User:Ken Chee Hing

KEN CHEE HING, JOURNALIST

Ken Chee Hing is a senior journalist from the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago. Up to the time of writing, he was an Associate News Editor at Newsday Newspaper. He was born at the San Fernando General Hospital. After completing his secondary school education at St Joseph's College, St Joseph in 1994, Chee Hing was introduced to journalism by Peter Balroop, then Editor of the Bomb Newspaper, a weekly publication.

Chee Hing worked as a freelance photo-journalist at The Bomb Newspaper for just under two years. He covered mainly the courts and crime. Chee Hing left The Bomb to work as a photo-journalist at The Trinidad Express Newspaper, but his time at this newspaper was short lived.

He then worked at the now defunct Daily Independent Newspaper before moving to the Trinidad Guardian Newspaper - Trinidad and Tobago's oldest active publication - operating as a freelance photo-journalist in the newspaper's East Trinidad Bureau.

He later tendered his resignation and on July 12, 1999, Chee Hing joined Newsday Newspaper as a senior photo-journalist specialising in Crime and Court coverage. He quickly established a name for himself as a crime reporter with some of his more notable crime stories including the Camille Bobart Kidnapping and the Piarco International Airport Fraud scandal. He also journeyed to Belem, Brazil to cover stories for Newsday.

It was at Newsday that Chee Hing made the transition from intrepid reporter to Editor. In 2005, after six years at Newsday and at the age of 28, Chee Hing was appointed Newsday South Bureau Editor, based at the newspaper's office in Trinidad's southern capital San Fernando. He was subsequently recalled to Newsday's head office in Port-of-Spain first as Assignments Editor and then to his current position, Associate News Editor.

Chee Hing counts Newsday's Executive Chairman and Editor-in-Chief Therese Mills and fellow Associate News Editor John Babb - two of Trinidad and Tobago's most experienced journalists - as playing pivotal roles in his development as a journalist and later in management.

In 2007, Chee Hing underwent formal training in Newsroom Management from the Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) based in London. Chee Hing's portfolio as Associate News Editor includes managing the newsroom, editing copy, advising on headlines, selecting photos and finally, approving and signing off on final news pages before going to press.

In addition, he also writes a column in Sunday Newsday's Mentality Magazine known as 'Write of Passage'. Previously, he wrote a column in the Monday Newsday under the heading, 'The Lighter Side of Monday'.

A devout Catholic and committed family man, Chee Hing has been married to Roshni Chee Hing, nee Ramdeo, for 15 years and is a father of two. He counts as his hobbies cricket, poker (Texas Hold 'em) and billiards. His enduring passion is reading.

"Reading has been my life's passion and journalism is a natural progression of this passion. I count myself fortunate in having a job that is more than that. It's a calling. I am a proud member of the Fourth Estate and I do not think I could do any other type of work. I've got ink in my veins," Chee Hing proudly proclaims.