What is the purpose of financial journalism? What can Asiamoney offer to our readers that they don’t get elsewhere? What has changed about this magazine since it was first published three decades ago?
These questions can often take a back seat in the mad scramble to get a magazine to press, relegated to late-night discussions at the local pub or tense meetings with publishers. But as we celebrate our 30th anniversary, it is worth dwelling on them.
The reputation of banking has been at a near all-time low. The reputation of journalism is almost as bad. What then is the purpose of journalism about banking?
The usual answer to cub reporters is that journalism is the first draft of history. This reminds young hacks of the need for accuracy and objectivity. It also stresses the importance of the little details. But it can lead to complacency: history is constantly being revised and updated; a first draft is inherently a work in progress.
It also ignores the fact that, in many cases, we are writing the last draft of history, too. In this issue, Asiamoney covers a range of topics including financial inclusion in the Philippines, a Vietnamese jazz café that doubles as a bank and the need for bank mergers in Thailand.