Intelligence Online | FOSTER LO
Foster Lo was born and educated in Hong Kong. He joined the media in
1967 and since then has worked for quite a few magazines and newspapers,
including South China Morning Post and Ming Pao Daily News. He's been a
well-known music critic, a lyric writer, a columnist and a poet. His
lyrics were once studied by Dr. Chu Yiu-Wai (HONG KONG POP LYRIC STUDIES,
Joint Publishing Co. Ltd., 1998) and his poetry was a selection of "20
SHIJI HANYU SHIXUAN" (20 Century Chinese Poetry, published by Shanghai
Education Publishing, China 1999) In mid 70's he reformed the The Hong
Kong Samaritan Befrienders (suicide prevention center) and became chairperson
until immigrating to Canada in 1984.
He settled in Toronto, helped launch of a Chinese weekly paper. A couple
of years later, he launched his own weekly paper---the first bilingual
newspaper (editorials and opinions page) in Chinatown---with partners.
After the paper was sold in early 90's, he joined CFMT 47, a muticultural
television, as program host and commentator ( news department, Chinese
program). His straight-forward, in-depth commentaries and sensational,
sympathetic style had won him not only the battle between TVs but also great
respect in Chinatown. In 1994, he joined Ming Pao again to help launch of the
Eastern Canada Edition. Half year later, the Western Canada Edition was also
launched , he was transferred to Vancouver to be the Editor-In-Chief.
After arriving in Vancouver, he tried hard to build bridges between the
Chinese & English media and the Chinese community and local society,
to improve cultural relations and to promote cultural understanding.
The Vancouver Sun began to run a bi-weekly column which are excerptible
translations of Ming Pao's "Forum" page. During 1995, racial
graffiti was found again in downtown Vancouver, prompting him and his
colleagues to do in-depth coverage. The coverage and his commentaries
were later excerpted by the SUN and Globe & Mail, as well as other local
media, arousing wild discussions and debates throughout Canada. The
effort was praised by then Federal human rights commissioner Max Yalden, for
the "leadership role to improve inter-cultural relations". Under his
leadership, Ming Pao had won three Webster Awards ( best Chinese reporting )
in a row, from 1996 to 1998.In 1999, he had different opinions with new
management on how to run the newspaper. He finally resigned and is now seeking
new adventures.
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