Gina Chua

Gina Chua is a Singaporean transwoman and one of the most senior transgender journalists in the media industry. 

=Appointed executive editor at Reuters=

On 21 April 2021, Reuters, the world’s largest multimedia news provider, announced that Chua had been appointed executive editor. Alessandra Galloni, Reuters editor-in-chief, wrote to employees to share that Chua would take up the newly-created role, based in New York and reporting to her, effective immediately.

Chua would continue to oversee editorial operations, budgets, administration, safety and security, and will also be responsible for leading technology initiatives around new forms of reporting, broadening Reuters' file and delivering more relevant reporting to new and existing customers.

“Over the last decade at Reuters, Chua had been instrumental in the creation of world-class data and graphics teams, built an industry-leading safety, security and mental health system and driven development of a range of new newsroom tools,” said Galloni. “I’m delighted to work with her as we further modernize our newsroom.”

“I’m excited to take on this new role supporting Alessandra and the newsroom to continue producing outstanding journalism, modernize our capabilities, and grow our audience and businesses,” said Chua. “We stand poised at the edge of multiple opportunities to expand the reach of our journalists and journalism.”

Managers at Reuters changed her profile photo and gender on their website.

Aside from working as a journalist for various news outfits, Chua had experience conducting graduate and undergraduate courses. She taught various subjects which included the business models of journalism, computer-assisted reporting, and numeracy at New York University, Hong Kong University, and Nanyang Technological University.

Chua was also responsible for creating Connected China, which was called an immersive data visualization about the power dynamics in China.

The interactive website allowed visitors to understand how Chinese leadership under Xi Jinping was formed through history, and how the leader consolidated and kept his power. With a historical overview starting from 1911, the website was a comprehensive and detailed view of China’s power structure and leadership.

=Education=

Chua graduated with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Chicago and a master’s in journalism from Columbia University.

=Previous experience=

Prior to Chua's high level appointment at Reuters, she had been working for 25 years in the news industry, with assignments in over five countries. She was the editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post and Global Managing Editor of The Asian Wall Street Journal/The Wall Street Journal Asia before taking on her decades-long career at Thomson Reuters. She was also previously a senior editor at The Wall Street Journal in New York; a reporter in Singapore for The Straits Times, in Manila and Hanoi; and a television and radio journalist in Singapore. She was also the co-founder the Sigma Data Journalism Awards.

=Transition=

Chua fully transitioned in late 2020, which makes her one of the most prominent transgender persons on the world stage. She was said to be slated to work in New York directly under the Editor-in-Chief of Thomson Reuters. Before she transitioned, her name was Reginald Chua and she was assigned male at birth. She issued a letter to Reuters after her transition was finished to announce the event, and chose the name Gina.

“I am a transgender person. Starting today, I will spend 100% of the time to reveal the truth about myself.” she said in the announcement, and that her Chinese name would not change. She would only change her English name from Reginald to Gina, and that the modification would not affect her work.

“I’m already more focused now that I’m removing a key distraction from my life,” Gina said. “But in most other respects I’ll be doing exactly the same things I was doing before [for better and for worse].”

She ended the letter to colleagues with a quote by American poet EE Cummings: “It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” said the Hong Kong Standard. 

=CBSN interview=

On 9 June 2021, Chua joined CBSN's Tanya Rivero to talk about her decision to share her story and the role her identity played in covering LGBTQ issues. 

=See also=
 * Transgender people in Singapore

=References=
 * https://alvinology.com/2021/04/26/who-is-gina-chua-singaporean-trans-woman-is-reuters-executive-editor/
 * https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/04/business/media/reuters-editor-gina-chua.html
 * https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/veteran-hong-kong-journalist-comes-out-as-transgender-after-realising-her-true-identity-3202346.html
 * https://www.thestandard.com.hk/section-news/section/11/225889/Journo-turns-a-new-page-with-life-as-transgender
 * https://mothership.sg/2021/04/reuters-gina-chua-singapore-editor/
 * https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/helm-reuters-trans-executive-says-she-s-finally-living-light-n1269157
 * https://www.worldstockmarket.net/gina-chua-first-transgender-at-the-top-of-reuters-id-like-to-be-an-example/
 * https://www.reutersagency.com/en/media-center/reuters-appoints-gina-chua-as-executive-editor/

=Acknowledgements=

This article was written by Roy Tan.