Thuong Le
Verified
(She/Her)
As seen in:
BBC,
Trending News (Podcast),
BBC News Indonesia,
MSN,
MSN Malaysia,
MSN Singapore,
BBC Mundo,
BBC News,
BBC World Service Partners,
Yahoo Canada,
Yahoo News
and
Covers:
I cover Vietnam and Southeast Asia, focusing on the South China Sea, politics, the economy, defence, the Mekong, and stories about women and youth.
journalist, presenter, producer, video editor
thuong-le.com/
muckrack.com/thuong-le
journalist.net/thuong.le
Interview
What was your first job as a journalist?
Broadcast Journalist - BBC World Service I BBC Vietnamese
Have you ever used a typewriter?
nope
How is social media changing news?
Social media has made news faster and more accessible, but it has also made verification more important than ever. For journalists, the challenge is cutting through the noise with accurate, trustworthy reporting.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
Tintin. He's endlessly curious, willing to go anywhere for a story, and reminds us that journalism is ultimately about discovering the truth.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Being a journalist means seeking the truth, verifying facts, and telling stories that help people understand the world around them. It is about serving the public with accuracy, fairness, and accountability.
What's the funniest news-related #hashtag you've seen?
I'm not much of a hashtag person, but I do enjoy the creativity that emerges during major news events. Some of the funniest ones are the spontaneous, locally coined hashtags that capture the public mood better than any official campaign.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Email is the best way to reach me. Please include a clear subject line, a concise summary of the story, why it matters, what's new, and any relevant data, interview opportunities or supporting materials. I particularly welcome pitches on Vietnam and Southeast Asia, especially those related to the South China Sea, politics, the economy, defence and security, the Mekong region, and issues affecting women and young people.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Microsoft Office, Final Cut Pro
What's your favorite social network?
Facebook
Who do you wish followed you?
Readers who care about Vietnam and South East Asia
Why did you become a journalist?
When I was seven, my father—a farmer in central Vietnam—sold the entire season's rice harvest to buy a television so our family could watch the 1998 FIFA World Cup.
That television opened a window to the world. It answered questions that no one around me in our small rural village could answer for a curious little girl growing up there.
I spent countless hours in front of the screen, dreaming of one day becoming a journalist—someone who could bring stories and programmes to people like me, just as television had done for me.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
Nope
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
South China Sea topics
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Stay curious, ask difficult questions, and never stop verifying. Listen more than you speak, spend time in the field, and remember that the best stories often come from ordinary people whose voices are rarely heard.
When's the best time to pitch you?
week days
What's the best pitch you ever got?
South China Sea topics
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
The least effective pitches are generic brand promotions that have little or no connection to my beat. If a pitch doesn't explain why it's newsworthy or relevant to my audience, it's unlikely to get a response.
What's your favorite drink?
Bubble milk tea
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Hanging out with friends, doing exercise,
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
Reuters, The Guardian, Bloomberg, New York Times, CNN
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
One common misconception is that Vietnam and Southeast Asia can be understood through a single lenswhether it's geopolitics, economic growth
Would you like to take the Muck Rack Interview?
Create a Muck Rack profile.