Journalist Thu Hong spent a long time assigned by officials of Hanoi Radio and Television Station to follow the activities of former Hanoi Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong until he was entrusted by the Party with the role of Chairman of the National Assembly and later as General Secretary.

Thu Hong was also assigned to cover the activities of other leaders on international trips.

In 2008, Hanoi Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong led a delegation on an official visit to Beijing, China. Due to budget constraints, only a cameraman could join the trip. The visit was very successful, but there wasn’t much news coverage.

The following day, Thu Hong met with Hanoi Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and suggested, “If we could make a comprehensive report about the trip, it would be great!” She asked him to describe the trip in detail, including stories and emotions from each event.

The conversation lasted nearly three hours. Three days later, a 20-minute report on the Hanoi Party Secretary’s visit to Beijing was completed. Watching the report, Mr. Trong was very touched and praised, “This young woman did a great job, just like a member of the delegation.”

Thu Hong reflected, “The report was good primarily because of the Hanoi Party Secretary’s emotions and the sincere political messages. I had been to Beijing many times, so I could visualize everything. The Hanoi Party Secretary conveyed the emotions to me.”

From that event, Hanoi Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (later Chairman of the National Assembly and Party General Secretary) always had special affection for Thu Hong and the Hanoi Radio and Television Station team. He treated them with the respect of a senior mentor in journalism, a respected elder in daily life, and a shining example of simplicity, generosity, and kindness.

A professional incident and a close call

For Thu Hong, an unforgettable professional incident occurred during the 11th National Assembly election, where Politburo member and Hanoi Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong helped her team. This incident happened on May 20, 2002, at Nguyen Canh Chan polling station, Constituency 1, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi, where Hanoi Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong cast his vote.

That day, many reporters, both domestic and international, were present, all eager to capture the moment Mr. Trong cast his vote. Suddenly, the event was over, and the cameraman told Thu Hong, “I didn’t get the shot of the Hanoi Party Secretary voting because of the crowd pushing and the quick pace of events!”

Thu Hong and her team were stunned. If Hanoi Radio and Television Station did not have footage of the Hanoi Party Secretary voting, the entire program would lose its significance. What could they tell the viewers of the capital city?

She recounted, “After a moment of contemplation and with all our courage, we decided to go to Mr. Trong’s home at 7 Dang Tat Street. He had just returned and hadn’t changed clothes yet. He invited us to sit and asked, ‘Is there something you need?’”

Thu Hong softly and earnestly said, “Please help us. Our cameraman didn’t get the footage of you voting. I’m very worried. What should we do now?”

Hanoi Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong quickly responded, “Let’s go back to the polling station together.” When they arrived, the officials at Quan Thanh Ward’s polling station were startled and anxious. But the Hanoi Party Secretary cheerfully said, “Hello comrades, the journalists requested the Hanoi Party Secretary to re-enact the voting for promotional purposes.”

Everyone laughed, and the Hanoi Radio and Television Station team was deeply moved. As they parted, Hanoi Party Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong encouraged them, “Is everything okay now? Hurry back to get the news on time!”

It was a close call. They had averted a crisis without being reprimanded; instead, they were gently reminded to avoid such incidents in the future.

It was truly a memorable lesson. And what they appreciated most about the esteemed leader Nguyen Phu Trong was his generosity and understanding towards the younger journalists. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong indeed was a compassionate person who always shared and empathized with the challenges journalists faced during professional mishaps.

Quang Phong