Cary Chow (AAJA-San Diego) is an anchor/reporter for multiple platforms on ESPN and ESPN.com. He launched, hosted and produced a weekly show for FOX Sports in San Diego, CA. Chow has also worked as a news reporter and anchor at KGTV (San Diego, CA), WALA (Mobile/Pensacola, FL) and KCWY (Casper, WY). He has been awarded a Regional Murrow for Sports Reporting, an Alabama Associated Press Award for Best Sports Story, Wyoming Associated Press Award for Best Sports Story, Wyoming Association of Broadcasters Award for Best Sports Story and Wyoming Association of Broadcasters Award for Best News Story.

Why he is a 2013 Mentor: I’m volunteering to become a mentor because I want to pay it forward and see APA/API journalists succeed. While I’m still learning as I go, I feel my experiences can help future generations and want to share them. I also feel I have a solid base of contacts that could also help any interested young journalists in their careers.

Adam Causey (AAJA-Florida) is an enterprise and investigative reporter at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.  He previously worked at The Florida Times-Union in Jacksonville, most significantly covering an investigation into spending and leadership at a local college, the killing of Trayvon Martin and the Republican presidential primary.  Causey has been honored with a 2010 – Finalist, Watchdog Reporting, Gannett Awards of Excellence.

Why he is a 2013 Mentor: I’m volunteering as a mentor because that’s what other journalists have done for me since I got involved with AAJA. I wouldn’t be the reporter I am without the editing, teaching and career advice I’ve gotten from other AAJA members.

Paul Davis is a retired broadcast journalism veteran with a career that spans over 50 years in the business.  Most recently he assists others in developing their career, as a Talent Coach for Special Projects in Broadcast Journalism.   He was the News Director at WGN-TV in Chicago, IL, News Director/Anchor at WCIA-TV, Champaign-Springfield, IL and President of the Tribune Broadcasting News Network (Tribnet).  As a Producer of Annual Training Programs, he helped new Broadcast General Managers at the National Association of Broadcasters Educational Foundation (NABEF).  As a long-time member of AAJA, he has volunteered his time to critique talent at AAJA and UNITY conventions for nearly 20 years.

Why he is a 2013 mentor: I am a mentor because I love to do it and all mentees benefit greatly from it.

Anny Hong (AAJA-San Francisco Bay Area) is an anchor/reporter/meteorologist with KRON 4 News in San Francisco.  She has more than 10 years of experience as a broadcast journalist, working for WUSA (Washington, D.C.), KOVR (Sacramento, CA ) and KVAL (Eugene, OR). Hong’s involved herself with various chapters as she moved up in TV markets, including the Portland, Sacramento and Washington, DC chapters and took on a leadership role as Vice President of Broadcast for the Sacramento Chapter.

Why she is a 2013 Mentor: I have had the honor to have good mentors along the way in my career. Their guidance and support were invaluable. I’d like to help other aspiring young journalists in any way I can, whether it be deciding your next career move or just needing encouragement.

Ko Im (AAJA-Washington,D.C.) is a reporter & overnight anchor at WUSA-TV in Washington, D.C.  She has been awarded an RTDNA Michele Clark Fellowship and an Associated Press Chesapeake Multimedia, News Series Award. Im has served on the AAJA-Washington, D.C. Board and was the 2009 Boston AAJA National Convention Silent Auction Co-Chair.  She graduated from Columbia University with her MA in Broadcast Journalism.

Why she is a 2013 Mentor: AAJA has provided me with several mentors throughout the years – some solicited, others just constant forms of support.  It’s time to give back. I’ve doled out advice to aspiring TV journalists through the Columbia Journalism School, but having constant contact with one individual can make a world of a difference.  I hope my hard-learned lessons can make one young AAJAer’s career a little easier to maneuver. Coming from Guam, I could sometimes feel I had no one – but not through AAJA’s national network.

Sylvia Komatsu (AAJA-Texas) is executive vice president and chief content officer for North Texas public media stations KERA/KXT.  She started her career as a reporter and documentary producer, and now oversees a content division that includes radio, television, digital media and educational services. Komatsu and the KERA team have been recognized by numerous presenters, including the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (two national Emmy Awards), International Film and TV Festival of New York, Women in Communications and National Educational Media Network.  She is one of the AAJA-Texas founding members and is a past chapter treasurer.

Why she is a 2013 Mentor: I’m grateful for the help and support I’ve received along the way.  I look forward to giving back, and working with and learning from fellow journalists.

David Ono (AAJA-Los Angeles) has been anchoring Los Angeles’ number one rated evening newscast for the past 14 years. During Ono’s tenure at ABC7, he has covered disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, traveled throughout Europe and Asia chronicling the brave acts of the Nisei soldier of World War II, tracked drug runners through Central America and trained with the F.B.I.  He has won two Edward R. Murrow awards, a National Unity award, two National AAJA awards and 13 Emmy awards.

Why he is a 2013 Mentor: In the early years of my career, mentors are what kept me afloat.  They helped me understand the subjectivity of the industry.  They showed me how one person’s opinion is not necessarily everyone’s, and how success in this industry is less about what you have to offer TODAY and more about what you WILL have to offer as you continue to grow and learn as a journalist.  They helped hone my skills as a writer, interviewer and editor.  They helped me understand the importance of constant innovation.  Most importantly, they helped me survive those very difficult early years so I could one day have a fruitful career and be a mentor myself.

Stanton Tang (AAJA-Michigan) is the News and Information Director for WZZM 13, the ABC affiliate in Grand Rapids, MI.  Stanton has also worked for KLAS (Las Vegas, NV), KCRA (Sacramento, CA) and KPNX (Phoenix, AZ).  Tang is a Kneeland Fellow, an RTNDA Fellow and has been honored with an AAJA National Journalism Television Award, Michigan Emmy Award and Edward R. Murrow regional awards.  He is a former AAJA National Vice President for Broadcast, former member of the AAJA Michigan Chapter Board and former Sacramento Chapter President.

Why he is a 2013 Mentor: It has always been expected that senior journalists and members of AAJA would give back by being mentors.  But with the upheaval in our industry, there are fewer veterans who are still engaged.  It is vital for senior journalists to help provide the guidance that less experienced journalists need to make their way in our profession.  Our lives are all busy, but the time spent as a mentor is an investment that will turn dividends.

Pamela Wu (AAJA-Sacramento) is Communications Director for University of  California Davis School of Law. Previously, she spent more than a decade as a television news anchor and reporter, most recently at KCRA-TV in Sacramento, CA. She has also been a contributor to NPR affiliate KXJZ, Capital Public Radio.  Wu has been awarded a 2012 Edward R. Murrow Award for Radio News Documentary and a 2005 Unity Award for Political Reporting, “The Minority Vote.”  She is the AAJA National Advisory Board Representative for the Sacramento Chapter and was previously chapter co-president.

Why she is a 2013 Mentor: My journalism career began as a student member of AAJA. It’s thanks to the mentorship and encouragement of veteran AAJA members that I was able to get my foot in the door of the ultra-competitive TV news business. I can honestly say that I directly attribute much of my career success to AAJA. From networking opportunities to ELP, AAJA provides its members with an endless supply of career skills and wisdom. I wish to become more involved the organization’s tradition of mentorship and make a contribution to the next generation of journalists.

Philip Yin is the anchor for CCTV America, launching the first ever show back to Asia/China.  He was previously an anchor/reporter for Bloomberg Television and anchor/correspondent for CNBC Television in Singapore & Hong Kong. After more than a decade of learning the ropes and talking to experts, he completed over 1,000 interviews with individual citizens and world leaders.  His success in business reporting comes from his background as a Senior Portfolio Manager at Swiss-based Unifund, providing institutional strategy for private and public equity assets. Yin also served the U.S.-based Charles Schwab to lead and build their asset management business.

Why he is a 2013 Mentor: It’s great and necessary help more minorities, especially Asian Americans interested in media as a career.  As more international issues arise, it’s more important than ever to have a multicultural background.   I’m happy to be a mentor and help AAJA further its mission.

Lorene Yue (AAJA-Chicago) is a reporter for Crain’s Chicago Business covering higher education, restaurants and consumer food companies. She has worked for the Chicago Tribune in Illinois, Detroit Free Press in Michigan, Kansas City Star in Missouri and Journal-News in Ohio. Yue has been recognized with two journalism awards this year for “Austin Business Owners in the Line of Fire” –  the Jesse H. Neal Award for best use of video from the Association of Business Information and Media Companies and best feature from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers.  She is a longtime member of AAJA and has served as a VOICES editor, chapter president and board member. She was named Chapter President of the Year in 2007 and is currently a co-director for the JCamp high school journalism program.

Why she is a 2013 Mentor: I want to be a mentor because I think it’s important for young journalists to have a network to call upon early in their career. I’ve always been grateful for the support and connections that AAJA has created for me and I want to continue to provide that opportunity to younger journalists.

Heidi Zhou-Castro (AAJA-Texas) is an evening anchor with YNN in Austin, TX and works with a team of reporters and producers weeknights, guiding editorial decisions and bringing viewers live, breaking news from a thoughtful, ethical perspective. She was a reporter for five years, winning numerous recognitions as a backpack journalist such as a 2010 Texas Associated Press Broadcast Award: Best Investigative, a 2010 Austin Mayor’s Committee on People with Disabilities Media Award, a 2009 Texas Associated Press Broadcast Award: Best General Assignment and a 2008 Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism.

Why she is a 2013 Mentor: I’m thrilled to work with young people just getting their feet wet in the business. Their passion for journalism is contagious, and I hope to offer the wisdom to make wise career choices and hone their craft. I was a mentee in the AAJA program. Now it’s time to pay it forward.

To volunteer to be a mentor, contact AAJA Professional Programs Coordinator, Marcia Santillan at marcias@aaja.org or 415-346-2051, ext. 107.

Learn more about AAJA’s Mentoring Program.

Apply to the 2013 Broadcast News Internship Grants for a chance to be awarded up to $1,000 towards a summer internship.  These two AAJA Broadcast News Grants support Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders pursuing journalism careers in broadcasting, an industry where AAPIs continue to be underrepresented.

The 2013 grants are:

One internship grant in the amount of $500 will be awarded to a student broadcaster in honor of the late Sam Chu Lin. This grant is open to women and men in television or radio.

Lin was among the first Asian American male reporters on network television, and during his long journalism career he was on air with CBS News, KOOL-TV in Phoenix, KRON-TV in San Francisco and KTLA-TV in Los Angeles. He also worked as a radio reporter and wrote articles on Asian American affairs. Lin was the 2007 recipient of AAJA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which is given to individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to the principles of journalism and Asian American Pacific Islander issues. In addition to his AAJA award, he has also received awards from The Associated Press, United Press International, The Greater Los Angeles Press Club and the Radio and Television News Association.

One internship grant in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded to an aspiring male television broadcaster from the Lloyd LaCuesta Scholarship Fund.

Mr. LaCuesta recently retired after being the South Bay Bureau chief of KTVU. Prior to joining KTVU, he was the writer/editor for KNX/CBS Radio in Los Angeles and writer/producer for KABC-TV in Los Angeles and KGO-TV in San Francisco. Throughout his career, he has won Emmy Awards, received honors from the Peninsula Press Club, the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Associated Press. A past president of AAJA, he received AAJA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.

GRANT ELIGIBILITY

1.  Applicants must be committed to AAJA’s mission.

2.  Applicants must have a serious interest in pursuing a career in broadcast journalism.

3.  Applicants must be 18 years old and full-time college students or recent college graduates who earned their degrees in 2012 or 2013.

4.  Applicants must have already secured a 2013 summer internship at a broadcast news outlet before applying for this internship grant.

HOW TO APPLY

Start by clicking on the AAJA log-in page to create your an account. You don’t have to be an AAJA member or AAPI to apply.

Once you’ve created a profile, scroll down and find the “Awards and Competitions” header on the right side.

Then click “View Open Competitions” and select the 2013 Broadcast News Internship Grants.

REQUIRED APPLICATION MATERIALS

Note: No handwritten materials will be accepted, all must be typed. File uploads can only accept 4 MB or less. Compress all files before uploading.

Personal information is only used for application processing and to assist AAJA in program evaluation and planning.

1) COMPLETE ONLINE FORM: Name it with your name and grant year such as: “John Doe 2013 Broadcast Internship Grant Application.”

2) SHORT ESSAY: In 200 words, state why you want to pursue a career in broadcast journalism, what you hope to gain from the experience and why AAJA’s mission is important to you. Compress and upload to the online application as a Word Document or PDF.

3) ONE LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION: Compress and upload to the online application as a Word Document or PDF.

4) RESUME: Submit as a single-sided, one 8.5”x11” page. Compress and upload to the online application as a Word Document or PDF.

5) PROOF OF AGE: All applicants must be 18 years old. Submit a photocopy of a driver’s license, passport or birth certificate showing date of birth. Compress and upload to the online application as a PDF.

6) STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL NEED: In 300 words or less, submit a short statement explaining financial need. Compress and upload to the online application as a Word Document or PDF.

7) INTERNSHIP VERIFICATION: Include a copy of your internship acceptance letter or other verification documents. Compress and upload to the online application as a Word Document or PDF.

DEADLINE: Friday, May 31, 2013

PRIVACY POLICY

1. Application information will only be used internally by AAJA to promote student opportunities and for program evaluation and planning. In the application form, please indicate whether you would like to be notified of further student opportunities from AAJA, including scholarships, grants and additional journalism training.
2. AAJA does not share applicant information with third parties.

The multicultural group, selected from hundreds of applicants, represents some of the finest teenage reporters, photographers and broadcasters in the country. All chosen participants attend at no charge.

“JCamp is one of AAJA’s signature programs that teaches students how to be better journalists and better leaders,” said AAJA President Paul Cheung, who has served on the all-volunteer staff for several years. “Our students and faculty members also inspire me to be a better journalist.”

There have been more than 450 graduates since the program began in 2001. Many have gone on to journalism careers, including Arelis Hernandez, an Orlando Sentinel reporter, who will become the first faculty member in JCamp’s history to serve as an instructor. This marks the second time JCamp has been held on the GWU campus, with the university’s School of Media and Public Affairs hosting the program this year.

JCamp is able to offer free tuition and cover the students’ expenses thanks to generous contributions, including The Annie E. Casey Foundation. “JCamp gives students the confidence to test out their own professional aspirations in a rich and supportive learning environment,” said Patrick T. McCarthy, president and CEO of The Annie E. Casey Foundation. “We are especially pleased to support JCamp because we believe strongly in giving young people a voice, increasing their opportunities for future leadership and making a strong connection to their communities.”

Returning as JCamp directors are:

• Clea Benson, Reporter, Bloomberg News
• Neal Justin, TV critic, Minneapolis Star Tribune
• Lorene Yue, Reporter, Crain’s Chicago Business

This year’s faculty includes:

• Bobby Caina Calvan, Freelancer, Washington D.C.
• Paul Cheung, Global Interactive Editor, Associated Press
• Kyndell Harkness, Photographer, Minneapolis Star Tribune
• Arelis Hernandez, Reporter, Orlando Sentinel
• Caridad Hernandez, Executive Producer for Investigations and Special Projects, CBS4 in Miami
• Richard Lui, Anchor, NBC News/MSNBC

This year’s students are:

JCamp 2013 is made possible by a grant from The Annie E. Casey Foundation. Additional support is provided by The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs, the Dow Jones Foundation, Bloomberg, CNN, CBS, General Motors, The New York Times, the Dow Jones News Fund, NBC, AAJA-Chicago, AAJA-Philadelphia and AAJA-Washington, D.C.

The Asian American Journalists Association will allow student members to vote in local and national board elections starting this year.

Recognizing the growing importance of its student members, AAJA’s governing board voted unanimously to expand student voting rights during the national spring board meeting in New York City in March. It will mark the first time students will have the right to vote in AAJA’s 32-year history. Students may not run for elected office.

Sonali Kohli, a senior at the University of California, Los Angeles and an aspiring reporter, said she is eager to engage more in AAJA activities. “Students should learn to be involved with AAJA early on,” Kohli said. “Giving voting rights is a large part of being involved. It’s a real positive step.”

“Students are AAJA’s next generation of chapter presidents, national officers and industry leaders. The board is excited to see more engagement from our student members,” Paul Cheung, AAJA National President, said.

AAJA currently has 430 student members across the country, and offers several scholarships and signature programs like J-Camp and Voices for aspiring journalists. By expanding the ability to vote to its student members, the board welcomes a new generation of journalists that represent AAJA’s future.

In honor of Chin and thanks to the generosity of Joe Grimm, a former newsroom recruiter and staff development editor for the Detroit Free-Press, the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) has established a college scholarship. This scholarship rewards an accomplished, community-minded student journalist for an insightful, articulate essay related to Chin and his legacy.

Lily Chin buries her son on her 62nd birthday.

ELIGIBILTY

1) Applicants must be committed to AAJA’s mission.

2) Applicants must demonstrate journalistic excellence, a strong interest in pursuing journalism as a career, and a commitment to community involvement.

3) Applicants must be a graduating high school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student enrolled full time with at least 12 credit units each semester for the fall of 2013 and spring of 2014 school year. Applicants must be currently taking or planning to take journalism courses and/or pursuing journalism as a career.

SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

The Vincent Chin Memorial Scholarship will award one college student $500.

HOW TO APPLY ONLINE

• Log in or create a new account on AAJA online. The accounts are free and you do not have to be an AAJA member to create one.
• Go to “Awards and Competitions” on your personal account page
• Click “View Open Competitions,” then click “2013 Vincent Chin Memorial Scholarship.”

PRIVACY POLICY

Application information will only be used internally by AAJA to promote student opportunities and for program evaluation and planning. In the application form, please indicate whether or not you would like to be notified of further student opportunities from AAJA. AAJA does not share applicant information with third parties.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

1) Completed Vincent Chin Scholarship Online Application form, available in your AAJA account.

2) A 500-word essay addressing one of the discussion questions above. It should be typed, double-spaced, 12pt font. Entries exceeding the word limit will be disqualified.

Complete and submit your completed application requirements by midnight PDST on June 28, 2013.

Essay Topic Question Options for AAJA’s Vincent Chin Memorial Scholarship

Option 1
Could it happen again? The attack on Vincent Chin occurred during a time in which Asians, specifically Japanese, were blamed for U.S. unemployment. People literally bashed Japanese cars with sledgehammers. Video and photos of such acts were shown in the news media. Few people connected them to potential attacks on real people. Does symbolic violence make it more acceptable to attack people? Does this climate exist against other people today? What can be done?

Option 2
How are Asian Americans one people? Asian Americans overcame many differences in rallying together to seek justice after Vincent Chin’s killing. They came from different cultures and language backgrounds. They brought histories of being foes as often as being allies. In the Detroit area, though, they decided that an attack on a Chinese American man, mistaken for being Japanese, was a danger and an injustice to all. They united in protest. Some call this the start of a pan-Asian consciousness in the United States. How does life in the United States make people from so many nationalities one group?

Option 3
Protest or conform? Some Asian Americans were reluctant to join the Vincent Chin cause. They had been pursuing success by getting along in the mainstream. Some had been acculturated to not make trouble or call attention to themselves. Yet a group of people began writing letters, visiting the media and protesting in the streets. This question about whether to protest or conform comes to every one of us. Although the stakes are not as high as justice over the death of a young man, we are all confronted at work or in other groups to decide: When and how do you make a stand?

Option 4
Who was Lily Chin? The Vincent Chin trials paint the portrait of a mother in anguish. We frequently ask who was Vincent Chin or who killed him. The emergence of his mother as a strong voice is a compelling story too. Describe her life and her legacy.

“I love America. I think this is a good country. But now, after these men killed my son , I don’t like to live here. This is not fair. What kind of law is this? What kind of justice?” 

- Lily Chin, Chin’s mother

QUESTIONS FOR US ALL
Even for those not vying for the scholarship, these questions can provoke productive discussion and reflection on what happened, the aftermath and its relevance today. AAJA hopes that Vincent Chin’s ultimate legacy will be to prevent others from suffering hate and injustice.

ELIGIBILITY

1.  Applicants must be committed to AAJA’s mission.

2.  Applicants must have a serious interest in pursuing a career in print or online journalism.

3.  Applicants must be full-time college students or recent college graduates.

4.  Applicants must have already secured a 2013 summer internship at a print or online news outlet before applying for this internship grant.

HOW TO APPLY

Start by clicking on the AAJA log-in page to create your an account. You don’t have to be an AAJA member or Asian American to apply.

Once you’ve created a profile, scroll down and find the “Awards and Competitions” header on the right side.

Then click “View Open Competitions” and select the 2013 William Woo Print and Online Internship Grant application.

DEADLINE: Friday, May 31, 2013

PRIVACY POLICY

1. Application information will only be used internally by AAJA to promote student opportunities and for program evaluation and planning. In the application form, please indicate whether you would like to be notified of further student opportunities from AAJA, including scholarships, grants and additional journalism training.
2. AAJA does not share applicant information with third parties.

ABOUT WILLIAM F. WOO

William F. Woo was the Lorry I. Lokey Visiting Professor of Professional Journalism at Stanford University from the fall of 1996 until his death on April 12, 2006. He also was a visiting professor at the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong from 1999 through 2006.  From 1996 to 2003, he was a lecturer in ethics at the Graduate School of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley.

Woo was the first Asian American to edit a major American newspaper. He retired as editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in August 1996, after holding the position for 10 years. In his 34 years at the paper he served as editor of the editorial page, Washington-based columnist, feature writer, special projects reporter and editorial writer.

Woo was born in Shanghai in 1936 and spent the first 10 years of his life there. He graduated from the University of Kansas, with honors in English literature. He was a reporter for the Kansas City Star before joining the Post-Dispatch. Woo was a longtime member of the National Advisory Board of the George Foster Peabody Awards for broadcast journalism and the Board of Visitors of the John F. Knight Fellowships at Stanford. He frequently served as a juror for the Pulitzer Prizes, and was a three-time finalist himself.  He was a director of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and the American Press Institute for many years. From 1995 to 2001, he was a commissioner of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. In 1996-97, he was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.

Woo received the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Asian American Journalists Association in 1990 and the Gold Medal Honor Award from the University of Missouri School of Journalism in 1991. He authored many articles on journalism in such publications as the Nieman Reports, the Columbia Journalism Review and the American Studies Quarterly, published by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. From June to August 1997, he and his wife, Martha Shirk, also a journalist, were Knight International Press Fellows in Hong Kong, where they monitored press freedom as Chinese rule was restored. Beginning in 1999, he made regular trips to Asia to lecture on journalism.

Following his death, the University of Missouri Press published “Letters from the Editor,” a collection of his letters to his journalism students at Stanford, with an introduction by Philip Meyer and a foreword by James Steele. All profits from the book are donated to the Asian American Journalists Association for the internship grant in Woo’s name.

He and his wife had three sons – Thomas Woo, Bennett Woo and Peter Woo.

VOICES is a rare opportunity for college students to develop multimedia and reporting skills in the company of industry professionals from all over the world. Just as newsrooms across the country are adjusting to smaller staffing and new technology, the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) has redesigned its student convention program to simulate the convergence newsroom of tomorrow. This innovative opportunity trains students and professionals before and during the 2013 AAJA National Convention in New York from August 19-25.

AAJA will conduct a national search for a team of students and professionals to cover the convention this summer in one or more of the following areas: business/advertising, multimedia reporting in audio and video, web/print design and layout, photography, multimedia producing and copy editing.

The most promising students will be selected and given the opportunity to build skills and develop their portfolios. They will participate in pre-convention training that will include interactive online courses in interviewing, multimedia, ethics, and visual and audio techniques. Participants will also be given pre-convention assignments to cover issues related to the journalism industry and the Asian American Pacific Islander community today. Twenty applicants will be selected to cover convention, with travel and hotel accommodations provided.

The application for the 2013 VOICES project is now available. AAJA encourages all eligible college students to apply. The deadline to submit your completed application and supporting materials has been extended to Friday, May 10, 2013.

ELIGIBILTY

• Applicants must have a strong committment to AAJA’s mission.

• Applicants must be enrolled as a full-time college student or recent graduate (within one year) with a serious interest in pursuing journalism as a career.

• Applicants must be available from August 19-25, 2013 to be in New York, NY. There will be additional preparations during the summer.

• Applicants must be 18 years of age by August 19, 2013.

• Applicants must not be a former participant in any AAJA or alliance student projects.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

Upload all materials to the online application as either Word documents or PDFs.

1) Completed 2013 VOICES online application with supporting materials.

2) Work samples of your best work (see below).

3) 500-word essay: It should be typed, double-spaced, 12pt font. Entries exceeding the word limit will be disqualified. Please respond to one of the following questions in your essay:

- Why do you want to be part of VOICES? What about you as an applicant will make the program shine?

- How do you think journalism will evolve in the next five years?

- What are your career aspirations and journalistic goals?

4) Transcript (official or unofficial).

5) One letter of recommendation from someone who is familiar with your academic and/or journalism work (professor, counselor, etc.).

6) Government-issued proof of age: photocopy of driver’s license or passport.

7) Résumé with the following information:

- One page listing your educational background, work history, awards, journalism-related internships, other scholarships, language proficiency and any work done for your school or community newspaper, radio and/or television.

- A list of all equipment and software programs that you have used and your level of proficiency (beginner, intermediate, advanced).

- Your ideal path in journalism, and what skills you want to learn to achieve your goals.

WORK SAMPLE SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

We prefer all work samples to be submitted online. Please upload all documents to the online application form in .doc or .pdf format. You can also submit links of your work – an option that may suit those who have slower internet connections.

Print: All articles, printouts and photography should be on 8.5 x 11” paper.

Online: Provide links to your pieces.

Radio: Provide links to your pieces on YouTube, Vimeo or other file sharing sites. Entries should not exceed 3 minutes.

Television: Upload to YouTube or Vimeo and provide the links. Entries should not exceed 3 minutes.

STEPS FOR APPLYING

1. Log in or create a new account on AAJA online.
2. Go to “Awards and Competitions” on your personal account page
3. Then “View Open Competitions.”
4. Then view “2013 VOICES.”
5. Complete the application requirements by the deadline: May 10, 2013.

AAJA is proud to announce the 2013 NBC Summer Partnership. NBC will place three selected students as paid interns for their daily programs, and one student for CNBC. NBC News will determine the show placement of the interns, but students can inform NBC News of their preferences. The selected participants receive $500 a week for 10 weeks to live in New York City. AAJA will connect each partnership intern with a professional journalist mentor through the AAJA Broadcast and Multimedia Mentoring Program.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: MARCH 1

ELIGIBILITY

• Applicants must have a serious interest in pursuing a career in broadcast journalism.
• Applicants must be currently enrolled and on track to receive a bachelor’s degree or advanced degree from a college or university in the United States.
• Production experience is not required, but preferred. Must be currently of sophomore standing or above and at least 18 years old.

AAJA membership is encouraged for all applicants and required for the selected partnership recipients.

To apply, download the 2013 NBC Partnership application and send three sets of the materials by March 1, 2013 to:

2013 AAJA/NBC Summer Partnership

5 Third St., Suite 1108

San Francisco, CA 94103

Questions and concerns? Contact Nao Vang, AAJA Student Programs Coordinator, at 415-346-2051, ext. 102, or naov@aaja.org.

2012 NBC Summer Partnership Interns (left to right): Cecilia Wong, Hailey Lee, Lauren Wilson and Linda Ong.

ABOUT THE GRANT

AAJA is now accepting applications for the 2013 Stanford Chen Internship Fund Grant. AAJA will award one or more news internship grant(s) of $1,750, available to current college juniors, seniors and graduate students. The grants are for print, online, broadcast or photography interns at small- to medium-size outlets.

AAJA strongly encourages applications from students who grew up in the Pacific Northwest, are attending college in the region or will intern at media outlets in Washington, Oregon or Idaho.

ELIGIBILITY

• Applicants must have a serious interest in pursuing a career in journalism.
• Applicants must have already secured an internship with a print company (daily circulation under 100,000), broadcasting company (markets smaller than the top 50) or online company.
• The grant is to be used only toward living expenses and transportation during the actual internship.
• AAJA membership is encouraged for all applicants and required for the selected grant recipient(s).

STEPS FOR APPLYING

Start by clicking on the AAJA log-in page to create your unique profile and establish an account if you don’t already have one. You don’t have to be an AAJA member to set one up, but AAJA membership is encouraged for all applicants and required for the selected grant recipient(s).

1. Go to “Awards and Competitions” on your personal account page,

2. Then “View Open Competitions,”

3. Then ”view” of “2013 Stanford Chen Internship Fund Grant.”

Complete the application requirements by the deadline: March 29, 2013

PRIVACY POLICY

1. Application information will only be used internally by AAJA to promote student opportunities and for program evaluation and planning. In the application form, please indicate whether or not you would like to be notified of further student opportunities from AAJA.

2. AAJA does not share applicant information with third parties.

ABOUT STANFORD CHEN

Stanford Chen was a California-born city boy who was introduced to journalism by working on his high school newspaper at Oakland Tech. After graduating with a journalism degree from Indiana University, Chen’s professional career began at The Bellingham, Wash., Herald. From there he moved to the Daily Journal of Commerce, a business publication in Portland, Ore., as its editor before landing at The Oregonian, Oregon’s largest metropolitan daily. Chen could do anything journalistically, and he frequently was ahead of trends: At The Herald he wrote an environmental column, long before the environment became front-page news; he also was the paper’s sports editor, copy editor and photographer.  At The Oregonian, he started as a part-time copy editor and soon was hired full-time, doing night page makeup. It left his days free to pursue photography, which is when he collaborated with a colleague on Rage Against the Dying Light, a book documenting the life and struggle of gillnetters on the lower Columbia River. Chen later then became deputy editor of the Forum editorial section before returning to his real love, reporting. He remained a reporter even after he was stricken with cancer. He died in 1999 at the age of 51.

HIS VISION AND AAJA SERVICE

Chen helped found the Portland AAJA chapter in 1985, and he spent many hours doing AAJA work, both at local and national levels. Thanks to AAJA, he tapped into a part of himself that none of his full-time jobs were able to fulfill. Newsroom diversity was his particular passion.

Chen was a mentor to countless young journalists during his career, on the job and through AAJA. He befriended many an intern or a new hire at The Oregonian, offering a hearty welcome and sincere words of support. To those of color, he was candid with answers to questions about diversity in the newsroom and city. Chen reached out to student journalists at AAJA’s national conventions, always ready to answer questions or share advice. He lived his beliefs about diversity and helping the next generation of journalists.

Chen was awarded AAJA’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the 1998 Chicago national convention.  Here, in part, is how he was introduced:

“As a longtime newspaper writer, reporter and editor, he’s been a role model, a journalistic lion. His perseverance, achievements and advocacy have stood tall, underscored by a tireless fight for greater diversity in the newsroom and in journalism education. He’s been a tireless supporter of AAJA, performing virtually every function, from stuffing envelopes to serving as AAJA National Vice President for Print. As an instructor and co-director of the reporting program in the Institute for Journalism Education (based at the University of California, Berkeley), and which later became the Maynard Institute, and AAJA’s own Voices, he has helped others learn to become better at the craft that we all practice.  As a voice and conscience in our own industry he’s been an ardent leader in pushing all of us forward. And his book, Counting on Each Other: A History of the Asian American Journalists Association from 1981 to 1996, stands as a testament to his numerous contributions.  As a person, he is simply unmatched.”

Accepting the award, Chen said: “AAJA has been like a family to me. The mission of journalism has helped me and, in turn, I feel the need to give back as much as I can to keep the mission going, keeping diversity alive and making sure the industry” does, too.

In partnership with The Sacramento Bee, AAJA Sacramento is sponsoring a 10-week internship program for aspiring print, photo, graphics and multimedia journalists. A weekly stipend of $570 will be provided. The program begins in May or June 2013, depending on the intern’s availability.

To qualify, an applicant must be enrolled in a college or university. Recent graduates who completed their studies in Fall 2012 are eligible to apply. All applicants must be 2013 AAJA student members. Strong preference will be given to AAJA Sacramento student members. Go to the AAJA membership page to join or renew your membership.

The internship application can be found at www.aajasacramento.org.

The deadline to apply is March 15.

AsAmNews is offering students a chance to gain online journalism experience through an internship.

AAJA is happy to share additional opportunities from our journalism contacts for students to learn, network and expand their skills.

Intern for AsAmNews

AsAmNews is seeking interns to write and post blogs, select news items and update its Facebook page and twitter accounts.

AsAmNews is a community of users interested in reading, learning and commenting on Asian American and Pacific Islander news, events, people and issues. AsAmNews content can be found at www.asamnews.com as well as on twitter at @AsAmNews and on Facebook.

AsAmNews was founded by Randall Yip, former AAJA Vice President of Broadcast and a 30-year professional journalist. Randall also founded and currently directs AAJA’s Broadcast Mentor Program and has a proven interest and track record of developing young journalists.

To intern for AsAmNews, you must be a student at a two- or four-year college, university or graduate program and receive college credit for the unpaid internship. Training is available.

Interns with a proven track record will be allowed the opportunity to post original news items and video and audio reports on AsAmNews.

To apply, please send writing samples, a résumé and a brief statement describing why you would like to intern at AsAmNews to randall@asamnews.com.

Interns for the spring semester will be selected as soon as qualified applicants are received.