ANGELINE KEK WRITES — Time — the blanket that softly but entirely enshrouds all sensations, memories, and beings. It is pointless to write about time, that’s the intellectual equivalent of shouting into an endless void. Undeniably, to be aware of one’s existence is to learn to be comfortable with time…
Full Article BOOK REVIEW: THE BEGINNING OF WATER (2021) BY TRAN LE KHANH
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…
Full Article VIETNAM: Youth Protection Services Please!
YVONNE EPPS WRITES— Vietnam has come a long way since the start of the year. We’ve seen major progress with the acceptance of social media and dips with press freedom, but the road is still jagged and, if they don’t watch their step, they might end up hurt. The Economist reported…
Full Article VIETNAM: Of Progressive Leaps and Jagged Passes
YVONNE EPPS WRITES—Part of the reason why gender inequality is still a problem is due to our refusal to talk about it. In Vietnam, the discussion portal is open and someone is finally taking the podium. Thanh Nien News is on a roll with addressing gender inequality in the media.…
Full Article VIETNAM: Equal Coverage Needed for Gender Equality
YVONNE EPPS WRITES— When the western world first saw the platypus, they were confused, but curious. Now, whenever we encounter strange animals in the media, we have the same reaction – but that curiosity is only satiated when those animals are actually real. A man in the northern province of…
Full Article VIETNAM: Wild Salamander Chase
YVONNE EPPS WRITES— We all have our poisons: Japan sips sake, Korea loves its Soju, the Philippines drink Tanduay rum. As for Vietnam, it would seem that they have finally reached their legal drinking age and the parental units are starting to feel uneasy. Out-of-state media sources have recently shown…
Full Article VIETNAM: Hangover City
YVONNE EPPS WRITES— It seems that 2015 is beginning to look promising for the modernization of Vietnam’s regime. It’s true that you can’t ban social media, but you can always issue regulations that squeeze the life out of the industry. Mike Ives of the New York Times recently wrote about…
Full Article VIETNAM: Modernization Abomination
YVONNE EPPS WRITES— Today’s generation would find it hard to imagine life without social media. And at least some people in the government seem to have caught on. According to TuoiTreNews, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung stated that authorities must provide “official and accurate information in a timely manner on…
Full Article VIETNAM: A Step in the Right Direction for Social Media Freedom
YVONNE EPPS WRITES— Since the beginning of Fall, I’ve been bemoaning the lack of press freedom in Vietnam, beating this dead horse and watching talented journalists battle the nooses around their necks. However, this sad story is taking a turn. It’s about time someone with a powerful voice said something about this…
Full Article VIETNAM: Popping the Silence Bubble
YVONNE EPPS WRITES — In a perfect world, there would be depth to the concept of press freedom in Vietnam. Unfortunately, all they have now is a shallow kiddy pool that is severely monitored by ‘helicopter’ parents. The issue is becoming much more complicated as the party is finding more…
Full Article VIETNAM: Free Media Doesn’t Require Lifeguards
YVONNE EPPS WRITES — From the moment you open Tumblr, 4chan, or Reddit, you’re laughing up a storm. We’re lucky that this is all in English for the American audience, but Vietnam isn’t far behind with their own growing chuckle site. The popular start-up site HaiVL was allegedly acquired by…
Full Article VIETNAM: Will Sell Site for Laughs
YVONNE EPPS WRITES — Vietnam treating their journalists poorly isn’t even a punchline anymore. In the past year, we’ve seen them wage war against journalists and bloggers, detaining, silencing, and playing jail tetris with them. It’s about time someone went undercover. Shawn W. Crispin from the Committee to Protect Journalists…
Full Article VIETNAM: Uncovering the Undercover
YVONNE EPPS WRITES—No one, it seems, can escape the far-reaching grasp of the Internet. Vietnamese authorities thought they could lock away dissidents, but their fingers keep tapping and a scene emerges that looks eerily similar to African Americans during the 1960s Civil Rights era. According to TuoiTreNews, it’s now apparent that prisoners have…
Full Article VIETNAM: Soft Light Illuminates Faces Behind Bars
YVONNE EPPS WRITES — Let’s face it; as someone who falls in the 13-25 age range, some of the only ways I stay informed about world events is through the Facebook trending tags and reblogs on Tumblr. A Vietnamese news venue has taken notice and approached the problem with a…
Full Article VIETNAM: The News Rap Battle of the Century!
YVONNE EPPS WRITES— A month has passed since the fiasco in the South China Sea, but it seems that Vietnam has garnered the admiration of another East Asian country. Watch out Vietnam, it seems like ‘senpai’ has noticed you. Major Japanese TV stations like NHK, TBS and Fuji relayed their…
Full Article VIETNAM: Potential ‘Senpai’ or Ally?YVONNE EPPS WRITES — Tensions over the South China Sea reached its peak last week, but this kerfuffle between China and Vietnam is quite different than the tug of war over the Parcel Islands earlier this year. Everyone wants a piece of this pie, but who loses in the end?…
Full Article VIETNAM: The Biggest Bully of the South China Sea