January 31, 2025
Newsletter

This email was originally scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 23, but due to technical issues with our email platform, we are resending it with an updated introduction. We apologize for the inconvenience if you have already received it. – AAJA-HQ

 

AAJA members are on the frontlines of breaking news worldwide. Amna Nawaz and Selina Wang covered the Jan. 20 inauguration, Zohreen Shah and Kyung Lah reported on the Los Angeles wildfires, and MJ Lee and Ramy Inocencio covered the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.

As we welcome the Year of the Wood Snake, AAJA’s Board President, Nicole Dungca, shared a note yesterday celebrating our community’s strength and connection. Read the full message here.

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

 

From AAJA-HQ: Apply to our 2025 scholarships, register for our ELP AMA session on Feb. 12

Mental wellness resources AAJA offers mental wellness resources to help journalists manage stress and prioritize their well-being. These tools include crisis hotlines, self-care strategies, and organizations offering therapy and counseling.

Scholarships Our 2025 scholarship, internship, and fellowship opportunities are now open! Most applications in this round are due on Friday, Feb. 14 at 11:59 p.m. PT, but please check each individual opportunity for its exact deadline.

ELP Do you have questions about AAJA’s Executive Leadership Program? We’re hosting an ELP AMA session on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. ET. Join us to learn more about the program, the application process, and our new funding opportunities.

#AAJA25 Join us for #AAJA25! Check out our prospectus to learn about sponsorship and partnership opportunities, and contact sponsorship@aaja.org to get involved.

  • Chapter stipends AAJA-Sacramento is offering stipends to help members attend #AAJA25 in Seattle. If you are interested, fill out this form by Saturday, March 15.

Chapter elections Last call! If you haven't already, make sure you update your 2025 chapter leadership information.

Resources AAJA provides resources to journalists affected by recent layoffs. Some of our resources include consideration for waived membership fees and our career center that allows journalists to find job postings and connect with recruiters. Read the full statement here.

 

SciLine’s evidence-based reporting toolkit for 2025:
A newsroom guide to reaching polarized audiences with scientific research

Newsrooms face a daunting task amid significant political change in 2025: How to cover policy debates with deep implications for local communities—from vaccines, to immigration, to climate change—amid challenges to scientific consensus, a proliferation of misinformation, and growing levels of distrust within a heavily polarized audience.

SciLine has developed a free toolkit that provides tips for journalists on understanding scientific research and how to incorporate it into reporting, along with background briefings and context from experts on some of the biggest and most contested issues newsrooms will confront in 2025. Reporters can request a printable PDF download of the toolkit here, or head to our website to bookmark through the link below.

VIEW TOOLKIT

SciLine, a philanthropically funded, free service for reporters, also runs a free expert matching service that connects reporters to scientist-sources on deadline.

Sponsored content

 

Meet our 2025 spring interns

AAJA-HQ Welcome Neil Lazurus and Sadiya Zafar, who join the AAJA-HQ team as spring interns! Read more about them below:

Neil is a sophomore at American University, double majoring in International Studies and Journalism with concentrations in Justice, Ethics, & Human Rights, and Environmental Sustainability & Global Health. He has experience conducting legislative research with the New York State Senate, where he supported the expansion of the River-to-School program. Additionally, Neil has worked with the Ethiopian Community Development Council, assisting with refugee support cases and client services.

Sadiya is a recent graduate of the University of Virginia, where she double-majored in Foreign Affairs & French. She recently interned with DSPolitical, crafting data-driven digital ads. This work, combined with her academic studies, sparked a strong interest in the intersection of media and global development, which she hopes to explore in her professional journey.

 

🗓 AAJA Events

Visit our events calendar on AAJA's website for more chapter events.

February 1 | AAJA-Portland’s Lunar New Year Dinner | Join AAJA-Portland for their Lunar New Year dinner at The Paper Bridge from 4-6 p.m. PT.

February 8 | AAJA-D.C.’s Lunar New Year Potluck | Join AAJA-D.C. for their annual Lunar New Year potluck at 6:30 p.m. ET.

February 22 | AAJA-Sacramento’s Dim Sum Mixer | Join AAJA-Sacramento for their Lunar New Year dim sum mixer at Ming Dynasty at 11 a.m. PT.

February 22 | AAJA-Los Angeles’ Lunar New Year Event | Join AAJA-Los Angeles for their Lunar New Year celebration at East Garden Restaurant from 6-9 p.m. PT. 

March 1 | AAJA-Seattle’s Lunar New Year Banquet | Join AAJA-Seattle for their 2025 Lunar New Year banquet at Washington Hall from 6-9 p.m. PT.

 

📓 News & Resources

member spotlight Gina Chua will be a keynote speaker at this year’s IIJ Freelance Conference. With a renowned career as editor-in-chief of the South China Morning Post, executive editor for Reuters, and eight years as an editor of The Wall Street Journal Asia, Chua now leads Semafor as one of the most senior openly transgender journalists in the United States.

news The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) celebrated Rashida Jones for her groundbreaking tenure as the first Black president of MSNBC, highlighting her impact on journalism and newsroom diversity. NABJ commended her leadership and looks forward to her continued contributions to the media industry.

 

On Our List 🌟📺📸📰🎧

Covering the Los Angeles wildfires

  • 📺 “LA firefighters were sounding alarms on staff shortage before wildfires” by Kyung Lah, CNN
  • “The latest on the active Los Angeles wildfires” by Vivian Ho, Jintak Han, Kelly Kasulis Cho, and Rachel Pannett, The Washington Post
  • "What happened on Wednesday, Jan. 22 as the Hughes fire broke out north of Castaic," with contributions from Summer Lin and Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times
  • “Updates on the Los Angeles wildfires,” with contributions from Manu Raju and Veronica Miracle, CNN
  • “I grew up in the Palisades and planned to raise my kids in the community I loved. Our house burned down and we don’t know what’s next.” by Jane Zhang, Business Insider

Asian American and Pacific Islander communities

  • “Philly Chinatown says new 76ers arena plan offers relief, but skepticism remains” by Kimmy Yam, NBC News
  • 🎧 “In 'Unassimilable,' a call to reexamine value of merging with white American culture” by Sarah Handel, Ailsa Chang, and Gurjit Kaur, NPR
  • “AAPI adults prioritize immigration, but split on mass deportations: AP-NORC/AAPI Data poll” by Terry Tang And Linley Sanders, AP
  • “Great-grandson of the man who established birthright citizenship slams Trump's new executive order” by Kimmy Yam, NBC News
 

👏 AAJA Kudos to...

 

Opportunities  
Visit AAJA Careers or follow @AAJACareers on X to post jobs or internships and stay up-to-date on available positions. Check in with your AAJA chapters for more opportunities. 

AAJA Opportunities:

  • JCamp 2025 | Apply to AAJA’s flagship high school summer training program by Friday, Jan. 31. 
  • AAJA’s 2025 Scholarships | Apply to our 2025 scholarship, internship, and fellowship opportunities. Please check each individual opportunity for its deadline.
  • Mentor Match 2025 | Apply to AAJA’s year-long mentoring program as a mentor or a mentee by Friday, Feb. 7. 
  • AAJA’s 2025 Awards | Submit your 2024 work or nominate someone for AAJA’s Awards by Wednesday, Feb. 12. 
  • ELP 2025 | Apply to AAJA’s Executive Leadership Program for journalism and media professionals by Friday, Feb. 28.
  • VOICES 2025 | Apply to AAJA’s multimedia journalism training fellowship for college and graduate students by Friday, March 7. 
  • AAJA-Sacramento Internship with The Sacramento Bee | Apply to AAJA-Sacramento’s internship program with The Sacramento Bee by Saturday, March 15. 
  • Futures Fund | Donate to AAJA’s Futures Fund, an endowment campaign that will ensure that AAJA can pursue its mission as long as necessary.
  • AAJA-Asia N3Con | Take AAJA-Asia’s feedback survey to help them plan programs for N3Con 2025.

External and Partner Opportunities:

Internships, Fellowships, and Trainings

  • IIJ 2025 Freelance Journalism Conference | The IIJ Freelance Conference, from Feb. 27-28, will feature sessions on critical topics like journalist safety, navigating trauma, and building a sustainable freelance career. 
  • AI x Journalism Summit | This May 7-8 summit is organized by Hacks/Hackers and supported by AAJA. It will feature tracks on Reporting on AI, Using AI, and Building with AI. AAJA members get $30 off the $70 registration fee.
  • Collier Prize for State Government Accountability | The University of Florida’s $25,000 Collier Prize honors the best in state government investigative and political reporting. | Deadline: Friday, Jan. 31.
  • NLGJA’s 2025 Excellence in Journalism Awards | Submit your work to over 40 categories in print, broadcast, and digital for NLGJA’s Awards. | Deadline: Tuesday, April 1.
  • Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference | This five-day conference in Washington, D.C. is for high school journalists who want to expand their journalism knowledge and network. | Deadline: Sunday, March 23.

Job Opportunities

 

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Collectively, we can celebrate 40 years of impact and contribute towards 40 more years of AAJA's mission of supporting and uplifting AAPI journalists. Donate today.

Asian American Journalists Association

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