Noel Duan

    16 Jan 2012

    futurejournalismproject: AP: Next Stop, North Korea The AP opens first Western news bureau in North Korea. Via the Associated Press: The Associated Press opened its newest bureau here Monday, becoming the first international news organization with a full-time presence to cover news from North Korea in words, pictures and video. In a ceremony that came less than a month after the death of longtime ruler Kim Jong Il and capped nearly a year of discussions, AP President and CEO Tom Curley and a delegation of top AP editors inaugurated the office, situated inside the headquarters of the state-run Korean Central News Agency in downtown Pyongyang… …The bureau puts AP in a position to document the people, places and politics of North Korea across all media platforms at a critical moment in its history, with Kim’s death and the ascension of his young son as the country’s new leader, Curley said in remarks prepared for the opening. “Beyond this door lies a path to vastly larger understanding and cultural enrichment for millions around the world,” Curley said. “Regardless of whether you were born in Pyongyang or Pennsylvania, you are aware of the bridge being created today.” Curley said the Pyongyang bureau will operate under the same standards and practices as AP bureaus worldwide. “Everyone at The Associated Press takes his or her responsibilities of a free and fair press with utmost seriousness,” he said. “We pledge to do our best to reflect accurately the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as well as what they do and say.” Image: Associated Press President Tom Curley, left, and Korean Central News Agency President Kim Pyong Ho hang the Associated Press Pyongyang sign on the door to open a new AP bureau in Pyongyang, North Korea on Monday Jan. 16, 2012. Via the AP.

    futurejournalismproject:

    AP: Next Stop, North Korea

    The AP opens first Western news bureau in North Korea.

    Via the Associated Press:

    The Associated Press opened its newest bureau here Monday, becoming the first international news organization with a full-time presence to cover news from North Korea in words, pictures and video.

    In a ceremony that came less than a month after the death of longtime ruler Kim Jong Il and capped nearly a year of discussions, AP President and CEO Tom Curley and a delegation of top AP editors inaugurated the office, situated inside the headquarters of the state-run Korean Central News Agency in downtown Pyongyang…

    …The bureau puts AP in a position to document the people, places and politics of North Korea across all media platforms at a critical moment in its history, with Kim’s death and the ascension of his young son as the country’s new leader, Curley said in remarks prepared for the opening.

    “Beyond this door lies a path to vastly larger understanding and cultural enrichment for millions around the world,” Curley said. “Regardless of whether you were born in Pyongyang or Pennsylvania, you are aware of the bridge being created today.”

    Curley said the Pyongyang bureau will operate under the same standards and practices as AP bureaus worldwide.

    “Everyone at The Associated Press takes his or her responsibilities of a free and fair press with utmost seriousness,” he said. “We pledge to do our best to reflect accurately the people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea as well as what they do and say.”

    Image: Associated Press President Tom Curley, left, and Korean Central News Agency President Kim Pyong Ho hang the Associated Press Pyongyang sign on the door to open a new AP bureau in Pyongyang, North Korea on Monday Jan. 16, 2012. Via the AP.

    Reblogged: jumiyori

    17 Feb 2011

    “My joke these days is that my two big interview “gets” are Kim Jong-il and Anna Wintour. Actually, I don’t know which one is harder to get.”
    —

    Alina Cho, national correspondent for CNN, Emmy-award winning broadcast journalist who once provided coverage from North Korea (via New York Times)

    I’m so excited to be watching her brilliant new fashion segment on February 19th at 2:30pm. It may not be “Style With Elsa Klensch,” but the world of 2011 is completely different from the world of 1993.

    +1 for smart, brave, and stylish Asian American journalists who know their politics and culture, and understand the importance of both. You all inspire me.

    10 Dec 2010

    The president of the Asian American Journalists Association is now following me. I should start proving that I am a proactive student and journalist. Weak-attempt-to-impress-potential-employers #1: I carry my AP Style Book and digital voice recorder in my bag everywhere I go. Even when I go grocery shopping.

    The president of the Asian American Journalists Association is now following me.

    I should start proving that I am a proactive student and journalist.

    Weak-attempt-to-impress-potential-employers #1: I carry my AP Style Book and digital voice recorder in my bag everywhere I go. Even when I go grocery shopping.

    Tags: journalism. aaja.

    14 Oct 2010

    The Eye, the Columbia Daily Spectator’s weekly features and arts magazine, celebrates its 100th issue today — and in celebration, they decided to ask various figures around campus about the state of journalism at Columbia University. They asked me to contribute a piece, and they were also awesome enough to include an embarrassing illustration of myself (see above). Thank you, Helen and Devin! Anyway, I really loved reading what all the other campus journalists had to say. Makes me love my school even more. Happy 100th! College Catwalk: Hoot Magazine and the print debut of Columbia’s fashion scene by Noel Duan, CC ‘13, co-founder and editor in chief of Hoot, founder of Miss Couturable, style blog Miss Couturable arguably represented the future of fashion writing: A high school student starts a blog and generates a worldwide following. So why did you start a Columbia-specific fashion magazine catering to a more limited audience? I started fashion blogging in high school, since no one at my Silicon Valley high school was as serious about fashion as I was, and I wanted to connect with fashion enthusiasts around the world who shared my undying love for the sartorial. It was great—I made friends and connections with people who worked in the fashion industry or who just loved art and fashion, which would not have happened without the Internet. However, when I arrived at Columbia in my first year, I started to meet a lot of students who, like me, read fashion magazines as frequently as, or maybe more frequently than, they read Lit Hum books. I realized that I didn’t need to write a fashion blog in order to engage with fashion-savvy individuals anymore—they were right on campus with me. I mean, sure, Hoot serves a “limited” audience, but a powerful one, nonetheless. After doing some research, I found out that Columbia alumnae in the fashion industry include Cecilia Dean, BC ’91, founder and editor of Visionaire magazine, to Kelly Killoren Bensimon, GS ’98, former editor of ELLE Accessories magazine, to Cameron Russell GS ’10, model and entrepreneur, to Tina Chai, another CC alum and freelance stylist for brands such as Thakoon. Hoot co-founder and Beauty and Health Director, Jina Lim, and I wanted to bring the fashion community of our school together—and what better way to do this than to work on a collective project such as a fashion publication? A lot of other colleges and universities, like UC Berkeley and Northwestern, have established fashion magazines, so it only makes sense that Columbia should have one too. Hoot is unique because of the resources that New York City offers; we work with and learn from experienced professionals, book celebrities for our photo shoots, and borrow clothing samples from the same showrooms as major fashion magazines. Hoot educates students about the nuances of fashion publishing, from learning how to properly steam designer clothes at photo shoots, to interviewing fashion designers, to dealing with demanding public relations officers—that’s something that not many campus publications can offer. That said, I’m always going to love blogging, but blogging is more personal to me. Hoot is a collaborative project for Columbia, by Columbia. Also this makes me even more excited for Hoot’s Fall 2010 issue, launching in just a few more days.

    The Eye, the Columbia Daily Spectator’s weekly features and arts magazine, celebrates its 100th issue today — and in celebration, they decided to ask various figures around campus about the state of journalism at Columbia University. They asked me to contribute a piece, and they were also awesome enough to include an embarrassing illustration of myself (see above). Thank you, Helen and Devin!

    Anyway, I really loved reading what all the other campus journalists had to say. Makes me love my school even more. Happy 100th!

    College Catwalk: Hoot Magazine and the print debut of Columbia’s fashion scene
    by Noel Duan, CC ‘13, co-founder and editor in chief of Hoot, founder of Miss Couturable, style blog

    Miss Couturable arguably represented the future of fashion writing: A high school student starts a blog and generates a worldwide following. So why did you start a Columbia-specific fashion magazine catering to a more limited audience?

    I started fashion blogging in high school, since no one at my Silicon Valley high school was as serious about fashion as I was, and I wanted to connect with fashion enthusiasts around the world who shared my undying love for the sartorial. It was great—I made friends and connections with people who worked in the fashion industry or who just loved art and fashion, which would not have happened without the Internet.

    However, when I arrived at Columbia in my first year, I started to meet a lot of students who, like me, read fashion magazines as frequently as, or maybe more frequently than, they read Lit Hum books. I realized that I didn’t need to write a fashion blog in order to engage with fashion-savvy individuals anymore—they were right on campus with me.

    I mean, sure, Hoot serves a “limited” audience, but a powerful one, nonetheless. After doing some research, I found out that Columbia alumnae in the fashion industry include Cecilia Dean, BC ’91, founder and editor of Visionaire magazine, to Kelly Killoren Bensimon, GS ’98, former editor of ELLE Accessories magazine, to Cameron Russell GS ’10, model and entrepreneur, to Tina Chai, another CC alum and freelance stylist for brands such as Thakoon. Hoot co-founder and Beauty and Health Director, Jina Lim, and I wanted to bring the fashion community of our school together—and what better way to do this than to work on a collective project such as a fashion publication?

    A lot of other colleges and universities, like UC Berkeley and Northwestern, have established fashion magazines, so it only makes sense that Columbia should have one too. Hoot is unique because of the resources that New York City offers; we work with and learn from experienced professionals, book celebrities for our photo shoots, and borrow clothing samples from the same showrooms as major fashion magazines. Hoot educates students about the nuances of fashion publishing, from learning how to properly steam designer clothes at photo shoots, to interviewing fashion designers, to dealing with demanding public relations officers—that’s something that not many campus publications can offer.

    That said, I’m always going to love blogging, but blogging is more personal to me. Hoot is a collaborative project for Columbia, by Columbia.

    Also this makes me even more excited for Hoot’s Fall 2010 issue, launching in just a few more days.

    27 Aug 2010

    “The reality is that a good portion of the culture has become loudly vocal about how clothes don’t matter and how it’s snobbish or shallow to suggest that they do. But clothes are part of our broader aesthetic obligation to each other. That commitment pushes homeowners to mow their lawns and not be a blight to the neighborhood. It makes them think twice before painting their houses in psychedelic stripes. The desire to be aesthetically respectful means guests give consideration to what they wear to a friend’s wedding or mourners take care in how they dress for a loved one’s funeral.”
    — Robin Givhan, Fashion Editor of The Washington Post, the first fashion writer to win a Pulitzer Prize (via The Washington Post)

    27 Aug 2010

    “I wonder what it will take to convince the non-believers, the skeptics that it matters? Would it convince them if designers stopped putting on fashion shows and instead presented their collections in the dull, fluorescent light of a convention center? Do more fashion companies need to go public so that Wall Street becomes more of a stakeholder? Do designers need to march on Washington for copyright protections? What will convince folks that a billion dollar industry is relevant?”
    — Robin Givhan, Fashion Editor of The Washington Post, the first fashion writer to win a Pulitzer Prize (via robingivhan.com)

    27 Aug 2010

    “Ever since I began writing about fashion, oh so many years ago, I’ve had my own love/hate affair with it. It can be frustratingly silly. But every now and then, something substantial happens. Some fashion show - like a recent Comme des Garcons one — speaks volumes about how we relate to the homeless and to poverty. Or some fashion business - like Gucci - becomes a marvel of acumen and innovation.”
    — Robin Givhan, Fashion Editor of The Washington Post, the first fashion writer to win a Pulitzer Prize (via robingivhan.com)

    27 Aug 2010

    “I understand. It’s all about the clicks. It’s all about resources. But somehow fashion is neither fish nor fowl. It’s not considered “arts” and it’s not politics. I fret that soon it won’t be considered. It’s not the most important thing in the world, certainly. But it does tell us a lot about who we are as a society in the same way that great architecture, music and art do. People seem to automatically understand the relevance of those other fields. But it’s always a struggle to convince them that the same is true for fashion.”
    —

    Robin Givhan, Fashion Editor of The Washington Post, the first fashion writer to win a Pulitzer Prize (via robingivhan.com)

    I admire this woman so much. She represents everything I aspire to be. She graduated from Princeton, earned a master’s in journalism, and worked for several top newspapers — in addition to VOGUE.

    9 Aug 2010

    “Last year, I had the honor of giving what’s known as a Delacorte Lecture at Columbia University. I was, they told me, the lone editor from a fashion magazine to address the crowd of journalism students that semester. The first thing I asked was how many people there actually read fashion magazines, which got a fair show of hands. Then I asked who in the crowd thought fashion magazines were the devil, and one or two gamely waved. It was a lively hour of back-and-forth with the cream of America’s student journalism crop, but my favorite question came after I described the nearly 10,000-word piece we’d done on Barack Obama in December 2006, for which contributing editor Laurie Abraham traveled to Africa with him and wrote one of the first, and to my mind still one of the best, approximations of Obama the man, the candidate, and the American (check it out on ELLE.com). The J-school student, a young man, asked me how I felt about the fact that we’d done this great piece but “no one” read it. No one? You mean, except for the 4.5 million women who read ELLE every month? You mean men, right? I’m writing this just as primary season is heating up, and I don’t think I can stand one more news report referring to the “real Americans” “out there” who need so much coddling and attention from the candidates that they’ve spent what equals the GDP of a developing nation. As our intrepid E. Jean Caroll might say, you, dolls, — ELLE readers — are as much the face of “real America” as any pudgy pink guy in overalls, and there are more of you than the total populations of Iowa and New Hampshire combined. (Though I know that we have loads of readers in both those states.)”
    —

    Roberta Myers, Editor-in-Chief of ELLE, March 2008 Editor’s Letter

    This is why I still want to work in fashion publishing.

    9 Aug 2010

    I panicked after meeting my fellow Voices Convention News Project students at the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) convention in Los Angeles. They had interned for the likes of Anderson Cooper, produced their own television shows, fought in Afghanistan, shot footage in Cuba, taken photographs for national publications, and built professional websites to expose their brand and name.

    I was almost embarrassed that I want to pursue fashion journalism, magazine publishing, creative writing, and art criticism. I like sassy writing. I like entrepreneurship and combining various media platforms. I like hands-on fashion styling. I like working with creative people with crazy ideas. I like not wearing a business suit to work.

    For the past seven days, I attempted to avoid any reference to my love for fashion. I worked on stories about the state of the journalism industry, Little Tokyo’s past and present, and the role of Asian American “chick lit.” I wore Theory blazers, J.Crew blouses, and Max Studio skirts. I convinced one of my interviewees to sit in an empty car with me, just so I could have National Public Radio-quality audio. My Nikon D300 was my third limb. I met recruiters from Los Angeles Times, CNN, NBC Universal, Gannett, and many more illustrious companies. I listened to Laura Ling — one of the two journalists captured by the North Korean government — speak about the power of journalism and the kindness of humanity. I met Connie Chung, the first person in the entire world who inspired me to pursue journalism as a little girl in elementary school.

    I gained a new level of respect and appreciation for journalism after my week at the AAJA convention. However, I also learned to respect and appreciate myself.

    It is okay to love fashion journalism. It is okay to spend all day wandering art galleries. It is okay to love foreign films — not just for the visuals and acting, but for the aesthetic mannerisms of a different language. It is okay to see a piece of fabric and think of a million ways to wear it. It is okay to read novels and memoirs and poetry anthologies and bask in the glory of words.

    It is okay to seek beauty in an imperfect world.

    How did I realize this? Well, Connie Chung actually helped me realize this — and she doesn’t even know it.

    It all started with a photo assignment. I was supposed to take photos of the convention’s Opening Reception. So, between frantic bites of chicken marsala, I scurried around The Highlands Hollywood and took photographs of my fellow Asian American journalists drinking, eating, schmoozing, and flirting (I’m not that naive, okay?). When I heard the awards ceremony about to begin on stage, I pushed my way to the front row in order to take my photos.

    Now, I am only 19 years old and there are plenty of things I have yet to learn about this world — but I know my Connie Chung. I used to watch her on television all the time. Heck, I even watched her husband on television every day. I should start the Chung-Povich fan club.

    While the introductions were being made on stage, I decided to be a creeper and snapped photos of this charismatic Asian lady in Christian Louboutin stilettos. I ran back to my editors in the newsroom.

    Breathless, I asked, “Could Connie Chung be at the Opening Reception? I swear I saw her. I took photos of her.” I was met with a few strange glances. Probably not, was the consensus.

    “Well, at least you didn’t ask her if she was Connie Chung… That would have been embarrassing for you,” someone said. I laughed nervously. There was a moment when I almost walked up to her, but I chickened out. I uploaded my photos onto my laptop and Googled a photo of Connie Chung. No, it has to be Connie Chung, I thought. Connie Chung would wear Louboutin stilettos, after all.

    I ran back to the Opening Reception, but by then, other people had figured out that Connie Chung there. I pushed my way to the front for a photo with her, and then I begged her for an interview for a story I was working on for AAJA Voices.

    She said yes. I waited three hours until the party was over and the crowd had finally disseminated into the wispy corners of the night. I snapped photos for my assignment in the meantime.

    Let me point out that Connie Chung is one of the most charismatic and gracious television personalities I have ever met. For every single eager beaver asking to take a photo with her, she asked for name and background. She really wanted to get to know the long line of (mostly) young girls who dream of being her someday.

    I sat outside with her on a bench, with my recorder out and my heart beating in palpitations. While a helicopter flew over us every time she spoke, I latched onto every single word she spoke.

    I could not believe that I was speaking one-to-one with Connie Chung. At the end of the interview, I complimented her on her Christian Louboutin shoes and gave her my business card — even though I doubt she has much use for contact with a college student. I was sweaty from a full day of reporting, hoarse from trying to speak at the loud party, and sore from running around Los Angeles. None of that mattered to me anymore. I was speaking to Connie Chung.

    I am almost certain that she and I were the only ones at the convention who knew about the Louboutin red sole. The next day, a description of Connie Chung’s outfit was printed in the AAJA Voices newspaper — a detail that seemed incredibly obvious to me until I realized that most of the world did not know what Christian Louboutin red soles signify. My editors told me that people loved the reporting done on her outfit. My fashion knowledge had finally come into use, even though it was unintentional.

    Sure, I do not plan to become a broadcast journalist like Connie Chung (I am convinced that my voice is too high pitched), but she taught me how important it is to stay true to one’s self — and to stick with one’s convictions. If I didn’t stick with my conviction that Connie Chung was at the party and if I didn’t notice details like her shoes, my night would have been very different. And, well, her career as a journalist has been all about conviction.

    So, kids, once again: childhood dreams do come true. This past summer, I met Rider Strong (Shawn Hunter from Boy Meets World), my childhood crush, and I met Connie Chung (pioneering Asian American journalist), my childhood hero.

    And I am okay with not knowing where I am going in life, since I am confident and proud of what I love. I know of some students who know that they will be broadcast journalists or newspaper editors or television show producers. I don’t. And really, I’m not worried. I’m having a good time.

    If I can just be as passionate as Rider Strong when I’m 30 and as graceful as Connie Chung when I’m 60, I will consider myself very blessed.

    1 Aug 2010

    “Party in the USA” Feels Like an Appropriate Song

    I am heading to Los Angeles tomorrow at 5:30am, for the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) convention. I’ll be armed with a fancy-schmancy Nikon D300 camera (along with a shade protector, cleaning equipment, and three lenses), a fancy-schmancy Edirol mp3 recorder, a BlackBerry as my only source of email, a MacBook Pro laptop full of files, a backup hard drive full of files, an extra flash drive, a set of headphones, a suitcase full of business suits, 100 business cards, 20 copies of my resume, and bigger dreams in journalism than I had before I became involved with AAJA Voices.

    Here goes sleepless nights, aching feet, hoarse voices, and a sense of accomplishment.

    31 Jul 2010

    Journalist’s Worst Nightmare

    I spent the majority of today sitting in front of my laptop, conducting interviews with people for an article I am writing. When I finally finished interviewing one of my most important subjects, my computer decided to freeze and crash. And then my digital voice recorder (I always use at least two recording devices as a precaution; too bad it didn’t work this time) decided to go berserk. So I don’t have a single tidbit from my most important interview. Even though I made sure to record it twice.

    Like any desperate journalist would, I emailed my interviewee and explained my situation. It was even more embarrassing because he is a very accomplished figure in the journalism industry himself. Here I am, interviewing someone with so much wisdom and experience in journalism, and both of my recorders managed to die right when I’m about to save the interview. Do I still have a future in journalism? Ha.

    Now, I cross my fingers and pray for a 10-minute redo. I’ll wake up at 3am, travel across Los Angeles, or even buy a meal for my interviewee if I need to. From now on, I’m recording my interviews with three devices.

    P.S. I received an email from a potential interviewee who no longer does interviews. He wrote, “Good luck on your career. I can see from your posts on your blogs that you are a superior writer. I look forward to seeing your byline in the near future.” He called me “Noel/MissCouturable,” which horrified me at first, because he’s a very experienced journalist and one of the pioneering Asian Americans in the industry, and I really don’t know what “serious” journalists think of my fashion blogging. However, he looked beyond what a lot of people consider to be “frivolous.” Warm fuzzy feelings to make up for my journalism failure today, eh?

    22 Jul 2010

    I just ordered mini-business cards from MOO.

    I even included my Twitter. Because, you know, employers must know that I would probably choose New York Fashion Week over attending class.

    I had to rush ship them, which cost more than the actual cards themselves. I need them to arrive before the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) convention, in which I am supposed to do a lot of networking and pass out my business card. While it is intimidating that I was explicitly told to bring copies of my resume and business cards, I’m really excited. According to the agenda, my week will be filled with delicious food, training at the Los Angeles Times, exclusive meetings with recruiters from companies such as NBC and the Associated Press, and a lot of hands-on journalism work.

    But I digress. MOO MiniCards are the best. They’re half the size of a regular business card, which is enough when you’re a college student without an actual office space. They’re durable, high-quality, and they come in a variety of designs. And really, they just might be more memorable in a sea of white business cards.

    Or the potential employer might think I’m a total airhead, since my Twitter is @misscouturable. I find no shame in that. At least I don’t print my resume on perfumed pink paper, right?

    22 Jul 2010

    What It's Really Like To Be A Copy Editor

    Lori Fradkin:

    Beyoncé, on the other hand, deserves praise for her grammatically correct “If I Were a Boy”—because she’s not really a boy, you see? It’s a statement contrary to fact.

    Tags: journalism. career.

    21 Jul 2010

    I think I should stop pretending that I’m going to stop shopping. The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) Convention is in less than two weeks, and I still don’t own a single button-up shirt. Or a pencil skirt. Or heels shorter than four inches. Or a plain blazer. I haven’t made much progress since five days ago, even though I now own two new bras, a new cape, a new pair of shorts, a new dress, and a new top. I know; I’m destined for bankruptcy.

    I finally purchased a white BB Dakota blouse ($80) from shopbop.com and a coral skinny leather belt ($20, originally $32.50) from J.Crew, since my AAJA editor made it very clear that shirts are to be conservative. However, I could not help but buy the colorful belt, because I want to add a pop of color to my “professional” outfit. I’m sticking with my five-inch heels and whimsical blazers; I still want to dress like myself, after all.

    Now, I just need proper skirts. I’ll probably head over to American Apparel this weekend and pick up a few bandage-inspired skirts. Paired with black tights, I just might look business-appropriate.

    According to my editor, print journalists dress conservatively while broadcast journalists dress a little more flashy.

    Fashion journalists were not mentioned.