Ta Thi Ngoan

In this installment of Journalists@Work, we’ll introduce you to Ta Thi Ngoan, an editor with Quang Ninh Radio & Television (QTV) in Vietnam. She has worked for this station in the country’s northern Quang Ninh province for almost four years. QTV was DW Akademie’s partner in a three-year project called “Radio for the People” and during these three years, Ta Thi Ngoan took part in a number of our workshops.

Ta Thi Ngoan is now in charge of presenting a live radio program called “60 Minutes You and I”. It’s a call-in program for young listeners and runs every Sunday. She also produces some stories related to tourism, which is a key industry in Quang Ninh province, since it is home to Vietnam’s famous Ha Long Bay.

What was the most exciting topic that you worked on in the recent past?

I am excited about most of the topics I work on. However, the most exciting is “How to overcome failure?”.

Do you have a personal motto for your journalistic work?

Failure is the mother of success.

Is there a situation or interview that has changed your life?

Well, in one of my shows last year, there was a call from a blind person. He was a student at Hanoi Law University. Although he was unable to see, he tried his best to study and to help other sightless people. His story about overcoming difficulties and his positive thoughts about life impressed me very much. After that show, I wanted to change to have a more meaningful life.

Your journalistic dream would be…

That my products would be useful for the audience – that our listeners could take advantage of what we are doing.

Your most important tool is…

Oh, that’s a computer.  It’s always with me – sometimes, we even share the bed together.

Ta Thi Ngoan (center) during a DW Akademie workshop in March 2013

What do still want to learn? Is there a question about your profession that you keep asking yourself?

How to create a lively conversation on air.

How much time do you spend online every day?

Almost 12 hours per day

Do you use social networks? Twitter, Facebook or others?

I use Facebook everyday. I like it because it connects strangers who then become friends. We may not know each other but we can share our thoughts, feelings and ideas about life.

If you could write a text message to the world, what would it be?

Be understanding of other people’s ideas and desires.