At the ceremony (Photo: VNA) HCM City (VNA) – The Vietnam News Agency (VNA) held a ceremony in Ho Chi Minh City on October 11 to mark the 60th anniversary of the foundation of Thong tan xa Giai Phong (Liberation News Agency, October 12, 1960-2020) - the official news agency of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam - which was merged with the VNA in 1976.
At the event, Party Central Committee member and Vice State President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh presented the title “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces” to the Liberation News Agency.
She conveyed the regards of Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong to delegates at the ceremony as well as former reporters, technicians and staff of the Liberation News Agency and their families on the special occasion.
The Vice President spoke highly of the devotion and sacrifice by soldier-journalists of the Liberation News Agency for the revolutionary cause of the Party and nation.
She noted that on October 12, 1960, the Liberation News Agency was formed. Throughout 15 years of the struggle against the US from 1960 to 1975, despite facing a host of difficulties, the Liberation News Agency developed continuously in both organisation and personnel, maintaining the smooth information flow.
She also expressed gratitude to former officials, reporters, technicians and families of wounded veterans and martyrs of the Liberation News Agency.
The Vice President showed her belief that the VNA will continue to develop strongly with deep and wide cooperation with major news organisations in the world.
She said she hopes that VNA journalists will continue to promote the agency’s heroic tradition to fulfill all tasks of the soldiers in the battlefield of culture-ideology.
VNA General Director Nguyen Duc Loi underlined that during more than 15 years of operation, the Liberation News Agency served as a witness for a glorious historic period of the nation.
The Liberation News Agency kept the information flow running unceasingly, as its reporters found themselves in most southern battlefields and provided breaking news and photos for domestic and foreign press agencies.
More than 240 reporters and technicians of the Liberation News Agency laid down their lives on the battlefields, making it the news agency with the largest number of martyrs throughout the history of Vietnam’s revolutionary press, Loi said.
The Liberation News Agency sent out its first news bulletin on October 12, 1960 from Chang Riec Forest in Tay Ninh, stating in its debut announcement that “The Liberation News Agency is the official mouthpiece and news agency of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam, and has the duty of disseminating news and diverse combat experience of people all over the country, and reflecting the increasing power of the revolutionary movement as well as the collapse of the ruling regime in the south.”
May 24, 1976, was a historical date for the revolutionary news sector, as the Liberation News Agency was merged with the Viet Nam Thong Tan Xa. On May 12, 1977, Viet Nam Thong Tan Xa was renamed Thong Tan Xa Viet Nam (Vietnam News Agency), joining in national efforts in the new period of building and defending socialist Vietnam.
The VNA on this occasion organised a photo exhibition on the heroic Liberation News Agency. A book featuring writings and photos of the news agency’s correspondents was also released./.
