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Journalism & Copywriting

Native Bilingual Writer & Speaker

I have loved writing since my junior college years, when an English teacher (a British native) brought life to the English language, and helped me find the inner passion to learning English, not just mechanically, but to learn and love English with a passion. I have loved writing since.

Seamus Phan - opinion contributor to leading media Asia Times

Read my opinion pieces at Asia Times

I am natively bilingual in BOTH English and Chinese (Traditional and Simplified, including the ancient language as well), spoken and written. I am also a Chinese painter and calligrapher.

Writing since 1986

I have written professionally since 1986, from children’s books, technical documentation, training programs, journalistic expressions, to published books. I have published hundreds of technical and business articles, and authored quite a few books (including the recent “Dot Zen 2.o”, the previous co-authored “Dot Zen,” bestselling “This Body This Life” and Amazon bestseller “The Internet Webmaster Logbook”), some e-books, audio CDs and video training products. I have also been an avid blogger since the late 1990s, writing about philosophy, religion, business leadership, technology, holistic health and fitness, and so on. You can read all my ongoing blog articles here. I was privileged to have been the first Asia member of the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), and now a member of The Chartered Institute of Journalists UK (MCIJ).

I have worked with daily newspapers, technology and business magazines as an independent journalist and contributing editor. Editors were kind to me, and commented that they could simply rely on me completely to produce analytical and news features that are newsy, insightful, and highly readable. I also write advertising and editorial copy for corporate clients. If you need punchy and impactful copy, talk to me now!

Journalism interests (visit my MuckRuck profile)

  • Business, leadership, entrepreneurship, branding, marketing
  • Digital marketing and PR
  • Gadgets (photography, video, computing, mobile)
  • Internet security (cybersecurity)
  • Biotech, pharmaceuticals, medicine, antiaging, health and fitness
  • Asia Pacific
  • Art and culture
  • Philosophy (especially Asian)

Interviews (C-suite)

Interviewed Steve Wozniak (Woz), co-founder of Apple

Interviewed Steve Wozniak

Through my journalistic years, I have enjoyed interviewing many top executives of multinational corporations, industry visionaries and celebrites. Steve Wozniak (Woz), co-founder of Apple, was a memorable one.

Editorial features I have written

I have written hundreds of technical and business features and commentaries, as well as interviewed many top executives and visionaries. If you are keen to see my portfolio samples, talk to me. Here are titles of a small selection of what I have written.

Business and marketing features

  • The View from Singapore (National Writer, cover feature)
  • Rejuvenating aging brands (AllAboutBranding.com, cover feature)
  • Ethics of disclosure – a study of SARS (Ethix Magazine, feature)
  • Antitrust issues in Asia, translated into Chinese (Navigator, Motorola)
  • Business technology features
  • Internet-Based Education and Its Impact on Developing Nations (BWW, feature)
  • The Chief Knowledge Officer as the guardian of knowledge (Cnet Asia, feature)
  • Wireless Sun rises in the East (TechTV feature, PDF)
  • Who needs a PC? (Business 2.0, cover feature, on how wireless Internet, specifically on wireless technology is changing the lives of people in Asia).

Complex technology features

  • Trimming Costs? Shrink the Motherboard (NC Asia, analysis feature)
  • The clan of C languages (NC Asia, feature)
  • Recent security holes (NC Asia, feature)
  • VPN circa 2002 (NC Asia, feature)
  • Mail server landscape (NC Asia, feature)
  • Fooling biometrics (NC Asia, feature)
  • Optimizing Java code and C# (NC Asia, feature)
  • Squid configuration (NC Asia, feature)
  • Tidying up HTML code for XML (NC Asia, feature)
  • Identity crisis (NC Asia, feature)
  • 64-bit computing revisited (NC Asia, feature)
  • Disable gopher (NC Asia, feature)
  • Satellite broadband (NC Asia, feature)
  • Using Perl to fight spam (NC Asia, feature)
  • Patching wireless holes (NC Asia, feature)
  • Antivirus tech frontiers (NC Asia, feature)
  • Multicast methods (NC Asia, feature)
  • Step up on spectrum (NC Asia, feature)
  • Beware of those MP3s (NC Asia, feature)
  • OS Shootout of Solaris, OS X & Win XP (NC Asia, feature)
  • Satellite Internet (NC Asia, feature)
  • Systems block of Asia domains (NC Asia, feature)
  • The right stuff (NC Asia, cover story)
  • Un-tethered learning with wireless (NC Asia, feature)
  • No forms, please (NC Asia, feature)
  • DIY Wireless – Base station not required? (NC Asia, feature)
  • IPSec and MPLS: Which VPN is Right For You? (NC Asia, feature)
  • Slowing down spam (NC Asia, feature)

TV & Radio journalism

I can work as an independent commentator and analyst, and co-host, for broadcast stations (TV, radio and online), if you are looking for a reassuring voice or personality with soothing and learned authority, and a discernible optimism.

I have a radio and TV-friendly voice, having used my voice and personality on stage and elsewhere for more than two decades, including broadcast work. Unlike “pure” radio voices and TV faces, I bring decades of business, professional, technology, and consulting experience to the table, becoming a credible partner to your broadcast personalities on air, “live”. You can count on me to be quick-thinking, with reasoned and lively discussions, and can fill in gaps whenever needed.

I have co-hosted on USA’s ZDTV Radio, TechTV Radio, and TechTV Live. I have also co-hosted segments on 93.8FM (English) and Capital 95.8FM (Mandarin/Chinese).

Media accolades

  • “Seamus is just great!” – US TV producer.
  • “You did so well! Our producer was blown away and said that you should be on every week. Nice smile… Our producer actually looked at me in the control room and said, ‘he’s the best guest we’ve ever had.'” – US TV host.
  • “Thanks for making the program so relevant and interesting that more than the average number of listeners called in to chat with us.” – Asia Radio host.
  • “It was our pleasure having you on the show. For us, you’re simply wonderful.” – Asia TV producer.