News Editor who has spent the past five years helping newsrooms adapt to the digital world. I make data-based decisions to create and optimise content that resonate with an online audience. With journalism and agency experience, I have a uniquely hybrid set of skills that makes me an asset to the newsroom of today. This site serves as a portfolio of sorts, listing some works I remember most fondly.
Women’s rights in China
Gender equality and representation is something I care deeply for – not only to make sure that women voices were heard, but also that they are portrayed in an empathetic, non-condescending way. It is a constant mission for me in the newsroom to empower women, whether it is business leaders, the everyday woman on the street, or our ever-inspiring and gifted journalists.
Period poverty in China and how one group of girls aims to end it – a school at a time
School in China removes poster warning that teen sex leads to stupid children
China court upholds landmark #MeToo sexual harassment verdict
The hit Chinese TV reality show inspiring women to make waves
Chinese girls’ education charity apologises after it is found giving funding to boys
LGBT rights in China
Chinese activist to appeal case against publisher of homophobic textbook
China’s LGBT activists step up push for gay marriage after official rejects change
China’s LGBT parents find family and joy through surrogacy
Chinese dancer’s wedding photos revive same-sex marriage debate
Teacher reveals high price of coming out as gay in China
Shanghai Pride cancelled after 11 years in blow to China’s LGBT community
Women during the Covid-19 pandemic in China
All over the world, women seemed to suffer disproportionately to men as a result of lockdowns, household responsibilities and, in some cases, domestic violence. China was no different.
Coronavirus: how being forced together is tearing couples apart
Chinese state media ‘humiliating’ women nurses in coronavirus propaganda campaign
In the firing line: the women in China’s war on the coronavirus
Offbeat coronavirus stories in China
As the team was inundated with coronavirus stories from every direction, it became a real struggle to uncover people and angles that had not been covered before. These were a few I am proud of.
‘It was like waiting for death’: normal life still a distance for Wuhan coronavirus survivors
As Wuhan comes out of lockdown many are asking: where is Auntie Xiong and her delicious street food?
Behind the masks: the volunteers giving everything in the coronavirus crisis
‘Still fearful’: Wuhan struggles to recover after coronavirus lockdown
As China’s coronavirus checks get stricter, fugitives turn themselves in
Spain’s Chinese community’s fight against coronavirus and xenophobia started weeks before lockdown
Animal Rights in China
As a dog owner and animal lover, it felt very personal and important to me to break the stereotypes people had of Chinese people being dog eaters. Dog meat is eaten by a very small percentage of people in China. Even in Yulin, where the infamous dog meat festival is held, only about 12% of people consume canines regularly. Among China’s 1.4 billion population, the percentage is far far lower.
4,000 dogs, cats, rabbits and other pets found dead in boxes at logistics depot in China
Dogs are pets, not food, says Chinese agriculture ministry
Chinese city of Shenzhen to ban eating cats and dogs as part of moves to stop spread of coronavirus
Shenzhen’s move to ban eating cats and dogs welcomed by animal rights activists
Live coverage of the floods in China 2020
I will not presume to take credit for this coverage. Everything was done by the amazing reporter who braved the rain and floods to provide on-ground coverage. But I will say that I enjoyed working through the copy and discovering these fascinating stories through her eyes.
In one piece, she walked the reader through a rescue mission on a boat as firefighters raced to save stranded townspeople.
Covid-19 and now floods: Wuhan, first epicentre of the pandemic, braces again
Saved from the floodwaters: Chinese village in path of Yangtze deluge
Sleepless nights on China’s dykes as floods hit 34 million people
Yangtze flood passes peak in eastern China but no time to relax
China floods: rural areas plea for migrant workers to return home and fight deluge
Misfortune piles up as floods hit China’s delicate porcelain industry
Explainers: China floods 2020, China-India border dispute, South China Sea, Coronavirus in China
A series of explainers borne out of SEO keyword research, close teamwork with reporters, subeditors and keyword specialists, and plain old news judgement.
The China-India border dispute: its origins and impact
Why are Indian and Chinese soldiers fighting with fists, sticks and rocks?
Why are the floods so severe in China this year?
South China Sea: the dispute that could start a military conflict
China’s deal with the Catholic church: ‘sell-out’ or pathway to better relations?
Some Covid-19 China explainers:
What you need to know about the coronavirus and how to protect yourself against Covid-19
Coronavirus: no easy way out of pandemic, even with a vaccine, experts say
Coronavirus: why do ‘recovered’ patients test positive again?
How the Sichuan earthquake changed China
Worked with the South China Morning Post’s digital interactives team and China society team to create a multimedia package.
Part I played:
- Research
- Liaising teams
- Subediting
- Image selection
- Layout
China’s ties with the world
Worked with digital team and China diplomacy team at the South China Morning Post to create an interactive globe, which depicted China’s relations with various countries.
Part I played:
- Conceptualising
- Liaising teams
- Writing
Four listicles… and counting
Wrote listicles to drive engagement and traffic to the South China Morning Post’s society section. Each piece sees a minimum of 10,000 unique users.
Natalie Koh 