EST Articles, Asian-Themed Digital Publication, Launched by Jaeson Ma and Eric Tu (EXCLUSIVE)

Posted by Jenniffer Sheldon on Tuesday, February 20, 2024

EST Media, the Asian-focused film and video group, hatched by Jaeson Ma and former Vice Media executive Eric Tu, is now diversifying into publishing. It is launching EST Articles under its Eastern Standard Times journalism banner.

The digital-only publication is “dedicated to exploring the voices and stories of the Asian and Asian diaspora communities through written medium to long-form, in-depth articles,” EST Media said.

“The mission behind EST Articles is to shed light on issues relevant to communities of Asian heritage and their global diaspora, bridging gaps and sharing untold stories that resonate with these diverse groups.”

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EST Articles will be free of charge with stories refreshed every two weeks. Most content will be commissioned, though it will also accept guest features from notable Asia-related figures.

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The publication will be led by Hong Kong born writer, director, producer Keshia Hannam. She will serve as the publication’s editor-in-chief and creative director.

The cover story of the first edition is an interview with Malaysian-born “Crazy Rich Asians” screenwriter Adele Lim.

Other articles in the debut edition include features on: being neurodivergent as an Asian American, does it intersect with being Asian American and how does the community react to it?; a profile of rapper Verbal, who has gone from Pachinko to global stardom and is next representing wife and fashion designer Yoon; and an exploration of how and why so many Asian businesses are located in Black areas of U.S. cities.

Hannam is currently editor-in-chief of Eastern Standard Times, where she heads a team of 20 staff around the world, creating premium video content for social audiences, with a particular focus on the Gen Z demographic. Her own recent films include documentaries “How Do We Heal?” and “Unapologetically Us: What Made These Indian Restaurants the Hottest in New York,” which chronicles the rise of entrepreneur Roni Mazumdar.


“EST Articles fills a gap: in-depth written content combining storytelling with cultural nuance specific to the Asian and Asian diaspora communities,” said Hannam. “As demographics change and globalization makes everything more connected and disconnected simultaneously, our stories are bridges between East and West, within the West, and amongst our own communities. We hope to continue our mission of offering an alternative narrative to the Western media–one that more closely reflects the lived experience of so many people.” 

The EST Media group also includes film sales, finance and production firm EST Studios, its EST N8 joint venture with Thailand’s N8, and branded content venture Established.

Separately, Ma is also behind the 88Rising music company and co-founded the studio Stampede Ventures.

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