KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) announced that it has banned top K-Pop group, Big Bang, from appearing on its weekly music show, Inkigayo. It has been reported that the staff of Inkigayo had made the decision to ban the five member band when two of its…
Author: Asia Media Staff
PHILIPPINES: Hackers Tip Black Hat to Aquino
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – Political disputes used to be settled with swords and guns, but in the Information Age, the cyber world is the new battlefield of choice. A hacker group known as Global Security seized control of the website of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP)…
COSPLAY: Spectrum of Colors
YVONNE EPPS WRITES- Summer is the season of sun, fun, and numerous nerd conventions throughout Southern California. These are notorious for attendees that cosplay, and I’m no exception. But as I prepare for Anime Expo 2015, the largest anime convention in North America, I can’t help but lament certain aspects.…
JAPAN: Committing Journalistic Seppuku
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – In a piece from The Japan Times, Columbia University’s Gerald Curtis states that, “the [Japanese] government doesn’t have to muzzle the press if the press takes it upon itself to do the muzzling.” Shigeaki Koga, an ex-bureaucrat at Japan’s Ministry of the Economy, wants to tear…
MOVIE REVIEW: When Marnie Was There
ROBERT DYLAN FIELDS WRITES- Many of us in our early teenage years have to cope with self-doubt and struggle with our sense of self-worth. We may sometimes feel isolated from our peers and have difficulty bonding with other people. For some, this struggle can be much more severe, leading many…
NORTH KOREA: Can’t Read Kim’s Poker Face
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – Look out, Lady Gaga! Kim Jong-un’s poker face may be harder to read than your own. As debates over the actual extent of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities continue, Kim Jong-un asserts that his regime has advanced their nuclear weapons technology. The North Korean government has even…
VIETNAM: Youth Protection Services Please!
YVONNE EPPS WRITES- Stories about children exposed to domestic violence or other abuses are shocking to read about, but as journalists we don’t want to add insult to injury. Thanh Nien News has been prolific in exposing the Vietnamese media’s abuse of child rights, specifically, incidents where the media breaches their…
SOUTH KOREA: There’s a New (Smart) Sheriff in Town
MARY GRACE COSTA WRITES – Big Brother might not be watching, but that isn’t stopping the South Korean government from making sure that Mom and Dad are. A new Android app called Smart Sheriff allows parents to monitor their children’s smartphones. The app lets parents know how long their son…
DOCUMENTARY REVIEW: The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness
ROBERT DYLAN FIELDS WRITES – When most people hear the word “animation,” the first thing that comes to mind are often animated works from figures such as Walt Disney. A lot of the time, however, they do not step back and consider what the word animation really means. The word “animation”…
Qatar: Arrested for Trespassing, or Revealing?
ALEXIS CRUZ WRITES- Good PR is hard to obtain for Qatar, and last week it became even more difficult when Qatari security officers arrested a BBC crew reporting on migrant workers. The Prime Minister’s office had invited several media outlets, including the BBC, on an official tour of the new…
K-POP KORNER: “Hangout” at Arirang’s After School Club
KELCEY LORENZO WRITES – English-speaking K-Pop fans no longer need to experience one-sided love from their idols and favorite groups from behind their computer screens. After School Club (ASC), produced by Arirang, is a web-talk show that allows international fans (fans not domestic to South Korea) to live video chat…
UAE: Flipping the Bird Could Cost You
ALESSANDRA DALY JOHNSON WRITES- Be careful about what emojis you use in the United Arab Emirates. Earlier this May, a middle finger emoji was announced as part of a new Microsoft update, Windows 10, which will be released later this summer. While this offensive emoji could be mistaken for an…
AWARDS: Staff Writer Yvonne Epps Wins Big!
ASIA MEDIA INTERNATIONAL WRITES – Staff writer Yvonne Epps accepted the Loyola Marymount University Writing Award for First Place in the Journalism-News category on April 23. Read her award winning article, Vietnam: A Step in the Right Direction for Social Media Freedom, here! Congratulations, Yvonne!
INDONESIA: Overcoming Adversity One Step at a Time
MICHELLE VARINATA WRITES – Picture a world of rainbows , puppy dogs and smiling children running through rose-scented gardens. Sure, it’s a dream. But for some, even imagining such a scene could prove impossible, so harsh is their reality. As one of the world’s most family-oriented societies, Indonesia prioritizes family…
CHINESE DATING: Sajiao Me, Baby
SHUTING LI WRITES – As interracial marriages are increasing every year in America, Chinese women are getting more attention in the interracial marriage pool. American men can’t seem to get enough of their exotic, cute, and sweet image. However, American’s love of Chinese women may lead them into dealing with something they are…
JAPAN: The Pen is Mightier than the Government
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Stop to think about what it means to live in a democracy and freedom of the press will likely come to mind. Journalists being able to speak out about societal wrongs is vital to improving society and expanding the minds of the people they serve. But…
