In 1960, the Quang Nam-Da Nang Province Party Committee (PC) decided to establish the Giai Phong (Liberation) of the Quang Nam-Da Nang Newspaper, which was the forerunner of the current Da Nang Newspaper and the Quang Nam Newspaper.  Therefore, now is the time for the Da Nang Newspaper to mark 55 years since its first issue was published.

On 1 January 1997, Da Nang was recognised as a centrally governed city after Quang Nam-Da Nang Province was officially divided into the 2 administrative divisions of Quang Nam Province and Da Nang.  One day later the Da Nang Newspaper, then under the management of the city’s PC, officially released its first issue.  At that time, there were only 4 publications per week.

The newspaper’s editors with city leaders at the 5th birthday of the online Da Nang Newspaper in 2013.

Since 1 January 1999, the newspaper has been printed daily, following approval from the Standing Board of the city’s PC and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The newspaper officially launched its Vietnamese online edition on 24 April 2008, and the English online version called Danang Today made its debut on 1 December 2011.

Over the past 7 years, the number of hits by readers of the Vietnamese online edition has reached over 7 million per year, and high numbers have been recorded in the USA, Canada, France, South Korea, and Japan.

The newspaper’s Editor-in-chief, Mr Mai Duc Loc

Danang Today is the city’s official and professional English information channel offering useful information for ex-pats living in Da Nang and for readers abroad.  The English online version now has 21 different sections, and all the articles are edited by 2 English Editors from the UK.  This has helped the edition to strongly affirm its special characteristics and draw a great deal of attention from the English-using netizens.

Over the past 55 years, the organisation has deserved its stated role as ‘The voice of the Party, Government, and people of Da Nang City’, and the quality of its publications has been progressively improved.

The newspaper printed only 3,500 copies each day in the past, but that figure has now increased to 11,000.

In particular, the newspaper’s weekend print edition has published many special publications which have impressed its readers.  These have included ‘Hoang Sa - 40 Years since China Used Force to Illegally Occupy’, ‘General Vo Nguyen Giap - A Great Man, A Great Personality’ and ‘Commemorating Nguyen Ba Thanh’.

With regard to the future orientations of the newspaper, the focus will be on effectively fulfilling its tasks to deserve the position of the voice of the Party, government and people of Da Nang, and to build a transparent and strong Party organisation.

Also, importance will be attached to ensuring a close link with readers of both the printed and online editions, improving the quality and quantity of the freelance journalists, and promoting the publication to increase sales of the newspaper’s issues at local newstands.