In this episode of Splice Pink, we speak with Yolanda Ma, a lecturer at the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong. ChatGPT describes her as “an influential figure in the fields of digital policy and global partnerships.” We agree.

Yolanda has a vast career in international development, data, and journalism, and recently won approval to make AI training a mandatory subject for the masters program in journalism. In this podcast, she talks about why she pushed for it, and what's needed in journalism education today.

Connect with Yolanda on LinkedIn

Find out more about the journalism program at the University of Hong Kong

Philippine journalist Beatrice Go launched Atleta Filipina in January 2024 — a feat for the sports reporter turned solo media entrepreneur. Atleta Filipina serves as a beacon for women's sports in the Philippines, or, as she put it in this interview, "the purpose is for women to have a future in sports." She spoke about how the first couple of months have gone, the needs she wants to meet, and some of the partnerships she's trying to forge.

Connect with Beatrice on LinkedIn

Subscribe to Atleta Filipina on YouTube

Follow AF on Instagram

Three years ago, disappointed with the legacy media landscape, Kassy Cho started Almost, an Instagram-first news startup focused on young people. The Taipei-based journalist saw an opportunity to deliver news to both Chinese and English audiences who were left underserved — and ignored — by mainstream media. In this episode, she spoke to us about the opportunities to serve younger audiences and ways to monetise that.

Follow Almost on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/almost.co/

Connect with Kassy on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kassycho/

Exile Hub started soon after the coup in Myanmar when hundreds of journalists started flowing across into Thailand for refuge. Exile Hub's multifaceted approach includes psychosocial support, offering shelter and mental health services, as well as personal safety, border safety, and digital safety workshops. 

At Splice Beta 2023, December Khaing talked about the organisation’s work and the challenges faced by Myanmar’s journalists living in exile. 

Connect with December on LinkedIn

In response to the rise of fake news on social media, Philippine media startup Probe launched a fact-checking campaign called Tsek/Eks. To engage the younger demographic, they collaborated with influencers, in an initiative that was unheard of in the media space. The fact-checking campaign leaned on Probe's archives, leveraging historical videos to debunk misinformation.

At Beta, Jen Aquino, the company’s managing director, talked about how Probe's fact-checking efforts gained recognition, which led to their inclusion as one of the verified fact-check signatories of the International Fact-checking Network in 2020. 

However, recognising the limitations of traditional media, Probe expanded its approach by partnering with international media support and collaborating with diverse content creators.

Their partnership with Your Tita Baby, a drag queen content creator, highlighted Probe's strategy to involve unconventional voices in the fact-checking campaign. Your Tita Baby emphasised her unique perspective as a GenXer with a foot in both the millennial and baby boomer generations. This approach aims to bridge communication gaps and engage a wider audience in discussions about history and politics.

More about Probe

Connect with Jen on LinkedIn

Follow Your Tita Baby on Instagram

TNL MediaGene, formerly the News Lens, is a case study in strategic media company acquisitions. Over the past four and a half years, they executed nine acquisitions — averaging one every six months. Originally focused on independent digital news in Taiwan, they expanded across Asia and recognised the need to pivot as growth plateaued.

This led to a transformation into a media group, acquiring smaller verticals and diversifying into MarTech, AdTech, and data analytics. The company now boasts 29 media brands, six offices, and approximately 560 employees, 80% of whom came through acquisitions.

With a strategy yielding 50 to 60 million monthly unique readers, monetisation sources include media advertising, data analytics, AI, SaaS, tech services, e-commerce, agency communications, paid events, and memberships. 

As Joey Chung, the CEO and co-founder explained at Splice Beta 2023, the recent merger with MediaGene, a Japanese digital media player, demonstrates the company's evolution and strategic expansion beyond its Taiwanese roots.

1. Strategic Growth Challenges: Joey highlights the challenge of sustaining growth in a small market like Taiwan, especially when catering to a niche audience like news readers. The need to meet investor expectations while preserving the independent media ethos adds complexity to this growth strategy.

2. Venture Capital Influence: Early reliance on institutional VC funding forces the media brand to continuously meet growth milestones. Joey emphasises the pressure to demonstrate return on investment, which leads to exploring options like mergers and acquisitions as a strategic move to overcome the limitations of the small local market.

3. Pivoting for Sustainability: The realisation that horizontal growth into different content categories might not be financially viable prompts a pivotal shift in strategy. Instead of diversifying content offerings, the focus shifts to regional expansion and internationalisation, acknowledging the limitations of the small market dynamics in the digital media industry.

Joey Chung on LinkedIn
TNL Mediagene
Splice Beta 2023

In his recent session at Splice Beta 2023, Tanmoy Goswami shares his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting the evolution of his mental health storytelling platform, Sanity by Tanmoy. The article summarizes key points from the transcript, emphasising the challenges and successes in building a unique and impactful venture.

Tanmoy begins by recounting the inception of Sanity by Tanmoy, a Substack newsletter born out of a tumultuous period in December 2020. Despite initial skepticism, the platform gained traction as Tanmoy navigated the complexities of mental health reporting, challenging mainstream media's stigmatising approach.

The entrepreneur credits the platform's success to strategic timing, the COVID bump, and being a rare voice in mental health from a non-Western perspective. His commitment to user privacy led him to move from Substack to Ghost, where he launched India's first independent mental health storytelling platform.

Sanity by Tanmoy operates on a reader-funded model, with Tanmoy rejecting conventional advice columns and focusing on theme-based seasons covering mental health, politics, economics, culture, and tech. Tanmoy emphasises the importance of a personal connection with the audience, acknowledging the significant role played by his supportive community.

He discusses the challenges of entrepreneurship in the content creation space, emphasising the financial struggles faced by creators globally. Tanmoy discusses his own sustainability goals, aiming to cover basic expenses while maintaining the platform's dignity.

Tanmoy's journey is marked by notable achievements, including a fellowship at Oxford and recognition as an expert in Forbes. He provides valuable lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs, cautioning against quitting jobs solely for passion and urging clear understanding of motivation.

Tanmoy has a unique approach to success metrics, emphasising the importance of consistency and recognising that people support the creator rather than the product. Tanmoy challenges the notion of the "10,000 true fans" and encourages entrepreneurs to find fulfilment in smaller, dedicated audiences.

Tanmoy Goswami on LinkedIn
Sanity by Tanmoy
Splice Beta 2023

We're featuring some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022! What's holding you back from starting a YouTube channel? In this episode, Mongolian creator Anu Harchu explains how you can start a YouTube channel today.

Subscribe to Anu on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/c/AnuHarchu

Connect with Anu on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anuharchu/

In December 2022, Colombo-based Himal Southasian appointed Roman Gautam as its chief editor. Six months into the job, he spoke with Splice's Alan Soon and Rishad Patel about how he plans to get the right membership strategy in place for the South Asia region.

Read Himal SouthAsian
https://www.himalmag.com/

Follow Roman on Twitter
https://twitter.com/romangautam

Learn about MDIF's Amplify Asia program
https://www.mdif.org/our-work/initiatives/amplify-asia/

Find out more about Splice
https://www.splicemedia.com/

We're featuring some of the best sessions from Splice Beta 2022! In this episode, we learn from Jacopo Ottaviani of Code for Africa about how to write an amazing grant application… and what to do when it all goes pear-shaped.

Connect with Jacopo on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacopo-ottaviani/

Learn more about Code for Africa
https://github.com/CodeForAfrica/

More about Splice
https://www.splicemedia.com/

Join us at the next Splice Beta
http://splicebeta.com/