Editor’s letter: An investor questioned Tech in Asia for not exposing a lie earlier

Dear readers,

After we published our explosive story on the lies of Honestbee’s founder years ago, an investor chided us for not exposing this deception at the earliest possible instance.

After all, we could have prevented a tragedy that cost many people their livelihoods, he said.

He had a point. However, the truth is that it’s hard going against the grain to publish exposés about media darlings basking in the glow of puff pieces and adoring fans.

No one wants to be the first to tarnish their shiny armor. Stars must align: Uncovering solid evidence and finding sources willing to risk talking to journalists are key.

And even if our reporting is fair and accurate, it’s easy for others to allege bias or challenge our credibility.

All this is par for the course, so I’m not complaining. As a popular saying goes, journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed. Everything else is public relations.

We’ve been working toward that ideal ever since we launched our paid subscription product almost five years ago (time flies).

Since then, we’ve grown up our investigative journalism muscles and sharpened our ability to unearth evidence and protect our sources. We’re definitely more critical in our coverage of tech’s rising stars.

But the truth is that journalism remains labor-intensive and costly, even if it’s augmented with AI tools.

Truth be told, if our goal is solely to make money, it’s better to avoid doing journalism. After all, why risk pissing off advertisers and people in power?

Some local media in Asia, even the big players, have been known to take money or make under-the-table deals in exchange for publishing positive news. Our code of ethics and disclosure policy forbid this hidden revenue stream.

This is why we continue to bet on our subscription model, and why we’re offering you this limited-time 50% discount. This is our commitment to quality journalism that’s worth paying for.

Get 180 days freeThis offer ends in three days.

Besides investigative pieces, subscribers also get access to our analyses, landscape maps, data-driven pieces, company database, mobile app, and more.

There’s so much more we want to do. With your help, we can make it happen.

Regards,

Terence Lee
Editor-in-Chief