AUSTIN SZABO WRITES – The Pakistani wing of the Taliban wants to do the seemingly impossible: Win public sympathy through improved PR. Surprisingly, it’s working. Since the election of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif last year, the Taliban has retooled its communications ops to project the image of an embattled and…
Author: Asia Media Staff
MALAYSIA: Can’t Catch a Break
MARLENA NIP WRITES – From missing airlines to kidnapped tourists, Malaysia struggles to stay out of the bad spotlight. Media outlets from all around the world are capturing the most recent kidnapping that occurred on an island off the eastern coast of Sabah. It was reported that last week an…
POVERTY PROJECT: Media Coverage Aids Severe Pakistani Drought Relief
EMILY GOLDSBOROUGH WRITES – A drought that reportedly killed 238 people in Tharparkar District finally received attention from the Pakistani government, but only after extensive media coverage. Tharparkar, located in the rural south of Pakistan, experiences drought every few years, but this year’s drought has led to malnutrition, disease, and…
JAPAN: Crimea Controversy Leads to Net Sensation
JEREMIAH FAJARDO WRITES – While some countries snort derisively at Vladimir Putin’s annexation of Crimea, in Japan it’s been love at first sight with the Republic’s new attorney general. In the immediate aftermath of the Russian land grab, a press conference featuring 34-year-old Natalia Poklonskaya went viral — and it…
AT LMU: A Triumph of Insight and Intellect
By the staff of Asia Media: It was a packed house that took in the sweeping and insightful presentation on today’s Japan, from the noted international journalist David Pilling. The Asia Editor and Asia Columnist of the Financial Times offered the LMU community an intellectually thrilling tour d’horizon of the issues…
POVERTY PROJECT: Laos Film ‘Rocket’ Soars Everywhere But Home
E.J. DE LARA WRITES – Looks like “The Rocket” didn’t take off, at least not in Laos. Authorities have banned the distribution and showing of the internationally acclaimed film, which exposes ongoing problems in Laos caused by residual effects of the Vietnam War and government exploitation of the poor. According to the…
POVERTY PROJECT: Singapore’s Ugly Truth
VITTO BANEZ WRITES – Singapore is very well-off. At least that’s the perception. The skyline alone illustrates the nation’s growth. The island country has become a hotspot for rich vacationers attracted by its fancy hotels and world-class cuisine. Looking at all that, it’s hard to believe poverty exists in a…
SINGAPORE: George Yeo Goes to the Vatican
STEPHANIE GARCIA WRITES – First a South American becomes the head of the Roman Catholic Church, and now he wants to bring an Asian onto his Council for the Economy? Oh, how times have changed! In all seriousness, we couldn’t be happier for George Yeo, who was just appointed as…
VIETNAM: The Silent, Fine Line
YVONNE EPPS WRITES — Vietnam’s media has a track record for jailing every person it does not like, but what happens when it fines one of its own state-run newspapers? Looks like this double-edged sword has finally drawn blood. Recently, the Associated Press found that the government fined the state-run newspaper…
NORTH KOREA: The Grass is Greener in South Korea
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – The North Korean government may slowly be losing the battle for the hearts and minds of its people. How is this happening in a country where the government uses propaganda, political repression, and secrecy to control public opinion? It appears that many North Korean citizens have…
HONG KONG: Asia’s Largest Film Market in the Midst of Media Turmoil
LAUREN CHEN WRITES – Hong Kongers mourn yet another shameless assault on two media executives just as the Hong Kong Film and Television Market (FILMART) and the Hong Kong International Film Festival (HKIFF) kick off. Business executives from over 760 companies and 30 countries gathered to attend FILMART, Asia’s largest film market, which promotes Hong…
NEW ZEALAND: New Media Rule Sparks Controversy
E.J. DE LARA WRITES – Imagine giving popular blog sites such as Perez Hilton and Just Jared the same legitimacy as newspapers. The New Zealand Press Council, the self-regulatory body that resolves complaints involving the press, has made this idea a reality by announcing its decision to allow digital media,…
JAPAN: Leaving the Past in the Past?
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – “Forgive and forget” is often easier said than done. When two countries have as rough a history as South Korea and Japan, it’s not surprising that tensions would be high between their leaders. For years, South Korea has requested that Japan offer compensation to the many…
MALAYSIA: The Mystery of Flight MH370
MARLENA NIP WRITES – Update after update and still the families and friends of flight MH370 passengers have been given no hope. Media outlets around the world have provided constant coverage since the commercial plane went missing March 8. Some even provide live, update feeds to keep readers and viewers…
PHILIPPINES: ‘Third Most Dangerous for Journalists’
TREVOR ISBELL WRITES – With the deaths of Filipino journalists on the rise, the country’s free press system is in jeopardy. Responding to the killings of 14 journalists last year, President Aquino claims the solution lies in strict law enforcement, gun control and an efficient judicial system. Sadly, none of…
HONG KONG: One Country, One System?
LAUREN CHEN WRITES – Media censorship in Hong Kong is on the rise, but it’s not just press freedom that’s at stake. Instead, say Samson Yuen and Kitty Ho of The Diplomat, at risk are the core values that have until now let the “Pearl of the Orient” shine. And it begs…