October 26, 2023
Newsletter | | | | | | | | A Note from AAJA President & Executive Director Dear AAJA Community, As many of our members and colleagues cover the Israel-Hamas war, we mourn the deaths of journalists killed during the conflict and wish safety for those who are bearing witness in the region. We are also thinking of our members and fellow journalists who have family and friends who have been affected by the violence, and need extra support in times like these. As always, we encourage journalists to lean on each other and their diversity journalism organizations as pillars of support. We are grateful to all journalists sacrificing to report the truth, whether internationally, nationally or locally. Thank you for the work that each of you do. In solidarity, Nicole Dungca, AAJA National President Naomi Tacuyan Underwood, AAJA Executive Director | | | |  | | | John Lee, brother of the late Corky Lee, celebrates the unveiling of the new street sign, “Corky Lee Way,” on New York Chinatown’s Mosco Street on Sunday, Oct. 22. The street is the location of Corky’s last photo exhibit in 2020.
(Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS: - A note from AAJA National President Nicole Dungca and Executive Director Naomi Tacuyan Underwood
- Chapter election deadline approaching on Wednesday, Nov. 1
- Congratulate our 2023 scholarship recipients
- Read our statement of support for Yanqi Xu
- David Ono's "Defining Courage," a live-narrated documentary honoring the sacrifices of Japanese American WWII vets, is coming to D.C. Help spread the word!
| | | | From AAJA-HQ: Chapter elections deadline approaching, announcing scholarship winners Chapter Elections In accordance with our bylaws, all chapter board elections must be completed by Wednesday, Nov. 1. The full board list must be submitted to AAJA-HQ by Sunday, Nov. 5. For guidance on chapter elections, view our suggested timeline. AAJA-DC is still taking online nominations. Scholarship winners AAJA is proud to announce our 2023 scholarship, fellowship and internships recipients. These talented journalists demonstrated expertise and passion across different fields of journalism. Read about the winners here. Statement AAJA released a statement last week in support of Flatwater Free Press journalist and AAJA member, Yanqi Xu, after Nebraska’s governor attempted to dismiss her reporting because of her country of origin. Read our full statement here. 🇵🇭 FAHM Join AAJA in celebrating Filipino American History Month by reading and sharing stories by members about the history and contributions of Filipino and Filipino American communities. Read the full thread here. Affinity groups Applications for both new and renewing affinity groups are on hold while AAJA’s board reviews our bylaws. Affinity group applications will re-open in 2024. Please keep an eye out for a newsletter announcement when applications are open. | | | | | | | | | |  | David Ono’s "Defining Courage," which recounts the heroism of Japanese Americans during World War II and was featured at #AAJA22 in Los Angeles, will be playing at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. for a special
Veteran’s Day Event on Saturday, Nov. 11. Learn more here. | | | | October 27 | AAJA-Philadelphia’s Bingo Night | Join AAJA-Philadelphia for their Bingo Night fundraiser on Friday, Oct. 27 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. All the money raised will go towards programming and scholarships for their chapter. Learn more here. October 27 | AAJA-Arizona and AAJA-ASU’s Ice Cream Gathering | Join AAJA-Arizona and Arizona State University's AAJA student group for their Ice Cream Gathering and networking event on Friday, Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. Learn more here. October 28 | AAJA-Portland’s Building a Better Journalist Conference | Join AAJA-PDX at the University of Oregon, Portland on Saturday, Oct. 28 at 9:30 a.m. for a journalism conference with discussion panels, presentations and a networking fair. RSVP here. November 3 and November 4 | AAJA-Portland’s Book Tour and Dim Sum with Curtis Chin | Join AAJA-PDX and Curtis Chin on his book tour for his new memoir, "Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant” on Friday, Nov. 3 and dim sum on Saturday, Nov. 4. RSVP for dim sum and learn more here. November 4 | SAJA’s Awards Night 2023 | Join SAJA for an evening cocktail party on Saturday, Nov. 4 in New York. The awards party will also feature a panel of stellar journalists who will discuss the 2024 elections. RSVP here. November 5 | Team AAJA at the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon | On Sunday, Nov. 5, AAJA members from AAJA-HQ, AAJA-New York, AAJA-Philadelphia and AAJA-Washington, D.C. will run the New York Marathon. Learn more and donate here. November 8 | AAJA Michigan’s Trivia Night | Join AAJA-Michigan for their annual trivia night fundraiser on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. Proceeds from their raffle items support student scholarships and their mission to promote diversity in local newsrooms. RSVP here. | | | |  | AAJA-New York held their annual Trivia Bowl fundraiser at All Star Sports Bar & Grill in New York City on Tuesday, Oct. 17. | | |  | AAJA-DC met for a community mixer on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Lost Generation Brewery in Northeast Washington, D.C. | | |  | AAJA-LA held their 25th annual Trivia Bowl and online auction and celebrated the chapter's 42nd anniversary on Friday, Oct. 20. | | | | | | 📓 News & Resources resource guide In a Poynter article, Ren LaForme and Angela Fu explain the importance of word choice, especially when covering wars, due to the impact on public perception. They emphasize the need for journalists to be precise and thoughtful with their language. study The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) and the Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (CAPE) released a study about their findings on Asian American creative executives in the entertainment industry. It highlighted the underrepresentation and challenges Asian Americans face in leadership roles. Read the full study here. | | | | SPOTLIGHT: Virgil Smith, AAJA Lifetime Member | |  | Virgil Smith, Executive Coach and Author | | | "I have been affiliated with AAJA since 2007, as a corporate executive leading recruitment for Gannett at AAJA’s annual Career Fairs. During the past 16 years, I have observed the professionalism of the organization and its commitment to its members, with programs such as J-Camp and the Executive Leadership Program (ELP). The opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with ELP members has been very rewarding. Bottomline, AAJA is a family of journalists and I am grateful that members such as Paul Cheung, Caroline Ceniza Levine, Dickson Louie and others have embraced me as a member and contributor to the success of AAJA members. The Lifetime Membership is a small token of my appreciation to support AAJA and its mission." | | | | | | | | 👏 AAJA Kudos to... - Jin Ding, who is Initium Media’s next CEO.
- Swati Sharma, who will take on an expanded role as Vox's publisher.
- Phil Yu, who is the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association’s 2023 Print/Digital Honoree.
- Kristen Welker, who is the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association’s 2023 Television Broadcast Honoree.
- Priya Sridhar, who joins NBC News as an Atlanta-based correspondent.
- Alan Hoshida, who joins NBC Sports California as an editor for the San Jose Sharks’ pre and post shows.
- Tania Ganguli, who started a new position with The New York Times as a business sports reporter.
- Hannah Halili, who joins Fowler Avenue Collective as a creative content specialist.
- Malak Silmi, Molly Solomon, Martin Tsai and Erin Wong, who were selected for the Poynter Institute’s Power of Diverse Voices: Writing Workshop for Journalists of Color.
- Diane Chang, Jennifer 8. Lee and Shazna Nessa, who were selected for the Brown Institute’s 2023-2024 Entrepreneurs-in-Residence at Columbia Journalism School.
| | | | On Our List 🌟📺📸📰🎧 Follow us on X @aaja for more works on our radar from the AAJA community. - “NYC Chinatown honors late photojournalist, Corky Lee with street co-name” by Shirley L. Ng, AsAmNews
- “‘A lot on the line’: New Zealand’s youngest MP looks to Māori ancestors to build new future” by Eva Corlett, The Guardian
- “Reporter is 'shocked' after Nebraska governor dismisses her as being 'from Communist China'” by Kimmy Yam, NBC News
- “'Come for the egg rolls, but stay for the talk on racism': Author Curtis Chin on his new book” by Megan Schellong, WKAR
- 📚 “The Golden Screen: The Movies That Made Asian America” by Jeff Yang
- “Chinese female drill team in Seattle challenges image of an 'American girl'” by Emi Tuyetnhi Tran, NBC News
- “A new memoir serves up life lessons from a childhood in a Chinese restaurant” by Terry Tang, AP
- “American Forum: AAPI Representation in Media” ft. American University’s AAJA student group, NBC4 Washington
- “Why it’s more important than ever to learn about the history of Filipino American activism” by Saleah Blancaflor, Reckon
| | | | 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: - Team AAJA | Learn more about the team representing AAJA at the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon and donate here.
- AAJA Studio Submissions | Become an expert and join here.
- AAJA Style Guide | Join us in reshaping AAPI coverage and news standards.
- AAJA-Chicago Volunteer | Fill out the form to learn more about how to participate as a volunteer mentor for AAJA-Chicago's "Coffee with a Journalist" program.
External Opportunities: - Online News Association Virtual Meetup | Audience engagement professionals in broadcast news will meet on Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m. ET. | Learn more here.
- Los Angeles Times 2024 Internships | The L.A. Times offers 10-week intensive, hands-on internships in different beats and in their Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Sacramento bureaus. | Deadline to apply: Wednesday, Nov. 15 | Learn more here.
- 2024 Henry Fuhrmann Multiplatform Editing Summer Internship | This internship is in honor of the late Henry Fuhrmann. | Deadline to apply: Wednesday, Nov. 15 | Learn more here.
- The Shaufler Prize in Journalism | This contest recognizes the best journalism in the country advancing the understanding of issues related to underserved people in society, including communities of color, immigrants and LGBTQ+. First place is $10,000. | Deadline to apply: Wednesday, Dec. 6 | Learn more here.
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