About me
I’m a journalist, documentary filmmaker and editor
I’m a multimedia journalist and documentary producer with a track record of producing original, nuanced stories in one of the most-exciting—yet under-covered—corners of the globe. I’ve reported on the ground in Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia, and Thailand for outlets like the South China Morning Post, VICE World News, Foreign Policy, the Guardian, and more as a video and print journalist.
I’m currently living in Hong Kong, where I work as a supervising producer at the South China Morning Post.
VIDEO
words
‘Return to paradise’, North Korea urged Japan’s Zainichi. Their reward? ‘So much pain and regret’
Published in: SCMP
Lured by Pyongyang’s propaganda, nearly 100,000 mostly ethnic Koreans left Japan for North Korea in the mid-twentieth century to seek a better life. Poverty and famine awaited them. As did the threat of torture, death or being sent to a concentration camp for questioning the Kim dynasty’s rule.
1980s Japan lives on in Hong Kong as ‘future funk’ music finds a home
Published in: SCMP
What is ‘future funk’ and what does the genre say about Japanese – and Hong Kong – pop culture? A Hong Kong music label founder who has played a big part in its rise tells the Post how it evolved.
Like Hello Kitty on steroids: decora fashion subculture’s return
Published in: SCMP
Decora fashion is a subculture born in the late 1990s that takes Japanese notions of cuteness – think the bows and pastel hues of Hello Kitty – to the extreme. By the end of the 2010s, the style had fallen out of fashion. Now it is seeing a resurgence thanks to a new generation of young people who network online.
Waves of uncertainty: radioactive ripple effect clouds Fukushima’s comeback
Published in: SCMP
The toxic legacy of 2011’s nuclear disaster threatens to derail the fragile recovery of coastal towns still reeling from the devastation.
Harsh Drugs Laws, Rising HIV Rates, and Indonesia's Battle Over Both
Published in: VICE News
The country's aggressive policing techniques — simply possessing clean needles can be enough to be thrown in jail — appear to be hampering efforts to prevent the spread of HIV among intravenous drug users.
Death by a Thousand Cars
Published in: Foreign Policy
In Jakarta, thousands of lives are lost each year to inadequate emergency response services, bureaucratic bungles, and horrendous traffic. How did it get this bad?
The cocoa crisis: why the world’s stash of chocolate is melting away
Published in: The Guardian
It’s the world’s favorite sweet treat – and this week one of the industry’s biggest players warned that supplies could soon be running low. Guardian writers around the world report on the causes of the problem, from disease and crop failure to the rise of the chocolate crisp.
Rohingya Girls For Sale: Malaysia's Forced Marriage Problem
Published in: VICE
Violence in Myanmar's Rakhine State has created a hidden problem in nearby Malaysia—the trafficking of Rohingya women as brides.
Indonesia and its palm problem
Published in: The New Humanitarian
Progress in the fight against global warming may hinge on the future of one tiny fruit in Southeast Asia.
Politicians Are Rewriting the History of Indonesia's Most Corrupt Dictator
Published in: VICE News
Throughout his time in office, Suharto’s Golkar Party was an election vehicle masquerading as a political entity.
The world’s clogged asylum system
Published in: The New Humanitarian
Indonesia has become the end of the road for Afghan teenagers fleeing violence back home as the world turns its back on asylum seekers.
'If We Feel Afraid, We Will Lose': Indonesia Reacts to Terror Attacks with Defiant Protest
Published in: VICE News
On Thursday, Jakarta was rocked by an attack by Islamic State-related militants. On Friday, the capital of the world's largest Muslim nation told terrorists that it was not afraid.
Where are the Rohingya boat survivors now?
Published in: The New Humanitarian
An in-depth report tracking down what happened to the Rohingya asylum seekers rescued from boats set adrift in the Andaman Sea one year later.
EXPERIENCE
South China morning post
Supervising producer, Video & Audio
(oct. 2023 - now)
• Pitch, produce, film and edit my own digital documentaries for a wide variety of topics, including history, crime, pop-culture and current events
• Manage a team of studio producers, motion graphics editors and podcast producers
• Pitch, develop, and produce new video series for SCMP, including Cultured and Hong Kong Authentic
Lead videographer
(april 2021 - Oct. 2023)
• Pitch, produce, film and edit digital documentaries focused on telling personal, character driven stories as part of the SCMP Films brand
• Responsible for visual consistency across SCMP videos, including lighting and equipment purchases
VICE Asia
Head of Video, Asia
(Feb. 2018 - April 2021)
• Identify and develop potential documentary tentpoles that help drive the conversation about VICE in Asia
• Manage producers, researchers, and production cycles in countries across the Asia-Pacific region
• Pitch, develop, and produce Studio documentaries for regional and international OTTs (Netflix, HOOQ, etc.)
VICE Indonesia
Head of Content
(July 2016 - Feb. 2018)
• Build a newsroom from the ground up, identifying young talent, and sourcing story ideas from across SE Asia
• Write, edit, and produce stories (both print and video) for VICE’s digital and television channels
Freelance Journalist
(July 2015 - July 2016)
• Write about the environment, politics, and drug policy for VICE News, Foreign Policy, IRIN, and the Guardian
BeritaSatu English
Associate Producer
(May 2014 - July 2015)
• Responsible for reporting, shooting, and editing video news packages
The Jakarta Globe
News Editor: Web Desk
(April 2013 - May 2014)
• Report, edit, and fact-check breaking news as the head of the Globe’s web desk
Web Editor
(Feb. 2012 - April 2013)
South Jersey Magazine
Contributor
(SEPT. 2009 - OCT. 2011)
• Write regular in-depth features for a regional news magazine
Gloucester County Times
Crime, Court and Transportation Reporter
(May 2007 - Jan. 2009)
• Cover crime in a large suburban county, focusing on impacts of the drug trade
• Report on public transit in one of the most-densely populated states in the US
Municipal Reporter
(May 2006 - April 2007)
Education
the city university of new york Graduate school of journalism
(Now the “craig newmark graduate school of journalism at cuny)
MASTERS, INTERNATIONAL REPORTING
Graduated Dec 2011
ROWAN UNIVERSITY
BA, COMMUNICATIONS (JOURNALISM)
Graduated May 2006