book, they will feel proud of the industry’s traditions.

“It is also a powerful message to those who are working in journalism today: to keep the flame of passion, courage and responsibility alive in the new media era.” — VNS