In celebrating the Journalism Day in Vietnam on 21 June, we delightedly share with you a documentary film entitled “Lửa nghề” (Passion of Journalist) produced by Towards Transparency (TT) in collaboration with the Center for Media in Educating Community (MEC) and Vietnam Multimedia Corporation (VTC) since 2012.

The film was first screened and introduced to a group of around 70 representatives from media outlets, journalists and NGOs in Hanoi on 7 December 2012 before it was officially screened to the wider public.

“Lửa nghề”- roughly translated as the “Passion of Journalists” was inspired by the real stories of Vietnamese journalists who who covered the corruption cases in Vietnam. The film not only reflects the difficulties and risks faced by investigative journalists in their work, but also emphasises the urgent support needed from the public and the government in the fight against corruption.

As part of the event, the local journalists who participated in the making of the film shared their personal situations and the challenges they faced, such as the threat of the mafia to their family, indifference from the authorities to their requests or complaints and the lack of stable income as temporary contract journalists.

The film raised the expectation that the government will move forward on the review and finalisation of a suitable legal framework to protect the work journalists. Journalists particularly stressed that they should be given more power in accessing information so that they can make better contribution to combat corruption.