Unnumbered dresses and roles that do not shine on stage
In the last days of April and early May 2025, as a patient's family at K Tan Trieu Hospital (Hanoi) and two establishments of the Central Endocrinology Hospital, the Lao Dong Newspaper reporter quietly entered a maze full of self -published dairy market.
From the pharmacies near the hospital gate, just a few questions are on the right track and you can be led to the dark boarding houses behind, where "outside" dairy products such as Neomilk Gold, Fucoidan Gold... are sold for more than 700,000 VND/box.
The strange thing is that although it is produced in Vietnam, this milk brand is foreign- Named, cannot verify quality, and does not have medical examination.
More dangerously, during the working process, reporters have to face the suspicious and suspicious eyes of sellers many times. A small negligence could also cause information sources to be cut off, or even threatened.
Behind those articles are countless times of dressing up, playing roles to trace closed rooms, or calling dozens of "ghost" companies without anyone catching the camera.
Continuing in June, our group of reporters carried out a series of articles "Exposing clean ice cubes in Hanoi" and penetrated ice cubes and tree stone factories, which provide ice for a series of coffee chains and tea shops with big brands in the capital.
Behind the stone bags in the sea is the production process without gloves, no protective gear, untestered water, and a rich, moist environment. That scene is not only shocking, but also full of risks for the recorder because of the noisy machinery, vigilant staff, cramped space and easy to detect.
Our group of reporters was also questioned, tracked and almost chased away by the stone factory staff if they did not respond quickly. There were moments when the camera had to be hidden in a pants bag and a micro camera disguised as a jacket, while the heartbeat of the newspaperman beat throbbingly for fear of being exposed. But if not up close, not recorded with the naked eye, it will be difficult to clearly depict the real picture of the danger that is permeating every glass of water people drink every day.
Right after the dirty football section ended, in early July, in the middle of the late night of a rainy day, a group of reporters from Lao Dong Newspaper continued to embark on a dangerous journey when penetrating 2 slaughterhouses in the suburbs of Hanoi, in Vinh Thanh commune (formerly Hai Boi commune). These are all slaughterhouses without signs, no veterinary control units, no adequate light, all of which evoke a feeling of suffocation and insecurity.
In the thick, foul-smelling air of the slaughterhouse, we witnessed the pigs with our own eyes unable to stand, red skin, and bad breath but still having their meat sliced and leather peeled.
All quarantine procedures are "circumvented" by a red receipt " slaughter control fee" and have no inspection stamp, no supervision, only personal relationships between the furnace owner and the receiving officer.
To get those photos and statements, the group of reporters from Lao Dong Newspaper accepted the risk of being discovered, assaulted or having their identity "cut off".
Working during the night in that suburban area was a challenge in erratic weather conditions. No one knows whether the people in front of them are involved in any larger ring, whether there is a "protection" or not. Caution is always present in the eyes of the people we meet.
Reporters who directly reflected at the scene were not simply reporters. They are trailers, spontaneous " actors" with roles that are not allowed to be wrong.
Each time I leave the publishing office, I carry pressure because of invisible worries because if I can't get evidence, the article will be left unfinished. If you are not strong enough, you will be defeated by the silence of fear.
In the behind-the-scenes, those unnamed reporters also have lunch breakers, nights lying in the car waiting for the right moment to "entry", and phone-call impersonations every hour just to convince the source to open the interview.
Not only strength, the working process can also affect the spirit to some extent. Because what they witnessed, such as pigs with signs of infection being operated on in tamarind blood, dirty rocks used for daily drinks and fake milk for cancer patients... were all painful truths that could not ignore them.
While working, our group of reporters also often face being made difficult, even threatened with "favorite" because of "violating corporate privacy". In some cases, after the article was published, some individuals tried to contact the court with hostility, demanded to remove the article, and even suggested a commitment.
On the other hand, many management agencies also appear passive or confused when the press points out violations. In some places, responsible officials involved are a link in the chain of "ignoring" violations. The reporter group of Lao Dong Newspaper must be very alert to avoid falling into a direct confrontation situation, but still keep the information honest, accurate and public.
The truth is exposed
Despite all dangers, what keeping journalists on the spot is their desire to get to the end of the truth. Each photo, each line of notes, each recording is a brick erected on a wall to protect consumers.
The article about fake milk prompted authorities to inspect the selling points around the hospital. The series of articles on dirty stone raises concerns about hygiene standards in the beverage industry. And in particular, a series of reports about the "illegal" slaughterhouse have forced the Hanoi Department of Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine to admit the shortcomings and commit to strict inspection and supervision.
Sending to Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Do Quoc Phan - Deputy Head of the Hanoi Department of Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine said that the leaders of the department sent their deep thanks and acknowledged the timely and accurate information reflected by the newspaper. The unit received the information and will verify and handle the information about the shortcomings mentioned by the press in Vinh Thanh commune very seriously.
Reporters reflected from the scene that there were people who silently contributed to restoring justice in the most normal things: meals, drinks, milk cartons. Not in theory, but in action, not at the desk, but in the middle of a night market, slaughterhouse or factory...
They are not alone, because behind them is the trust of readers, and also the people who are living every day in the cycle of real - fake, clean - dirty and right - wrong.
