HSU Students Explore Professional Article Writing at Tuoi Tre Newspaper
On May 6, 2026, students from the Faculty of Marketing and Communication at Hoa Sen University participated in a talk show with journalist Truong Bao Chau, Deputy General Secretary of Tuoi Tre Newspaper, to explore approaches to commentary writing that are insightful, responsible, and rich in personal perspective.
The session also addressed a common challenge among students: how to begin and develop in-depth commentary articles effectively.
Navigating challenges in commentary articles
The talk show is organized as part of the Commentary Writing Skills module within the collaborative training program between Hoa Sen University (HSU) and Tuoi Tre Newspaper.
In her discussion with HSU students, Ms. Truong Bao Chau, Journalist and Deputy General Secretary of Tuoi Tre Newspaper, brought real-world journalism stories and professional experiences accumulated over many years in the field.
Through practical examples, she explored how an insightful commentary article is developed from selecting the right issue and defining a clear perspective to constructing persuasive and socially responsible arguments.
While engaging in the expert’s insights, many students shared a common concern: “Why do we often not know where to begin when writing commentary articles?”
Furthermore, they also noted that commentary writing extended beyond storytelling, requiring strong argument-building, clear perspective-setting, and persuasive yet responsible expression, an ongoing challenge for many aspiring journalism and media students.
In response to this concern, Ms. Truong Bao Chau proposed that a commentary article should be grounded in core components, including the selection of socially relevant issues, the construction of a coherent system of viewpoints to articulate and persuade the intended audience, and the use of credible evidence. She further stressed the importance of appropriate stylistic expression, the formulation of innovative and feasible solutions, and strict compliance with legal and ethical standards, alongside the preservation of humanistic values.
Students also asked: “After a commentary is published, how should one respond to backlash from readers?”
Ms. Truong Bao Chau noted that the value of a commentary was rooted in the writer’s awareness of responsibility behind each word they wrote.
Comprehension of the profession through experiential learning
After the talk show, many students said they gained a clearer understanding of how to approach commentary writing, a challenging genre in journalism.
Mr. Huynh Pham Dang Khoa, HSU second-year student, claimed that the session helped him improve his experience in writing persuasive commentary articles.
He said: “Through Ms. Truong Bao Chau’s sharing, I learned how to select topics, build perspectives, and organize content coherently, which helped my writing become more in-depth and impactful”.
Ms. Lam Phuong Thy, an HSU student, engaged in a discussion with Ms. Truong Bao Chau on how to approach topics through commentary writing in the culture section.
She noted that the session went beyond a sharing activity and served as a practical classroom experience. From the speaker’s insights, Thy gained a better understanding of how to create titles, select topics to explore, and develop the right mindset for writing commentary articles.
“Through real-world examples, I came to realize the high demands placed on journalists. It is not only about professional skills, but also about possessing a broad and solid knowledge base. For me, these shared insights are an invaluable and extraordinary source of learning”, Thy shared.
Experiential Learning Spirit
Serving as MC, Mr. Truong Dinh Tri, second-year HSU student, shared that the process of preparing questions for the talk show, supported by direct guidance from the staff at Tuoi Tre Newspaper, helped him better understand how to structure questions, lead a talk show, and effectively extract information from speakers.
“The most valuable aspect of the program is its “experiential learning” approach, which enables students not only to acquire theoretical knowledge but also to engage in practical activities, interact with industry professionals, and gain insights from real-world experiences”, Dinh Tri emphasized.
From researching characters to developing a coherent storyline, Dinh Tri recognized the significance of organizational thinking and the ability to connect information in communication practices.
The learning and practical training activities at Tuoi Tre Newspaper represent not only a collaborative initiative but also a key advancement in practice-integrated education. This approach shows how the university is implementing experiential learning, providing students with early exposure to professional environments.
Source: Tuoitre.vn
