The online Nhan Dan daily newspaper marked its debut 15 years ago and received a third class Labour Order at a ceremony held in Hanoi on June 17.

On June 21, 1998, the Nhan Dan daily went electronic, becoming Vietnam’s first online daily paper.

From its first Vietnamese version, Nhan Dan Online developed foreign language versions, including English in 1999 and Chinese in 2012. It is preparing for the launch of French and Russian ones next.

With over 50 reporters, editors and technicians, Nhan Dan Online attracts readers with its rich portfolio of news covering a string of topics from politics and socio-economic affairs to culture, sports, science and technology.

It is also the mainstream channel for disseminating Party and State guidelines, directing public perception and reporting on the country’s progress along its path to socialism.

This year, the National Journalism Award Council presented second prize honours to Nhan Dan Online’s reporter Hoang Thao Le (Le Thi Hong Van) for her investigative reports on acts against the operation of the Vietnam Bear Rescue Centre and Bong Mai (Nguyen Thi Bong) for her commentary on social communications.

For its significant contributions to the country’s media development over these years, Nhan Dan Online was presented a third-class Labour Order, making it the first online paper to receive the noble distinction of the Party and State.-VNA