How Đoan Trang Taught Me to Be a Journalist

Editor's Note: This past October 6, 2025, marked five years since the authorities arrested journalist Phạm Đoan Trang and subsequently sentenced her to nine years in prison for "conducting propaganda against the state" under Article 88 of the 1999 Penal Code. To mark this milestone, the author of this article, a person close to journalist Đoan Trang, has shared a few lines recounting their memories and recollections of her.

Trịnh Hữu Long wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luat Khoa Magazine on Oct. 7, 2025.

It has been five years since I last heard from Đoan Trang, but rarely does a day go by that I do not hear her voice in my mind.

We were very close. For almost ten years prior to her arrest in 2020, our lives were intertwined, and we spoke almost every day. We were always either in the field writing a story, interviewing a subject, meeting at a coffee shop in Hà Nội, eating fried shrimp cakes by West Lake, calling, or simply texting. She was a constant presence in my life.

The other day, a friend asked how Đoan Trang trained me in journalism. I immediately said that she rarely focused on the technical skills of the trade. Instead, she taught me something far more important: how to think and act like a journalist.

She taught me—by her own example—that a journalist's first reflex when an event occurs is to go to the scene, witness it with their own eyes, and record it with their own hands; a journalist must be a witness to history and write its first draft.

She taught me that the moment a journalist makes one excuse to stay silent, it will never be the last. That first justification opens the door to countless others, sending them down a slippery slope into a pit of silence, armed with an arsenal of 'reasonable' excuses.

She taught me—once again, by her own example—that a journalist’s job is not only to operate in the light but also to shine a light into the darkness. She was a pioneer who tackled sensitive subjects, ranging from the South China Sea and protests regarding Beijing's policies, to human rights and forced land confiscation. Her work expanded the realm of public knowledge by bringing these hidden issues into the open for all to see.

Đoan Trang is one of the smartest people I know, but intelligence alone is common enough in a nation of millions. Her true distinction lies in what she pairs with her sharp mind: an independent spirit and a tireless work ethic. Intelligence may be a gift from the heavens, but freedom and diligence are things anyone can attain, if they do not bind themselves.

Of course, we had our disagreements; we fought more than a few times. But those arguments pale in comparison to the lessons she taught me—lessons I strive to live up to every single day.