Asian Dispatch is barely a year old. Our modestly small team – spread across India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Thailand – started putting together pieces of what are ambitious ideas on what an Asia-wide newsroom would look like sometime last year. This February, we announced our first call for applications for independent newsrooms in Asia to breathe in new life into the shrinking space of journalism in the region. Then in April, we announced our first cohort made up of a strong line-up of Asian newsrooms. Between June and July, we launched the Asian Dispatch website to platform articles by our members, while also publishing some of our own. What makes this network and newsroom so strong is these 18 member newsrooms from 10 Asian countries.

We’d like to believe we’re a sum of all the parts made up of small and annoyingly optimistic dreams of doing good journalism and collaborating with independent news-makers in Asia to build bridges where none exists. As 2024 draws to a close, our team took some time to recalibrate and reflect on the learnings of the year gone by. These are some of their best highlights of the year, and what they look forward to in 2025:

“I’ve spent 12 long years being a “reporter” reporter: The kind that’s never at her desk, always scouting for stories, travelling the length and breadth of South Asia (and a bit of Southeast Asia), interviewing people and writing stories. Asian Dispatch became the first opportunity for me to reflect not on what I’m doing for the industry, but rather what I’d like for the industry to do for journalists. But the best moments for any newsroom will always not be about journalism. My favourite moments of 2024 will be my frequent trips to the Delhi office (I work out of Dehradun), where I serenade my Gen-Z teammates with millennial jokes while my young teammates make fun of my desperate attempts to learn new-age lingo. Asian Dispatch is more than just journalism and in 2025, I hope to welcome more freelance contributors to our expanding family and, maybe – just maybe – drop my millennial dad jokes while commissioning stories.”

— Pallavi Pundir, Editorial Lead

“As a journalist, especially as a Bangladeshi correspondent for a media house that is not based in Bangladesh, covering the first story about the student-led mass uprising that toppled a 16-year regime of the Awami League and Sheikh Hasina is the best highlight of 2024 for me. The months of July and August will remain unforgettable. While participating in the movement and writing as a journalist, I realised that all Bangladeshis share one belief: This is a chance to become a truly democratic and inclusive country for all. A chance not only to achieve a free country but also to secure freedom of speech and all human rights.” 

— Abdullah Al Soad, Staff Reporter Bangladesh

“As a member of the video team, my job has always been behind the scenes. Earlier this year, I worked on a video explainer with Preeksha on ‘Asians Trafficked and Enslaved’ based on Rukshana’s meticulous reporting and Sharanya’s brilliant gamification. At the time, I thought that was it for me. But then, our editor, Pallavi, surprised me by asking if I’d anchor a video. At first, I was intimidated – not by being in front of the camera, but by the responsibility of discussing a highly sensitive and deeply pressing topic – ‘Why Do Men Harm?’ Recording alongside my colleague Shashank, I had to pause and take a deep breath before diving into the heavy material. Some of the data we encountered was so shocking that between takes, Shashank would ask, “Is this for real?” And heartbreakingly, yes, it was. As we step into 2025, I’m more determined to bring stories like these to light. So, maybe, you’ll see me more often in front of the camera than behind the scenes!”

— Aliya Zainab, Video Producer

“When we started out–a handful of people in a room–we felt a bit like fools with a pipe dream. Working in media and journalism feels like that most days. The thought of building a cross-border newsroom seemed far too ambitious. But we all knew that journalism wasn’t going to survive without an international cooperative effort. We believed this could add value to the power of the press in our shared continent. So we started along this path anyway. And now, a year later, it’s hard to believe that somehow, through sheer will and hard work, our small team brought this newsroom to life. Even though my training and experience was in field and data reporting- Asian Dispatch turned me into a brand manager, a visual designer, a website developer, then a code writer, a trainer, and more. And the days where I switched between reporting into all those roles were my favorite parts of this professional year. They were chaotic and infuriating, and it reminded me that we have a ways to go to realize this ambitious vision. But it sure felt good to work hard for a dream worth pursuing.”

— Anoushka Dalmia, South Asia Correspondent & Editorial Strategist

“2024 has been all about building bridges – between ideas, people, and stories across Asia. As Partnerships Lead, I have pitched, partnered and probably overused the phrase ‘cross-border collaborations’ a hundred times. But the real highlights? Conversations with journalists pushing boundaries, the energy of contributors experimenting with new formats, and the sheer grit beyond stories that matter. In 2025, I hope we grow bolder, collaborate wider, and maybe – just maybe – I’ll finally stop asking the team how to ‘go viral’ on social media.” 

— Kritika Kamthan, Partnerships Lead

“My journalism journey has begun during challenging times in Myanmar. As a youth journalist passionate about social justice, I’ve always wanted to explore beyond borders. Now, Asian Dispatch has provided me with a strong pathway and the supportive vibe of the AD team is such a refreshing change that really motivates me to keep pushing forward. What I once imagined contributing has now become real opportunities and hands-on work. I’m excited to stick with this amazing team for the long haul, and I’d love to invite other young journalists across Asia to join us on this journey!”

— May Sabel Phoo, Intern

“Witnessing how social media disrupts the way we consume news and the state of journalism in this digital age has always piqued my curiosity. Little did I know that I would get to pursue that professionally right after my journalism school. One might assume my daily tasks as the handler of all things social media means that I only post stories and research hashtags. But it’s more than that. I view myself as a bridge that connects AD’s brilliant reportage to its target audience. I try my best to make every story palatable (without losing its essence) to an audience base that is known for its limited attention span. My biggest highlight this year would be starting a series called ‘Mini Explainers’ on AD’s social media channels where I experience the coveted joy of having a byline. Going ahead, I aim to scale up AD’s presence to newer heights. Most importantly, I aim to tell stories that help young individuals win online arguments with facts, irrefutable claims, and perhaps a savage one-liner or two.

— Maitri Modi, Intern

“‘Once a journalist, always a journalist’: This is something I’ve come to believe very strongly. The rush of seeing your byline and bringing to life a story that changes perceptions and lives is something one cannot forego. But to me, this was never enough. I’ve always wanted to back to journalism in a way that is sustainable and pathbreaking. Asian Dispatch fit the bill just right. What started as a concept note I wrote last year became a tangible reality in the last few months. Running this network and newsroom has been a maddening task. From pitching Asian Dispatch to partners – old and new – to seeing our vision unravel as I ran workshops in Sri Lanka for Asia Media Forum 2024, organised by Oxfam, to training fellow journalists based on how we, at Asian Dispatch, are doing cross-border public interest journalism – the list of happy moments does not cease. I’ve put on many hats in our tiny little world. I cannot wait for 2025 to become our canvas to unravel Asia one story at a time.”

— Preeksha Malhotra, Project Manager -Partnerships & Editorial

My journalism career hit a snag when I swapped my 1-to-12 (yes, midnight!) news editor grind for a remote gig. Suddenly, my office attire turned into PJs, and I became a connoisseur of quirky background filters. But, truth be told, I missed the thrill of being out in the field. Enter Asian Dispatch. This wasn’t the old-school long-form (though my editor still swoons over it). It was about diving into multimedia, visuals, and even games to bring stories to life. I also got to travel the world while at it! The biggest highlight was my story on pig-butchering crimes, which took months of research, reporting and building trust. Bringing this story to life took a village. I worked with incredibly talented individuals, including Sharanya, who captured the raw emotions through her illustrations, and Anoushka, who tweaked every line of code as the story began to take shape. Then came the gamification—a bold experiment that turned out to be one of the most rewarding aspects of the project. I couldn’t be happier with how it all came together.”

— Rukshana Rizwie, Special Correspondent Sri Lanka

“Until 2024, I was just a scribbler – chaotic, unfiltered, all over the place and mostly angry for my own good. But thanks to Asian Dispatch, I went from a mere scribbler from a nook in my room to a pan-Asian one. This year was special because they didn’t just tolerate my chaos, they platformed it, helped me find structure, and even encouraged my unhinged self to channel its rage productively. I’m grateful for the chance to contribute to conversations that need to happen through my work. Special thanks to Pallavi, my editor, for making sense of my scribbles and for bringing out the best in me. 2025, brace yourself because I’ve got a lot more rage, rebellion (and scribbles) to unleash.” 

— Sharanya Eshwar, Illustrator