MANILA — Vice Media’s CEO, Hosi Simon, announced it will formally launch its local content platform in the Philippines next month.
Vice Media is not totally foreign to the Philippines. It has produced content dealing with Filipino issues, including the Philippine Drug War in 2017, which gained Emmy nominations for “Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story in a Newscast” and “Outstanding Editing: News” and Battle for Marawi in 2018, which also received two Emmy mentions for “Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story in a Newscast” and “Outstanding Editing: News”.
Although Filipino viewers have long consumed their digital content, the company aims to bolster this more through a local news website and social platforms. In Asia, Philippines will be the ninth country to have Vice Media, following Singapore, Indonesia, India, Japan, South Korea, China, Australia and New Zealand.
Head of Content Strategy across Asia
Rappler reporter Natashya Gutierrez will be in command, as she is set to be the Head of Content Strategy across Asia, Simon also announced.
Natashya has long served the Philippines’ online news site, Rappler, reporting in the field in the country for four years, serving as Indonesia Bureau Chief in 2015, and eventually returning to the Philippines in 2017 as regional correspondent for South East Asia.
“I’m excited to be joining the VICE Asia team and being part of guiding and expanding our voice and strategy across the entire region,” she said, Mumbrella Asia reports. “Some of the most interesting stories are hiding in plain sight throughout Asia and young people here are hungry to both consume and engage in creating that content.”
“Don’t look down on your audience”
The company’s CEO announced these developments on a Firechat session on the second day of IMMAP Digicon happening in Manila, where he talked about contents for the new generation.
Simon cautioned companies on “looking down on the audience”, especially the young ones. He said, brands must not try to outsmart their audience, because they will know. He advised that every brand must have the perspective that the audience can understand its message. He also does not believe that young people have short attention span, saying that most of their viewers finish watching their videos. “Stories have to be as long as they need to be.”, he said.
Vice Media is known for its ‘edgy journalism’, delving into controversial, socially relevant issues, including but are not limited to illegal drugs, sex work, politics, LGBTQ, entertainment.
