On the morning of June 21, journalist Nguyen Khac Van, Deputy Editor-in-Chief in charge of Sai Gon Giai Phong (SGGP) Newspaper led a delegation of SGGP Newspaper to pay a visit to the family of the late first Editor-in-Chief of Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper Vo Nhan Ly who offered significant contributions for the newspaper’s development.
During a warm reception, the incumbent staff of SGGP Newspaper had an opportunity to listen to heartfelt stories about the late Editor-in-Chief Vo Nhan Ly’s devoted career in journalism shared by his family.
Mr. Ngo Xuan Dung, the son of the late Editor-in-Chief Vo Nhan Ly said that the late Editor-in-Chief was excited as he shared with the family that he was officially working in the journalism sector. One of the first challenges he faced after undertaking the role of SGGP Newspaper’s Editor-in-Chief was a letter from a reader in Saigon at that time, asking: “Who is Vo Nhan Ly?” He answered the reader simply but powerfully: “He is a revolutionary journalist.”
The late Editor-in-Chief of Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper Vo Nhan Ly was affectionately known by colleagues, friends and family as Bay Ly. His real name is Ngo Xuan Luu, born in 1925 in Binh Ha Commune, Thanh Ha District, Hai Duong Province. He was a professional journalist and a communist who fought by articles under multiple pen names familiar to many readers of the newspaper, such as Vu Linh, Ba Sinh and Bich Nhan.
When he was 13 years old, Mr. Vo Nhan Ly was awakened to the revolutionary cause and became a liaison officer for a unit of the Hai Phong City Party Committee during the time of the Indochinese Democratic Front.
From that moment until his retirement, over more than 60 years of revolutionary activity, Mr. Vo Nhan Ly undertook numerous important positions, including Standing Member of the Military Zone Party Committee, Vice Chairman of Hai Duong Province; Chief of Staff of the Northern Regional Party Committee; Standing Member of the Hong Quang Inter-Provincial Party Committee; Head of Propaganda Commission for the Northern Inter-Regional Party Committee; Vietnamese language specialist at China’s Radio Broadcasting Station in Beijing; Deputy Director of the Vietnam News Agency; Member of the Central Propaganda and Training Committee of the Southern Central Office; Director of the Liberation News Agency; Member of the Regional Party Committee for the Sai Gon – Gia Dinh Area; Secretary of the Inter-district 6 Party Committee; Member of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee; Director of the Department of Culture and Information of Ho Chi Minh City; Deputy Head of the Propaganda and Education Commission of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee; and notably, the first Editor-in-Chief of Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper.
Mr. Vo Nhan Ly was honored by the Party and the State with numerous prestigious awards including the Ho Chi Minh Order, the First-class Independence Order, the First-class Victory Order, the First-class Resistance Order against America and the 50-year Party Membership Badge.
Ms. Ngo Viet Nu, a granddaughter of the late Editor-in-Chief of Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper, said that her grandpa often told her journalism stories. He once said that if he were hiring a reporter, he would ask: ‘Do you know where the best coffee shop in Saigon is?’ If a journalist could answer that, it meant they truly immersed themselves in real life. And that became a lesson for the recruited persons when working in journalism, they need to dive into the details of everyday life in order to reflect it truthfully that would truly touch with their readers.
Mr. Ngo Xuan Dung, son of the late Editor-in-Chief Vo Nhan Ly shared that he never saw his father take a day off. His father never complained, but he knew his dad carried a deep sense of responsibility and dedication.
Each story is like a piece of a mosaic, reflecting the exemplary journalistic spirit and the strong compassionate character of the late Editor-in-Chief Vo Nhan Ly, who helped shape the identity and reputation of Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper from its earliest days.
At the private house of the first Editor-in-Chief of the newspaper, the delegation of SGGP Newspaper burned incense in front of the late Editor-in-Chief Vo Nhan Ly’s portrait in remembrance and gratitude for his devotion to SGGP Newspaper.
