More than 1,500 broadcasts
As a person who has been attached to the Hot Saigon newsletter since the early days, Mr. Ho Anh Tu shared that the Hot Saigon newsletter started in May 2021, a time when even reporters had not yet clearly imagined how a video newsletter would be made.
At that time, the Media Department of the Lao Dong Newspaper Permanent Agency in Ho Chi Minh City had just been established, most of the brothers were reporters, no one had experience in filming, delivering newsletters, reading voice-offs or handling clips. But with constant learning and a spirit of commitment, everyone has gradually mastered the work from scriptwriting, filming, staging, to leading the stage and completing the final stage.
Since its No. 1 newscast, the journey has surpassed 1,500 numbers - regularly aired at 7pm every day. Each news report is a separate story: There are days when the city is flooded, news is rushed until the broadcast time; sometimes we have to film and record many times because the quotation is still cumbersome, not complete... But everything is completed in time, to be broadcast at exactly 7pm, the news report is - meticulous and complete. It was also in that filming cycle that the reporters gradually matured. Everyone is more proficient in their job, processes news faster, and understands more clearly the rhythm of Ho Chi Minh City's movements with a concise but still full story.
For Anh Tu, 4 years of more than 1,500 years is a memorable journey, not only in terms of numbers, but also a story of attachment, perseverance and maturity with the city. Each news report is a small cut, recording the changes of the city every day: From incidents that cause public outrage, to the image of the simple life of working people, or new policies that directly affect the community. Every day, reporters get to live with another Saigon, sometimes in a hurry, sometimes peaceful, but there is never a shortage of stories to tell.
For me, what makes me feel special and attached to today is the feeling of working in the flow of the times of a constantly moving city. Making photojournalism in such a unique environment helps me stay alert, alert, and above all, maintain a sense of responsibility, not leaving any news in the city. That is something I am always proud of when thinking about Hot Saigon - Mr. Ho Anh Tu shared.
From the scene to the construction room, then stand in front of the camera
Every week, reporter Thanh Chan is responsible for hosting a few Hot Saigon newsletters. There are days when we start early in the morning with a schedule to film news and videos on the set; just finished the content for another category, we had to immediately sit at the table and write the script for the Hot Saigon newscast to air at 7pm. From compiling information sent by reporters, writing lyrics to directly quoting newsletters - every stage has to race against time to ensure the newsletters are broadcast on time.
"There is pressure, but it is also from that urgent work schedule that I feel more clearly the joy of being in the profession - being accompanied by the flow of the city's news and telling life stories with my own voice and love for the profession" - Thanh Chan shared.
At first, Thanh Chan was quite shy when standing in front of the camera, partly because he was not used to his own image on screen, partly because of his Central voice, which made him not really confident when quoting the news. But thanks to the support and enthusiastic comments from the staff in the agency, along with the perseverance to improve every day, Thanh Chan gradually overcame the initial hesitations. Each newscast on air is not only a collective product, but also a step towards maturity - from confidence, skills to professional spirit.
To contribute to the city's current flow, to accompany the constant movements of Ho Chi Minh City - for Thanh Chan, it is a meaningful journey and also a source of persistent inspiration on the path of making visual newspapers.
"Special" people keep the pace of Saigon hot news
In the Media room of the Lao Dong Newspaper office in Ho Chi Minh City, reporters regularly take advantage of every afternoon to make scripts and create news for Hot Saigon news. Most notably, besides the male technicians, this news release has 2 female technicians attached to the news release production area. Reporters Nguyen Thi Minh Tam and Dao Thi Ngoc Le are the ones who contribute significantly to making each news report reach the public at the right time, in the right spirit, carrying the breath of this sleepless city.
Doing work according to the afternoon shifts of the week, Minh Tam and Ngoc Le started by reviewing data sent by editors: images, videos, audio... In a series of documents, technicians had to adjust the image, sound to match, and handle techniques smoothly, but still maintain the presentation. At the same time, regularly discuss with the content editor to ensure a reasonable news report layout, conveying the emotions and messages of each incident correctly.
"There are days when the hot news comes, while the news is almost done, we have to quickly re-work the script, re-establish the news in the shortest time to be on air. A second of carelessness can cause the news to be distorted, affecting the reputation of the entire news agency" - Ms. Ngoc Le shared.
The work of the technicians is a clear demonstration of the silent but essential role of those behind the scenes. Especially for a female technician, the greater the effort is because the technical environment is considered a strength of men.
In each Hot Saigon news report, the audience sees the streets, people, and changes in the times. Behind him, there is the focused eyes of that technician - who quietly recounted the rhythm of city life through sound and image, with all the passion of a job lover.
