My Articles

Walking on Thin Ice with Big Data

Data journalism may sound like a walk in the park to some but it is anything but.

Associated with words like ā€˜complex’, ā€˜tedious’, and ā€˜time-constraining’, data journalism can’t be forgone nonetheless.

This is an echo to this week’s seminar presenters’ stance, ā€œData journalism is more important than ever.ā€

In a world where fake news is rampant thanks to a digitalized society, data journalism doesn’t just inject articles with deeper insights on how we can be affected by what is occurring aroun

Finding Neutrality and Objectivity in Singapore’s Political Journalism

A day before Singapore’s 2020 general election, a group of students – us, were greeted by a seminar that aptly revolves around political journalism.

The seminar presenters believed that there are neutrality and objectivity of journalism in Singapore but when it comes to political factors, the ā€œneutrality and objectivity in Singapore’s political journalismā€ are ā€œgreatly reducedā€.

You need not look far to see why the seminar presenters and I perceive Singapore’s political journalism as one that

Facts Will Always Exist No Matter the Opinion

Thursday began with a seminar entitled Social Media and Journalism: the rise of opinion – where does that leave factual storytelling.

The seminar presenters mentioned how social media has allowed the rise of opinion-influenced news.

They also added how factual storytelling ā€œwill continue to be eroded in the futureā€ due to opinions on social media-driven news.

Although I do agree with their first statement regarding how social media contributed to the increase in opinion-related news, I believ

Can POFMA annihilate fake news?

With the advancement of technology over the years, fake news has become rampant. It is a pandemic of its own.

That isn’t to say that there was no fake news in the past. Fake news was ever-present even before man crafted the now indispensable device called phones.

However, unlike the past whereby fake news took far longer to spread as it relied mainly on word of mouth or other traditional means like handwritten letters, fake news can now spread in seconds thanks to the Internet and social media

Freedom of Speech Must Never be Absolute

In a seminar entitled Freedom of the Press, Freedom of Speech, and Freedom of Information in 2020 this week, a group of four members stated how all the aforementioned are necessary ā€œbut we cannot use it to do illegal thingsā€.

Whilst it does sound enticing to be able to vocalize or type out anything without any repercussions, I believe that in doing so, chaos will ensue.

This can be seen by a renowned author who had voiced her passion for freedom of speech and freedom of the press – J.K Rowling

Public Interest Journalism Shouldn’t Make Everything Public

The seminar this week opened my eyes to another form of journalism – public interest journalism, and how journalists may sometimes go overboard in a bid to get content, so much so that they breached privacy.

Public interest journalism covers anything that matters to everyone in society (The public, 2016).

However, it isn’t to be confused with tabloid journalism.

Granted, tabloid journalism contents do interest the public but takes a sensationalized approach unlike public interest journalism (

Investigative Journalism Unlocks Issues

This week, I found myself agreeing with a group of four students namely Aisyah Shamsul, Jeraidin Kwong, Germaine Quek, and Nicole Quek who took up 40 minutes of their time to elaborate on why they believe that investigative journalism is vital even if it is a costly affair.

They introduced what exactly is investigative journalism in both professional and layman terms making it easy to wrap one’s mind around what investigative journalism truly entails.

Their group also provided examples aplenty

Understanding What Makes Satire Controversial At Times

Satire, while popular, is highly controversial especially when race is being put into play as racism can be easily disguised as satire.

How can they be distinguished?

It all boils down to the fine line between satire and pure racism.

In order to fully tell them apart and recognize how thin the aforementioned line is, we’d have to understand what exactly are satire and racism.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, satire exposes people’s stupidity (Kelsey, 2015). This is done by using humor to

Ultimate List Of Gyms In Singapore Offering Free Home Workouts

With the extended Circuit Breaker measures, working from home has become the new norm for most of us. Tired of sitting at the same spot for hours? What better way to ease those sores and prevent future ones by trying home workouts and boosting your fitness!

To prevent ourselves from slacking off, we’ve compiled a list of local gyms and fitness places that will help you work out from home, without spending a single cent!

BoOm Singapore specialises in functional training and boxing. They’re curr

Here's How He Manages To Own A CrossFit Gym And Helps Marginalized Youths Through Fitness

It’s not everyday that you’ll come across someone in the fitness industry who is as passionate about the wellbeing of others as much as Lionel Choong is.

Lionel’s drive to help others, particularly youths, is one that I’ve never come across before after spending years trying out gyms and getting to know various trainers before settling on one that suits me best.

This 30-year-old is both a director and coach at Innervate Fitness, a CrossFit gym which he co-founded.

He is also part of the team

He Fuses Conceptual Art Into His Tattoo Designs To Make Them Out Of This World

Kingston Chan is a tattoo artist and a concept art director. He also teaches both digital 3D art and entertainment concept at FZD School of Design.

2020 marks his 10th year of being a teacher, although it hasn’t been that long for him when it comes to being a tattoo artist.

ā€œI picked up tattooing and felt a strong connection to it. I love it even more now,ā€ he says.

Born in Hong Kong but based in Singapore, Kingston Chan has always been interested in tattoos.

ā€œThe connection with people’s st

"Having Just One Eye Makes Me Focus Better": This Blind Tattoo Artist Creates Impressively Intricate Tattoos

Mohamed Tirana, 25, was born blind in his right eye but that didn’t stop him from becoming the professional tattoo artist that he is today.

Tirana has been completely blind in his right eye since birth due to an incurable congenital infection known as Coat’s Disease. The infection fully damaged the optic nerve in his right eye.

Some may be wondering if this affects his designs but fortunately, it doesn’t.

ā€œHonestly, there hasn’t been any issues since I am so used to it. Having just one eye ma

His First Tattoo Inspired Him To Pursue A Career Out Of It

Zack Tan Zhi Kai was 17 when he got his first tattoo and it was a tattoo done in a Japanese style. The tattoo piqued his interest in traditional Japanese tattoos, which led him to pursue the craftmanship of being a tattoo artist 5 years on.

Currently at 23, he has established a name for himself as a tattoo artist and now owns his very own studio, Wabori World Singapore. His studio specializes in Traditional Japanese tattoos, which was what got him into the industry initially.

When asked about

Meet The First Certified Breakletics Trainer In Singapore, Haru Minoru

With the widespread popularity of the Hip Hop culture, B-boy dancing is something that we are no stranger to. Introducing Breakletics, a new form of exercise that fuses ordinary fitness moves with dancing routines, bringing your fitness regimen to the next level.

We spoke to Muhammad Nur ā€˜Azharu, also known as Haru Minoru or Haru for short, who is also Singapore’s first-ever Breakletics trainer.

This was how Haru mastered Breakletics, an art form that was a stranger to many, and turned it into

Up Your Fitness Game With These Simple Workouts You Can Do At Home

As part of a healthy lifestyle movement, there has been an increase in the number of gyms being built in every neighbourhood.

Look to your left and you’ll see Anytime Fitness. A glance to your right and there is Fitness First. Take several steps forward and you’ll find Gymm Boxx.

However, despite the variety of gym options, there are still many other factors that make going to the gym an inconvenience.

So how is one able to squeeze in a cheap yet good workout despite an exhaustingly tight sch

She's Bagging Success At The Age Of 32 With Her Luxurious Art Pieces

Most popularly known for her bold and unique designs, Cherin Sim is a 32-year-old artist who is making her mark in the art scene.

One of her biggest trademarks is incorporating unexpected elements into her paintings on luxury products, giving them an unconventional look.

However, the idea of designing products didn’t come knocking until she became a student under Goldsmith London in 2014.

The Start Of A New Journey

ā€œI started dwelling on material things in between the course of my degree. I

At 40 Years Old, He's A Global Director, DJ And Fitness Award Winner. He Also Looks Like He's In His 20s.

Paulo P.R Atienza is a 40-year-old who is walking proof that with vision, ambition, and determination, you’re able to not only feel like a youthful person but look like one too.

His gait seems as brisk as any other 20-year-olds, and there are no wrinkles in sight.

It isn’t farfetched to say that one will never be able to guess that he is 40.

So how did he become the person he is today – a Global Director, Fitness Award Winner, Club DJ, and Volunteer Leader?

His journey wasn’t entirely a smoo

He's Toured With Angela Zhang, Performed With JJ Lin, And Set Up His Own Drum School - All Before The Age Of 30 Whatsoever

Commonly sporting t-shirts, jeans and a pair of white sneakers, it isn’t far-fetched to say that Er Chow Kiat can be easily mistaken as a youth who’s on his way to a skate park to try out some new tricks.

In reality, he is a touring drummer who has also managed to set up his own drumming school in Singapore – Drum Tutor – all before turning 30.

The 29-year-old has already toured as the official drummer for numerous artistes internationally and will be launching the second outlet for Drum Tutor

There's An Instruction Manual For Our Brain - Here Is How He Used It To Overcome His Own Pain

Bobby Teng is no ordinary counsellor – he’s also a hypnotherapist and Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) master coach and trainer.

Now, at the age of 34, he has already accumulated experiences working in numerous fields as both a case manager and clinical counsellor in various sectors.

His unexpected foray into this industry was at the age of 15.

ā€œI went cycling in the middle of the night against my parents’ wishes and crashed into a drain while going downslope,ā€ he says.

Although the fall d

Catching Fish In The Neighbourhood Longkang Sparked A Passion That Led To His Career

Ian Chen is a millennial who challenges the image of what people usually assume being a fish-farmer is – old and wrinkly.

Aged 31, Ian is a fish farmer at Barramundi Asia (Kuhlbarra), and has always been interested in nature and fishes in particular.

ā€œWhen I was as little as five, my Mum would take me to the neighborhood longkang to catch wild guppies, tiger barbs, and tadpoles which we would bring home and keep in a tank. I guess that sparked my interest with fish from then on.ā€

He elaborate

As A Playwright, Producer, Director, Designer, And Grab Driver - How Does He Juggle Everything?

Khairul Kamsani is a multi-hyphenate – he works full time in theatre as a playwright, producer, director and designer. He is also working as part-time GRAB driver and is on the road towards debuting as a professional Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter.

Theatre was a passion that he has had since he was a teen. Unfortunately, his Bachelors with Honors in Theatre and Performance (BA) was disrupted by National Service (NS).

ā€œI was called up to NS without being allowed any more deferment. I was mean

Get To Know This Promising Football Team Comprising Of An All-Arabian Band Of Brothers

Al Wehdah FC is a social football team that comprises of Singapore’s very own Arab community. Their name is derived from The Arab Association Singapore, which is also known as Al-Wehdah Al-Arabiah bi Singhafura, or Al-Wehdah for short.

Formed on 11 November 1946, this organization has been actively participating in numerous donation drives, bursary award ceremonies and even campaigns like Eidul Adha’s ā€œGift of Loveā€.

Al Wehdah FC was formed a few years afterwards.

The team’s age range stretch

Determined To Stop Her Over-reliance On Her Inhaler, She Tried Out Extreme Sports

At the mere age of 16, Ada Free* made a decision to paddle herself away from the state of being over-reliant on Seretide Evohaler, an asthma inhaler that’s filled with steroids. Armed with nothing but a life vest and oar, it was a decision that changed her whole perspective of life.

Asthma is a common phenomenon worldwide, including Singapore. Ada’s first asthma attack occurred a day before her 11th birthday. It came as a no surprise to her family since everyone but her father are asthmatics to

Foot Volley Is Still Not Considered An Established Sport In S'pore, And This Man's Aiming To Change That.

Mohd Taufiq Khairi was only 18 years old when he first stumbled upon foot volley, a sport that’s uncommon in Singapore, in a 2007 local exhibition held at Expo.

Now 27, he remains an active foot volley player despite not having as many opportunities to compete in matches as compared to other sports here. In the day, Taufiq is currently a safety department worker in the construction industry.

He has been playing foot volley ever since he joined the team in 2008, and makes time for his weekend p
Load More

Audio Journalism @ SoundCloud

Splashing into Fishtography

Graphic Designs, Art, & Illustrations

About Me

An individual who has been dabbling in copywriting, proofreading, branding, traditional marketing, digital marketing, campaign creations, journalism, and public relations for the past nine years and counting