Esther Au Yong

Freelance writer/editor

Media consultant

Hi, welcome to my website. My name is Esther Au Yong – hence, the moniker estheray.

I have 10 years of experience as a journalist, news editor and communications professional. I honed my skills and learnt from many great journalists and editors at the newsrooms of various newspapers published by Singapore Press Holdings.

I specialise in spot news reporting, current affairs features, lifestyle and entertainment stories and my personal pet subject, travel writing.

Writing experience

Published in: Straits Times (Singapore), The New Paper (Singapore), my paper (Singapore), shopping and entertainment portal inSing.com.

While with The New Paper, I won the inaugural Scoop Award in the Society of Asian Publishers’ (SOPA) annual editorial awards in 2006. It was for my story Dengue from Kidney Donor Kills Them and My Agony Over Her Legacy of Love. The judging panel said of the stories: “Enterprising reporting of huge significance to the medical profession.”

Other clients: Singapore Tourism Board, Munkysuperstar Pictures, HiVelocity (for adidas Sundown Marathon 2010).

Notable overseas assignments: Ground Zero of the 2004 tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia (tsunami coverage); Pontianak and Singkawang in Kalimantan, Indonesia (follow-up on a murder story and found out about illegal contract marriages while on assignment).

Broadcast experience

I have done broadcast news reporting for Straits Times TV, which was part of the now-defunct Channel i.

Corporate communications/marketing experience

As a communications professional, I was Director of Communications – overseeing branding, corporate communications, internal communications and marketing – at the British High Commission in Singapore, from October 2008 to February 2010.

I left to pursue my passion for travel, writing and journalism, and also to focus on personal projects.

If you would like to discuss any opportunities to work together, please contact me at hello [at] estheray [dot] com.