Asia Outlook

Archive of commentaries on Asia

Chen has tarnished Taiwan's int'l image

'The China Post' writes that former President Chen's money scandal has been picked up by international media and "will certainly deepen negative impressions of Taiwan politics"

Chen scandal explodes

'The China Post' discusses the media whirlwind surrounding the former Taiwan president, hopes the scandal doesn't bring down opposition party DPP

COUNTER VIEW: Supreme Court issues notice for laying down media norms

Kaurvaki Rao argues the media's irresponsible coverage of the Aarushi murder case shows why it needs to have guidelines

VIEW: Supreme Court issues notice for laying down media norms

The media must regulate itself following the unbalanced coverage of the Aarushi murder, writes 'The Times of India'

Youthful oldies

China's "old" politicians aren't necessarily entrenched or resistant to reform, writes Tom Plate

Did Eutelsat sell its soul to China?

'Taipei Times' encourages governments to "address corporate complicity in human rights abuses" and require companies to uphold freedom of speech"

A dangerous game to play

'Bangkok Post' admonishes authorities and media for latching onto a teen killer's confession that a video game made him commit murder

My two cents

Tom Plate writes about recent and hoped-for developments in Asia

Golden effort maligned

Imtiaz Muqbil encourages China and other Asian countries to voice their political agendas and to dictate discourse as much as Western countries do

No medals for the media or the NCC

'Taipei Times' criticizes TV stations and regulatory body for poor broadcast coverage of Taiwanese athletes at Olympic Games

Cyber crime: Big Brother is watching

John Fotiadis and Yingyong Karnchanapayap explain how Thailand's new Computer Crimes Act is, perhaps, too expansive

You're being watched

Governments may use a 9/11-caliber attack on Internet networks as justification to apply greater control, warns Mukul Sharma

A real winner

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou's nuanced approach is key to diplomatic success with China, writes Tom Plate

Overkill in defence of privacy

Peter Bartlett writes that current Australian privacy laws offer enough protection for the general public

Privacy debate needs a wider focus

Matthew Ricketson writes that the Right to Know coalition missed the mark in discussing possible privacy law in Australia

More than just games

Tom Plate writes Americans should tune in to the Beijing Olympics to watch the politics

PRC censorship tolerated!

'The China Post' says not even world leaders are going to ruin China's moment in the sun

Legislators should stop interfering in media

Lo Shih-hung calls for amendment to Taiwan's broadcasting act such that supervision from the legislature does not intrude on public media's independent operation

Flying high

Tom Plate hopes China doesn't crash as it soars in its shining moment: the Beijing Olympics

Digital books: Free, but not cheap

Henricus W. Ismanthono examines the limitations the Indonesian government needs to address in its e-textbook program

The 'loper' story

'The Jakarta Post' discusses the role and value of newspaper deliverers

A gay life

'The Jakarta Post' says the media failed to be fair and balanced, even to be accurate, in their coverage of the suspect in a serial murder case

Ignorance may not always be bliss

Ang Peng Hwa cautions two Singaporean bloggers that their defamation lawsuit may hurt the blogosphere with unintended consequences

Watching the games

The media spotlight on China's political reality during the Beijing Olympics will be a challenge for the country's leaders, writes Tom Plate

Public TV is not a political tool... or is it?

A political analyst discusses two recent incidents in Thailand where the public's interests were disregarded for political purposes

Lesson to learn

Tom Plate says like Asian economies found out 10 years ago, the United States will learn the trouble with hedge funds

Shaping a new world order

The West should engage in the Organization of the Islamic Conference's call for a "dialogue of civilizations," writes Tom Plate

Western double standards

The insensitive assault on Muslims prove they are held under a different standard by Western countries, writes 'Dawn'

TVRI Olympic winner

'The Jakarta Post' commends the public broadcaster, encourages investigation into free-to-air channels' refusal to purchase Olympic broadcasting rights

A little morning calm

The media should pay more attention to China and Taiwan's attempts to stabilize relations, writes Tom Plate

The messengers

In the wake of sensationalistic coverage of the Aarushi murder, 'The Times of India' discusses the significance of objectivity and ethics in journalism

One-sided broadcasts

Thailand's government is failing to provide information that the public deserves to know, writes Vasana Chinvarakorn

Right to Information: A few relevant points

Sanjida Sobhan argues Right to Information law must have maximum disclosure and minimum restriction on allowable information

Upset? Its all a 'misunderstanding'

'Taipei Times' criticizes the KMT government for accusing the media of misrepresenting truths when public policies come under question

Koreans who deserve to be proud

Tom Plate commends U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Korean golfers for performing with grace under pressure

Olympics, anyone?

'The Jakarta Post' says TV broadcasters can make money from airing Beijing Olympic coverage but refuse to because regular programming would be more profitable

Thai Rath editorial

Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej should listen to the media and the Thai people, even if he may not want to

Schoolbooks on the Web

'The Jakarta Post' offers suggestions on how the government can best implement and develop in delivering educational materials to students across the country

How might we save Taiwan's media?

Overabundance of newspapers competing in the market will force many to take serious measures to survive, writes Joe Hung

The Net is cast wider

Allowing Internet domains and addresses in non-Latin languages is a beneficial and far-sighted move by Icann, writes 'The Straits Times'

Ode to journalism

Hajrah Mumtaz discusses how C.P. Scott's journalism essay 'A hundred years,' written in 1921, is still relevant today

Haste not a waste

Tom Plate commends the Bush administration's decision to kick into gear talks with North Korea

Ma needs a hands-on approach with media

Instead of sticking to his non-interference stance, Taiwan's new president should actively strive to strengthen the public media sector, writes Lo Shih-Hung

Honesty in advertising should come from the drawing board

Debnath Guharoy says "robust research" by media agencies comes at a cost, and clients need to understand that doesn't come cheap

The China Times as a tabloid

'The China Post' discusses why more newspapers are downsizing into tabloid form

A weighty problem

Tom Plate compares how Japan and America are addressing the health issue of obesity

Let's stop trying to turn girls into probationary sexpots

Tracie Winch advocates warning labels on "tween" magazines that may contain sexually explicit advice unsuitable for girls under 15

The world of suckers

The newly-launched campaign to combat online scams should do more to help protect the elderly, writes 'The Straits Times'

How can the press be free it's used as a public-relations tool?

Philip Brasor admonishes Japanese media for accepting the public-relations role that politicians have dictated

Adoption of RTI ordinance -- a welcome act

'Daily Star' warns against creation of bureaucracy in Right to Information Ordinance

Chaotic media fights

'Korea Times' urges local media to set aside ideological differences and money-driven endeavors

H5N1: Lost in transition

Emmy Fitri admonishes Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari for withholding bird flu information from media, public

Strait-talk from Bush Sr.

Tom Plate explains why current China-Taiwan relations and the recently published diary of George H.W. Bush about his year as chief U.S. representative in Beijing both seem rather sensible

Closer cross-strait media ties needed

It's time for China and Taiwan to take long overdue steps to normalize press relations, starting with the establishment of news bureaus in each other's capital, writes 'The China Post'

Breaking news: menaced by the media

Hajrah Mumtaz discusses how and why the Pakistani media confuses breaking news with top stories

A world in need of humility

The presidents of Pakistan and South Korea need to exercise more humility, writes Tom Plate

How to deal with paparazzi

'The China Post' says former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian's daughter should sue the paparazzi for encroaching on her privacy

Tilak, editor of Kesari, was also tried for sedition

World history is rife with examples of sedition laws being used to silence criticism in a similar way to how they are being used against 'The Times of India', writes Dhananjay Mahapatra

Local English press covers the Tiananmen anniversary

Taiwan's English press fails to provide critical coverage of "the bloody crackdown" that happened 19 years ago, writes Daniel J. Bauer

Here they go again

Attacks on 'Loksatta' editor and other Indian journalists undermine freedom of expression, says 'The Times of India'

A weak PM with strong ideas

Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda may soon be out of office, but he should be commended for trying to leave his mark as an above-the-fray statesman, writes Tom Plate

Media can't stop playing premier

The Taiwanese media's inaccurate reports on Cabinet appointment show a disregard for journalistic ethics, says adviser to the 'Taipei Times'

China and the Hollywood Squares

American celebrities could learn from the example set by China's neighbors in the wake of the Sichuan earthquake, writes Tom Plate

Safety and security first

'The Times of India' explains why it's necessary for the government to have access to private conversations to protect its citizens

Whatever happened to privacy?

'The Times of India' says data protection laws need to be revised to adapt to new technologies and ensure civil rights are not compromised

Where to go and stay in Asia

Speaking from his experiences as a columnist traveling to Asia, Tom Plate offers recommendations for those visiting the continent

Barbaric assault on our correspondent

'The Daily Star' says jail guards' attack undermines press freedom and human rights

Taiwan's winner

Taiwan has reason to cheer for its new president, but Beijing does too, writes Tom Plate

The quake has silver lining

Taiwanese are paying attention to the state of China's media transparency, writes 'The China Post'

Beijing gives an unprecedented transparent look at disaster

China sees the advantages of media transparency in the coverage of earthquake rescue and relief efforts, writes CNN's Beijing bureau chief Jaime Florcruz

China and Burma: now and then

In the wake of two catastrophic natural disasters, Tom Plate discusses the differences in how the governments of China and Myanmar responded

China's tragic earthquake

While the Chinese media often deserves censure, its post-earthquake reporting warrants commendation, writes Tom Plate

Enjoying 'real live' newspapers

Daniel J. Bauer ruminates on the pleasures of reading and of reading hard-copy newspapers in particular

The seism's silver lining

Beijing is beginning to realize that a "free, unfettered and uncensored press" is necessary if China wants to successfully earn world respect, writes 'The China Post'

Disposable commodity called editor

Kuldip Nayar blasts blasts India's media owners for reducing journalism to an "industry," exchanging the propagation of ideas for celebrity culture

Media management

Pakistan's politicians need to adapt to the growing influence of an independent media, writes Hajrah Mumtaz

Has media freedom arrived?

Zohra Yusuf says while Pakistani journalism may stumble due to lack of training, recent Supreme Court impositions won't help matters

LGRD step on access to information

'The Daily Star' urges government to enact RTI ordinance "without bureaucratic or political roadblocks in the way"

Media ethics for new technology

Because the Internet significantly increases the global penetration and impact of media, journalism must maintain ethical values, says Harry Bhaskara

China's misunderstood youth

Chinese youth defy stereotypes and generalizations, writes Shiyu Tan

Shameful self-censorship

'The Korea Times' says President Lee's media policy is disappointing but Blue House Press Corps' decision to suspend the newspaper's Cheong Wa Dae correspondent is a betrayal

Happy birthday RTI

'Times of India' writer Rahul Mangaonkar says public authorities at all levels need to be more proactive in providing information

Will we, won't we?

M.J. Akbar analyzes the impact of an audience's bias on broadcast media

No news is good news?

'Dawn' writer Hajrah Mumtaz discusses how Western media coverage of Third World countries reinforces "the underlying ideological thrust of Western societies"

Freedom of expression, access, and empowerment

Ripan Kumar Biswas reflects on the state of journalism in 2007

Open up, Burma

The ruling generals of Myanmar need to let global aid in to help the Burmese people after the devastating cyclone, writes Tom Plate

Sri Lankan minister's shocking comments

'The Daily Star' condemns the Sri Lanka defense secretary's comments judging journalists' patriotism and calling for media censorship

Free media the cornerstone of democracy and development

'The Daily Star' reflects on press freedom in Bangladesh, demands government lift emergency provisions

Journos' code of conduct

Writer Warief Djajanto Basorie discusses issues that the Journalistic Code of Ethics should address in order to promote responsible behavior among journalists

Raise journalistic ethics

'The Japan Times' reminds journalists to protect news sources, not exploit them

Japan's media plays nursemaid to nation's immature democracy

In the wake of the 'Yasukuni' film controversy, Roger Pulvers urges Japanese media to delve into issues and "rock the boat"

The role of the media in tulip massacres and suicide

Philip Brasor discusses how media sensationalization of crimes and deaths in Japan triggers the copycat phenomena

Thank God we still have free speech. But for how long?

Endy M. Bayuni reflects upon the state of Indonesia's free speech over the past decade

Journalists working in face of ever increasing threats

Pakistan's new government needs to protect the rights of journalists and ensure press organizations are independent, writes 'Dawn'

Some old political magic

Former Prime Minister Koizumi can help Japan's political clout match its economic might, writes Tom Plate

Dreaming again

Tom Plate shares his hopes and frustrations with Asia

The media dilemma in the 2009 elections

Indonesian media must figure out how to exercise caution in giving "fair and balanced" coverage of candidates while effectively performing its public function, writes Sarah A.S. Pramono

China's well-organized campaign

Some Chinese netizens fear anti-Western media protests have gone too far and might end up hurting China's image, writes Richard Halloran

Diagnosing world health and politics

Tom Plate explains why China and the United Nations should accredit Taiwan journalists for the annual World Health Assembly

Chinese Netizens see both sides

National Cheng Kung University professor Hung Chin-fu observes that the Internet has taken on a "revolutionary role" in the online protests against China-bashing

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