Indochina Media Memorial Foundation

Reporting and Writing News Handbooks

Designing multilingual journalism manuals for emerging Southeast Asian reporters

While volunteering with the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand on The King of Thailand in World Focus — a compilation of international press coverage of King Bhumibol Adulyadej spanning 1946 to 2008 — I was tasked with tracking down photojournalists to secure usage rights and uncover additional archival material. It was a resourceful, behind-the-scenes role that deepened my appreciation for editorial collaboration and visual research. Through this project, I met Dominic Faulder, one of the editors, who later invited me to redesign the Reporting and Writing News handbooks for the Indochina Media Memorial Foundation (IMMF).

Produced in English, Thai, Khmer, and Burmese, these dense, information-packed manuals were distributed to early-career journalists across Southeast Asia — many working in countries transitioning from conflict or authoritarian rule toward a freer press. With minimal photography and complex, instructional content, the design needed to bring structure, clarity, and visual cohesion across multiple scripts and languages. It was the kind of challenge I thrive on: translating complexity into accessibility.

These handbooks were more than just tools — they helped nurture a generation of journalists and supported the professional development of media in emerging democracies. Working on them allowed me to contribute design skills to a mission grounded in freedom of expression, media literacy, and international connection.

Note: This project was completed prior to 2012, before IMMF ceased operations.