Fellows from our inaugural 2009 batch.
Munima or “Runa”, 40, writes for The Financial Express a Dhaka-based English-language newspaper. A graduate in journalism from the University of Dhaka, she started her career at the United News of Bangladesh, a private agency. She has written on economic development and social justice, and has a strong interest in gender issues within the media industry. She wants to research media technologies, traditionally a male preserve. (more…)
Sonam, 35, is a news editor with the Bhutan Broadcasting Service Corporation, where she has worked for the past 11 years. Sonam wants to study how public service broadcasters such as BBS can respond to the growing competition from private media, some of which use sensationalism to sell. Among the questions she will explore: “How do you retain viewers while at the same time executing the role of impartial, true and responsible media?” (more…)
Jianping, 30, is a senior journalist with Guangzhou’s South Metropolitan Daily, one of China’s most outspoken newspapers. She has covered major events such as the Wenchuan earthquake and the milk poisoning scandal, as well as local controversies such as the rising cost of living and the marginalization of the poor in Guangzhou. “Only when people have enough information in hand can they participate in social life with effectiveness,” she says.
Jing, 36, is a senior reporter for Southern Weekly, perhaps the most influential liberal newspaper in China. He is based in Shanghai, covering social and political news. A sociology graduate from Nanjing University, Jing is particularly concerned about flaws in urban planning. He wants to investigate the cost of rapid development, including the neglect of public transport and the destruction of heritage sites, and to learn from experts outside China. (more…)
Tze Wei, 29, reports for the South China Morning Post from its Beijing bureau, covering mainly law and foreign affairs. She previously spent a year as a news assistant in Hong Kong for The New York Times and writing for the International Herald Tribune. Tze Wei did a degree in Anthropology and Law and practised as a lawyer before switching careers. She holds a Masters in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong. She is keen to study ethnic relations in Singapore. (more…)
Deepal, 39, is an editor and writer for Sambhaav Media, a Gujarati group, and The Asian Age. Her writing ranges from spot news and investigative reports to political analysis, covering communal riots, gender issues, business, the environment and other subjects. In 1997, she was picked as the Best Young Indian Journalist by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. She wants to study Singapore’s multiculturalism and secularism. (more…)
Eshwar, 33, is a Bangalore-based writer with a weekly column in the New Indian Express. Coming from an Information Technology background, he entered professional journalism as a correspondent for Mangalore Today while still on the staff of Infosys, the Indian IT giant. His first nonfiction book, Bangalored: The Expat Story (2006), is now in its third edition. Eshwar wants to explore Bangalore connections in Singapore for his column, and do research for a novel. (more…)
Ary, 26, is a feature writer for the Jakarta Post, Indonesia’s main English-language daily. A graduate of the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, he has also worked for the national news agency, Antara. Ary believes that “tolerance, democracy and open-mindedness” are crucial for his country’s future and is interested in studying the impact of websites that promote terrorism and religious bigotry. (more…)
Karen, 32, is a financial reporter for Mergermarket, a Pearson company. She has wide Asia experience: after doing a Masters in Journalism at the Ateneo De Manila University in the Philippines, she worked at the Asia News Network in Thailand, the Hindustan Times in India, and Malaysian news media. Her coverage of the plight of Burmese refugees in Thailand earned her a SEAMEO-Australia Press Award in 2007. She wants to study organ trading in Singapore. (more…)
Siok Hui or “Mei”, 37, is a journalist with The Star, Malaysia’s largest English-language newspaper. She writes on travel and culture for the Weekender section. She has a special interest in ecotourism and responsible/sustainable tourism and works closely with the Malaysia-based conservation group Wild Asia. She is developing a “Rethink Travel” website serving as a resource for journalists and the travel industry.
Murtaza, 44, is editor of the Dawn Media Group’s in-paper magazines and a leading commentator. He intends to study the role of media in Pakistan, asking tough questions of the booming media industry: “Do media choices available today reinforce an existing regressive mindset or have they brought about any positive change in society?” He has degrees in history and political science from Pakistan and the United States. (more…)
Mildred, 37, is a coordinator for Sunnex, a news exchange among provincial newspapers. Its website is a leading source of provincial and community news. She wants to study the demands and impact of multi-media news. “The journalist’s task in this changing world is what it has always been: to persuade the reader, or the viewer, or the listener that we are worth paying for, that we are worth trusting,” she says. (more…)
Kim Thai, 32, is a journalist with Vietnam Economic Times, a monthly English-language magazine. She aspires to be an editor and manager. “I want to make journalism a powerful medium for people to promote development of the society, especially for those having little chance to voice their views in official forums,” she says. She holds a Masters in Development Studies from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom. (more…)
Le Huyen, 30, leads a team of reporters covering social issues at the Rural Today Newspaper, a Vietnamese-language newspaper owned by the Farmers’ Association and based in Hanoi. Passionate about serving the countryside where most Vietnamese live, she has tackled issues ranging from rural poverty to environmental protection. Le Huyen is a graduate of the national Academy of Journalism and Communication. (more…)
