The press must become a bridge linking the Party and State with people and an open forum to promote democracy, advanced cultural values and social feedback, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said at the official session of the 10th Congress of the Vietnam Journalists Association (VJA) on August 9. In his speech, the leader said over the past 90 years, Vietnam’s revolutionary press, established and led by late President Ho Chi Minh, has been on the Party and people’s side during struggles for national independence and socialism. Journalists have also played the key role in encouraging the entire nation to carry out the Party-initiated “doi moi” (reform) policy in the last three decades. He noted the vigorous growth of the sector in both quantity and quality of journalism personnel and products, adding that the press has swiftly reflected all-round developments of the society and people’s aspirations, advocated “doi moi” achievements, and disseminated Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh thought as well as the Party guidelines and the State policies and laws. The press has also raised voice to refute wrong information and opinions and sabotage schemes of hostile forces, helping to consolidate people’s trust in the “doi moi”, the leader said. He also pointed out flaws in contemporary press activities, for example some press outlets have failed to follow their operation goals when running inaccurate and sensational news while others are still sluggish in reforming operations. Some reporters even violated occupational morality or legal regulations. The Party, State and people have continually appreciated the press’s role in the revolutionary cause and supported its development, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said, asking for the sector’s stronger attempts to fulfill their missions. He said he hopes people working in the press sector to fully understand that the press is a sharp weapon in the ideological battlefield, and each of them is revolutionary soldier who must embrace the spirit of fighting the bad and protecting the good for the sake of the nation and people. He wished Vietnamese journalists will be more steadfast in political firmness, professional capacity and job morality, worth the Party’s vanguard force in the ideological and cultural battlefield. The VJA’s 10th Congress, held from August 7 in Hanoi, was attended by more than 500 journalists representing over 22,000 members of the association from nationwide. It elected 57 members to the VJA’s executive board for the 2015-2020 term. The Editor-in-Chief of the Nhan dan (People) daily, Thuan Huu, continued to be the VJA Chairman in the 10th tenure.-VNA