The life of kings
‘… as I look back over a misspent life, I find myself more and more convinced that I had more fun doing news reporting than in any other enterprise. It is really the life of kings.’ – H.L. Mencken
In 40 years, New Zealand journalist John McBeth amassed a wealth of experiences and stories from his extensive career as a journalist in Asia. In Bangkok, Hong Kong, Seoul, Manila and Jakarta, he saw wars, coups and revolutions, met tyrants, drug smugglers and bombers, all the while witnessing the gradual fading of print journalism from its glory days.
Photo: John McBeth and his wife Yuli at the book launch
His new book Reporter: Forty Years Covering Asia is above all a tribute to the halcyon days of print journalism and to the richness of news stories uncovered in Asia in the last three decades of the 20th century.
Part memoir, part historical analysis, part story-telling, Reporter is also a tale about the foreign journalists who went to Asia and ended up staying during a time of huge change and upheaval.
"While this book may necessarily be a memoir," writes McBeth in his opening chapter, "I would like to think it is more a reflection of the lives of a generation of journalists who came to Asia on a wing and a prayer – and in my case by ship – and stayed on as fascinated witnesses to a region going through historic political and economic change. We all have a story to tell. We have also had a lot of great times that will never be repeated."
John McBeth is a well known figure in Asian journalism, particularly in Southeast Asia. He was on his way from New Zealand to London when a chance stopover in Jakarta took longer than intended. He began his journalistic career at The Bangkok Post in the early 1970s.
“There was a time, certainly in Vietnam in the 1960s and in Bangkok in the 1970s and early 1980s, when the press corps was a unique institution, where lifelong friendships were forged and what we did was both interesting and full of enterprise and adventure.”
Photo: John McBeth and Minister Tim Groser
During a time of rapid expansion John McBeth joined the Far Eastern Economic Review, formerly the region’s most prestigious English-language economic affairs newspaper. He became the publication’s longest serving correspondent, heading bureaux in Thailand, South Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia. After the Review converted to a monthly in 2004, soon to fold altogether, John McBeth returned to freelancing, mainly as a columnist for The Straits Times in Singapore.
Reporter is a fascinating and truthful book by one of the last of a generation of foreign journalists who made Asia their home and their news beat.
Reporter: Forty Years Covering Asia was launched by John McBeth at the Asia:NZ office on 15 March 2011, in the presence of Minister Tim Groser, Asia:NZ executive director Dr Richard Grant, diplomats, journalists and Asia:NZ staff. Reporter is printed in Singapore and published by Singapore-based Talisman Publishing.
“I do not have any regrets,” said McBeth in his launch speech. “I am glad I had the privilege, in all these years, to witness the extraordinary development of Asia.”
Photo: John McBeth signs copies of his book on the night. At his request sales proceeds are to be donated to the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.
For more information on how to obtain a copy of the book, contact Paula McLaughlin at pmclaughlin@asianz.org.nz