Staying up to the rhythm of a newspaper
At exactly 12 pm, Mr. Le Van Dung woke up to receive the newspaper. In the period when Hanoi's Old Quarter was immersed in silence, the stacks of Lao Dong Newspaper still smelling of ink were transferred to the headquarters at 51 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem ward, Hanoi. For the 62-year-old security guard, that is part of the work that has become a habit.
After receiving the newspaper, Mr. Dung continued to wait for familiar time milestones. At about 1:30 am, then 4:30 am and 6 am, he handed over the newspapers to staff so that the newspapers could continue to be taken to many places. "This job is both staying up and sleeping, gradually getting used to the rhythm of journalism" - Mr. Dung said with a smile.
At 6 am, when the city starts to wake up, he has something that he especially cherishes: Hanging the latest issues of Lao Dong Newspaper on the news frame in front of 51 Hang Bo address.
That is a job that only takes a short period of time. But for Mr. Dung, its meaning is not about hanging how many newspapers, but that every morning it contributes to bringing the latest information closer to people passing by the street.
Now social networks and technology are developing very quickly. But I still cherish the print newspaper every day. I consider the task of bringing the newspaper to the news frame as a very meaningful thing" - Mr. Dung shared.
He said, holding in his hand the newspaper still smelling of ink, reading the current affairs of the country, stories about workers, about life... he felt somewhat how society is operating. And also from that news frame, he saw something that made him love his job more: Paper newspapers have never been forgotten.
A street corner, many generations of readers
Mr. Dung recounted that the people stopping in front of the newspaper reading point at 51 Hang Bo are very diverse. There are elderly people, young people; there are Vietnamese people, and there are also foreign tourists.
Some people only stop for a few minutes to read the highlights. Some people stand for a long time, attentively following each article. Some people are also excited to take photos and check-in by the newspaper frame in the Old Quarter space. "Morning and afternoon are usually more crowded with people coming to read. On some days, people even have to wait for each other to read," Mr. Dung said.
In the midst of a hurried pace of life, the image of many people standing in front of a newspaper frame, slowly flipping their eyes through news pages, is probably not easy to encounter. But at 51 Hang Bo, that habit is still maintained every day.
He is happy because his work, although silent, still has a certain value. Each newspaper placed in the news category can help someone update important information, understand more about a policy related to their rights, or simply start a new day with a few minutes of reading the newspaper.
I read newspapers every day
Among those who regularly stop in front of that news frame is Mr. Bui Van Chan, 60 years old, working near the headquarters of Lao Dong Newspaper. For Mr. Chan, reading Lao Dong Newspaper at 51 Hang Bo has become a habit. "Every day, early in the morning before work, I come to read to see if there is any good or new information today" - he said while flipping through the newspaper pages.
He considers himself a loyal reader of Lao Dong Newspaper at 51 Hang Bo. The information he cares about is also very close to daily life. It could be the weather situation, to know how hot Hanoi will continue to be today and prepare water when going to work. It is also insurance policies, the rights of workers, and life stories that he wants to learn to improve his knowledge.
For Mr. Chan, reading newspapers is not just receiving information. It is also a way to connect generations in the family, so that knowledge about policies and social life does not stop at one reader.
