May 15, 2025
Newsletter

(L-R) Reporter Alissa Zhu and photojournalist Jessica Gallagher celebrate with the Baltimore Banner newsroom, helmed by editor-in-chief Kimi Yoshino, after winning the Pulitzer Prize for Local Reporting on Monday, May 5.
(Photo: Ariel Zambelich / The Baltimore Banner)

ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

• Congratulations to the 2025 Pulitzer Prize finalists and winners in our #AAJAFamily!
• Announcing our 2025 VOICES cohort of fellows and editors
• Don't miss your chance to get our lowest #AAJA25 rates
• 📺 Remembering George Lee's legacy in the documentary, "Ten Times Better"

From AAJA-HQ: Announcing our 2025 VOICES cohort, secure your #AAJA25 early bird rate

VOICES 2025 cohort We’re proud to announce our 2025 VOICES cohort! These emerging storytellers will spend the summer receiving in-depth training from industry leaders and working on their reporting projects, which will be showcased in Seattle at #AAJA25.

#AAJA25 The deadline for early bird registration is approaching! Secure your spot by Wednesday, June 4.

• Sponsorship Join us in Seattle! Check out our prospectus to learn about sponsorship and partnership opportunities. Email sponsorship@aaja.org to get involved.
• Room block Attendees must first complete convention registration to secure a room block rate. Space is limited, so register for #AAJA25 today!
• Funding opportunities AAJA members can get discounted #AAJA25 registration by either signing up to volunteer or applying for our $230 opportunity rate. Log into your account and click the “#AAJA25” tab, or join AAJA to become eligible.

Staff departures A huge thank you to our AAJA-HQ Spring 2025 Intern Neil Lazurus! We’re so grateful for your time, hard work, and dedication. Your contributions have made a lasting impact on our #AAJAFamily – thank you for everything.

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.

🗓 AAJA Events

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

May 17 | AAJA-Portland’s Coffee Meet and Greet | Join AAJA-Portland for a coffee meet and greet with Tiffany Marquez Escobar, the 2025 AAJA-SPJ Emerging Northwest Journalists intern at 40 LBS Coffee & Bar from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. PT.

May 22 | Voices of AAPI Communities Monthly Briefing | Join AAJA, APIAVote, AAPI Data, and NCAPA for a briefing about AAPI perspectives on education, taxes, economy, and the federal budget at 3 p.m. ET.

May 28 | AAJA Photo Affinity Group’s Virtual Chat | Join the AAJA Photo Affinity Group for a conversation with photo editors from The Washington Post at 6:30 p.m. ET.

May 29 | AAJA-Chicago's Happy Hour | Join AAJA-Chicago for an Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month at Alulu Brewery and Pub from 6-9 p.m. CT.

May 31 | AAJA-D.C.’s Spring Picnic | Join AAJA-D.C. for their spring picnic at the National Mall at 2 p.m. ET.

On Our List 🌟📺📸📰🎧

• 📺 “The Fall of Saigon: 50 Years Later” with reporting from Tram Anh Nguyen, Michelle Li, and Vicky Nguyen, KSDK
• “Once an undocumented immigrant, now a debut memoirist is starting a new life in San Francisco” by Hannah Bae, Datebook
• “Hawaii blocks Trump’s order to dismantle libraries, museums and more” by Jeremiah Estrada, KITV4 Island News
• “Lisa Lu, pioneering Chinese American actress, receives Hollywood honor,” Northwest Asian Weekly
• “Hoʻoulu ʻĀina: Healing the Land is Healing the People” by Heidi Chang, Journalism Excellence Award recipient ‘24, Ka Wai Ola
• "Bay Area artist Ruby Ibarra wins the 2025 Tiny Desk Contest" by Juana Summers, Patrick Jarenwattananon, Journalism Excellence Award recipient '25, and Elle Mannion, NPR

George Lee’s Legacy

• “George Lee, Trailblazing Chinese Ballet Dancer, Dies at 90” by Richard Sandomir, The New York Times
• 📺 “Ten Times Better” by Jennifer Lin, Jon Funabiki, Cory Lin Stieg, Paul Van Haute, and Rachel Sophia Stewart, PBS
• 🎧 “They Call Us Ten Times Better” by Jeff Yang and Phil Yu, ft. Jennifer Lin and Jon Funabiki, They Call Us Bruce

👏 AAJA Kudos to...

• All of our members and supporters who are winners and finalists of the 2025 Pulitzer Prizes including: Alice Li, Alissa Zhu, April Simpson, Emily M. Eng, Hannah Yoon, Janice Kai Chen, Kimi Yoshino, and Pratheek Rebala. 
• Vicky Nguyen, who won the 2025 APAICS Vision Award.
• Susie Ibarra, who won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for Music.
• Usha Lee McFarling, Journalism Excellence Award recipient ‘24, who joins the Knight Science Journalism program as its director.
• Annie Yu, AAJA-D.C. president, who started a new role as deputy Congress editor at POLITICO.
• Kat Tran, VOICES 2025 fellow, who was chosen for the AAJA-Sacramento/The Sacramento Bee internship.
• Tiffany Marquez Escobar, who is AAJA-Portland's 2025 AAJA-SPJ Emerging Northwest Journalists intern.
• Jason Whong, who received photojournalism awards in the Maryland/Delaware/District of Columbia Press Association’s 2024 contest.
• Riddhi Setty, who received third place at the Reynolds Journalism Institute's Student Innovation Competition. 
• Maya Cederlund, who was awarded a Society of Professional Journalists Region 2 Mark of Excellence Award in Investigative Reporting.

AAJA Opportunities:

• AsAmNews-AAJA Broadcast Task Force Internship | Apply to this paid, 15-week internship by Friday, May 30.
• IJA / AAJA Pacific Islander Scholarship | Apply to our joint scholarship with the Indigenous Journalists Association by Saturday, May 31.
• Corky Lee/Dith Pran Asian American Photo Contest | Submit images taken during this year’s Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) month by Saturday, June 7.
• Futures Fund | Donate to AAJA’s Futures Fund, an endowment campaign that will ensure that AAJA can pursue its mission as long as necessary.

External and Partner Opportunities:

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