Draft:Christopher Johnson (journalist)

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Symbol opinion vote.svg Comment: This submission has many references, but quite a few of them are to sites that are not independent (sales sites, web sites or related people or organizations) or not reliable (social media sites, Youtube, etc.) —Anne Delong (talk) 06:51, 21 May 2014 (UTC)

Symbol opinion vote.svg Comment: Composition and references suggest an autobiography, and therefore self-promotion. Mephistophelian (contact) 23:13, 26 October 2012 (UTC)


Christopher J. Johnson is a Canadian-born author, journalist and musician. Media worldwide have published more than 2000 of his stories and hundreds of his photos. The Canadian Association of Journalists nominated him for Best Online Media in 2013 for his story "The End of the World" about Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines.

Johnson provided coverage of conflicts around Thailand in 1988, the Japanese asset bubble 1989-91, the Yugoslav war 1991, the Kobe earthquake, 1995, the Asian financial crisis 1997, conflicts in Aceh and East Timor 1999, the Chinese boom 2000-01, wars in Afghanistan and Iraq 2001-03, the Asian tsunami 2004, the Tibetan uprising 2008, the Burmese cyclone 2008, the global financial crisis 2008, the Battle of Bangkok 2010, and the tsunami and nuclear disasters in Japan 2011.


Early life and career in journalism[edit]

Johnson was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba of Ukrainian, French and Potawatomi descent. He lived in Windsor, Ontario from ages 6 to 15, and Medicine Hat, Alberta from ages 16 to 18. While studying journalism for four years at Carleton University in Ottawa, Johnson did freelance work for the Ottawa Citizen and Ottawa Cablevision. After graduating in 1987, he interned as a general assignment reporter for the Windsor Star newspaper. He traveled in Japan and China in 1987, and became a subeditor and reporter in 1988 at The Nation in Bangkok, Thailand. Johnson studied Japanese, taught English and wrote textbooks in the Osaka area of Japan. He then traveled around the world for four years.

On assignment for the Ottawa Citizen in 1991, Johnson covered the outbreak of war in the Osijek area of the former Yugoslavia. Working for Slobodan Lekic and AP in East Timor in 1999,[1] Johnson joined Australian forces aboard HMAS Tobruk, and investigated allegations of massacres at churches in Suai, East Timor.[2]

In 2003, Johnson, Swedish freelance journalist Urban Hamid, and Johnson's former classmate Mike Blanchfield joined a convoy of journalists who were attacked by Iraqis in the streets of Baghdad.[3] Staying at the Palestine Hotel, they interviewed so-called "female fedayeen" loyalists of Saddam Hussein vowing to kill Americans.[4]

In March 2008, Johnson was taking a trip in Tibet and witnessed the outbreak of protests in Lhasa, Tibet.[5][6]

Johnson was reporting in Thailand for France 24 TV in May 2010,[7] during the Red Shirt Rebellion in Bangkok. He narrated an English version of a documentary made by French journalists Cyril Payen and Regis Desconclois, "The Battle of Bangkok", for France 24 TV.[8]

In January 2012, Johnson claimed on his blog, 'Globalite Magazine', that he had been wrongfully detained and expelled from Japan after trying to re-enter at Narita Airport following a short trip to Korea[9] The story was picked up by Banyan, an Asian politics and culture blog affiliated with The Economist website. [10] The Banyan post generated several hundred comments and the story was picked up by other Japan-related websites.

Johnson's stories have appeared in numerous publications around the world, including the Washington Times, New York Times, TIME, Christian Science Monitor, AP, APTN, Reuters, Alternet, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, National Post, Vancouver Sun, Ottawa Citizen, Windsor Star, The Australian, South China Morning Post, Asia Times, Bangkok Post, The Nation, Japan Times, Daily Yomiuri, The Sunday Herald, The Scotsman, Die Welt, CNNGO, CNN.com, BBC TV, BBC Radio, CTV Canada, CBC Canada, DW-TV Berlin, France 24, MSNBC, Comcast, CBS, and NPR..

Music[edit]

Chris Johnson is credited as a co-songwriter of "Where I Stand"[11] and "Round & Round"[12] on Big Sugar's album "Heated", and for backing vocals on the album "Heated"[13] and the 2012 single "Eliminate Ya!".[14] Big Sugar has sold more than 500,000 album in Canada; Gordie Johnson, frontman for Big Sugar, is Johnson's brother.

Johnson translated lyrics from Japanese to English for Tokyo-based rock band The Sherbets on their albums "Miracle" and "God" with BMG Japan, and Johnson wrote the official English-language bio on the band's site www.sexystones.com.[15]

Johnson has performed or recorded with bands including Monks on Fire and Rockestra[16] in Thailand, Zaw Win Htut and Emperor in Myanmar, Audax and Crystal Butterfly in China, and Globalite and CJ in Asia in Japan.


Books[edit]

Christopher Johnson has written two novels. Siamese Dreams (2007, published via Bangkok Books, ISBN: 9786162451058 and ISBN: 978-974-8446-141) Kobe Blue (2013, self-published via Smashwords, ISBN: 1301020427 and ISBN: 9781301020423)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Johnson, Christopher; Spencer, Geoff (October 15, 1999). "Peacekeepers probe killing in East Timor". Times Union (Albany). 
  2. ^ Johnson, Christopher (October 15, 1999). "Peacekeepers search alleged massacre sites" (PDF). Laredo Morning Times. p. 10A. 
  3. ^ Johnson, Christopher (April 16, 2003). "In Baghdad, the taste of freedom is spiced with anarchy". Straight Goods. 
  4. ^ Johnson, Chris (May 1, 2003). "Female Fedayeen". AlterNet. 
  5. ^ Johnson, Christopher (March 14, 2008). "Tibet unrest deepens, with violence and rioting". The Christian Science Monitor. 
  6. ^ Johnson, Christopher (March 17, 2008). "Tibet a no-go zone as tourists hole up in hotels". The Seattle Times. 
  7. ^ Johnson, Christopher (May 24, 2010). "Bangkok back to business after protests". France 24. 
  8. ^ "The battle of Bangkok". July 14, 2010. 
  9. ^ http://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2013/07/15/issues/trolls-or-media-watchdogs-japans-foreign-born-defenders/#.UkvQzTkTscg "Trolls or media watchdogs?: Japan’s foreign-born defenders"]. The Japan Times by Stuart Braun
  10. ^ "Gulag for gaijin". 
  11. ^ "Big Sugar Where I Stand lyrics". 
  12. ^ "Big Sugar Round & Round lyrics". 
  13. ^ "Big Sugar - Heated MP3 Download". CD Universe. 
  14. ^ "Eliminate Ya!". Big Sugar blog. 
  15. ^ Johnson, Christopher. "Asai Kenichi (浅井健一)". Anusaya. 
  16. ^ "“Love You, Thailand” Music Video by Rang Rockestra (and other touching mv for PAD)". 

External links[edit]

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