ANGELINA PRAT, LAUREN SAYLOR, AND ELODIE INTROIA WRITE – In a patriarchal society that has fought to keep women unheard, Haifaa al-Mansour has found her voice. The film Wadjda was not only the first Saudi film to be written and directed by a woman, but also was the first to be…
Author: Asia Media Staff
AUSTRALIA: The Abbott Government Has Sent You a Friend Request
AMBER VERNETTI WRITES: The Abbott government spent $4.3 million in social media research to measure public opinion concerning its immigration strategies, according to Fairfax Media. Further, the government has doled out over $65,000 to monitor the public’s thoughts regarding the “no boat, no visa” movement that aims at keeping asylum seekers at…
MALAYSIA: Valentine’s Day is a Bust
MARLENA NIP WRITES – Bitter officials did their best again this year to turn Malaysian youth against the tradition of Valentine’s Day. While in the West we poke fun at February 14 as a ‘Hallmark holiday,’ turn it into a femme-positive ‘Galentine’s Day,’ or throw anti-Valentine’s Day parties to celebrate being single,…
JAPAN: Language and Gender Spark Debate at 2020 Olympic Press Conference
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Is it English or ego? Former Prime Minister and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Organizing Committee President Yoshiro Mori sparked controversy at a news conference held at the Main Media Center for the Sochi Games when questioned about why he spoke in Japanese rather than English. Mori,…
NORTH KOREA: It’s Not What You Know, It’s Who You Know
RYAN LIPPERT WRITES – In today’s world, connections are everything. Knowing the right people can get you job offers and admission into prestigious schools. Or it can get you a prison sentence in North Korea. Forty performers were arrested and imprisoned in North Korea just for knowing Jang Son Thaek,…
SOUTH KOREA: A Bittersweet Win for South Korea
CATHERINE KIM WRITES – Victor Ahn, a.k.a. Ahn Hyun-Soo, is now a Russian hero after winning the nation’s first-ever gold medal in the 1,000 meters short-track speed skating at the Sochi Winter Olympics. After winning first place, Ahn skated to the center of the ice, got down on all fours and…
WOMEN IN ASIA: The Plea for President Karzai to Defend Women’s Rights!
ELODIE INTROIA WITH LIZ MURRAY WRITE — President Hamid Karzai holds the destiny of women in his hands. A few days ago, the Afghan parliament passed a law banning women from seeking any sort of legal recourse in the face of domestic abuses. President Karzai is unequivocally under tremendous international…
QATAR: Father Doesn’t Know Best
AHMAD ALKHUZAM WRITES – Muslim Brotherhood spiritual leader Yousef al-Qardawi recently finagled his way onto Qatar state television to blast the United Arab Emirates for opposing Islamic influence in the region. (Yes, it’s complicated. Something like a Canadian getting on Mexican TV to blast the U.S.) What’s not complicated is…
VIETNAM: Relationship Status with the UN — It’s Complicated
YVONNE EPPS WRITES — We’re already familiar with Vietnam’s war on peaceful protest and “Internet dissent.” But really: Is it wise to attack a journalist en route to a UN human rights review? Vietnamese authorities kept independent journalist, civil society advocate and prospective UN speaker Pham Chi Dung from leaving…
POVERTY PROJECT: Introducing the Asia Media Poverty Project
AUSTIN SZABO WRITES: In September 2011, a group of young activists occupied Zuccotti Park in Manhattan. The movement, dubbed Occupy Wall Street, became a rallying point for progressives around the world. Subsequent police crackdowns generally failed to disperse the activists, and their tenacity inspired people from all walks of life…
TAIWAN: Leaving China? Welcome to Taiwan, Ramzy
BRIAN CANAVE WRITES – In the wake of New York Times reporter Austin Ramzy’s unceremonious departure from Beijing, neighboring Taiwan has warmly welcomed him for a temporary stay while he continues his coverage of the mainland. Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported that the government “welcomes international media enterprises and their staff” such…
AUSTRALIA: Let’s Keep it Classy, ABC
AMBER VERNETTI WRITES – The government of Prime Minister Tony Abbot hopes to sever the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s ties to its international broadcasting service, the Australian Network. As reported in The Guardian, Julie Bishop, the foreign affairs minister, has questioned the overall quality of the Australian Network’s service and contends it may…
MALAYSIA: Got Cannabis? See You on Death Row
MARLENA NIP WRITES – Drug trafficking charges loom over a French woman, an Indonesian maid, and three Malaysian men. About a pound of processed cannabis and 36 pot plants were allegedly confiscated from the quintet by police in the nation’s capital Sabah. If found guilty, the group face the death penalty, with zero room…
JAPAN: Social Media Backlash Over Dolphin Slaughter
LEXIE TUCKER WRITES – Spreading awareness of animal cruelty through hashtags can make an issue go viral faster than you can say “Save the Dolphins.” If you’ve seen the Academy Award-winning documentary The Cove, you’re familiar with Japan’s yearly Taiji Cove dolphin slaughter. Despite numerous pleas by nature conservation groups…
PHILIPPINES: Governmental Corruption Strikes Again, But Hope Remains
TREVOR ISBELL WRITES – The Philippine government suffers from further acts of corruption as an incognito rice smuggler, David Tan, has finally been identified as successful businessman Davidson Bangayan. However obvious his involvement with the rice smuggling has been, Bangayan has yet to be arrested on any smuggling charges. Rather,…
INDIA: Bogus Beijing Story Fogs Attention of Delhi’s Real Pollution Problem
AUSTIN SZABO WRITES – A misleading story about Beijing’s virtual sunrise earned more press than Friday’s report naming New Delhi the world’s most polluted big city. The Daily Mail’s inaccurate story claimed that China’s government digitally simulates the sunrise on television screens throughout Beijing since its pollution blocks natural sunlight. Major…