AAJA turned 25 in 2006!
AAJA was formed with a three-fold mission:
- Encourage Asian American and Pacific Islanders to join the ranks of journalism
- Work for fair and accurate news coverage of Asian American and Pacific Islander issues
- Increase the number of Asian American and Pacific Islander journalists and news managers in the industry.
Today, AAJA has more than 2,000 members in 20 chapters in the U.S. and Asia.
For more than two decades, AAJA has been the premier journalism organization that Asian American and Pacific Islanders turn to for scholarships, professional training, resources for accurate coverage and advocacy for diversity within the news industry.
Its programs span the beginning of the pipeline with high school students, mentoring and training at the college level, to encouraging life-long improvement in the craft, movement into management and the ability to adapt to changing media. It has persevered successfully despite shrinking sources of foundation and media company grants, on which most journalism organizations depend.
AAJA is proud of its many accomplishments
- Awarded more than $1.2 Million in scholarships to young and aspiring journalists.
- Partnered with various organizations and companies to provide skills training to its professional members at its annual convention and through year-round workshops, fellowships and internship opportunities.
- Its premier management program, the Executive Leadership Program, has graduated 288 mid-career journalists, 55% of whom have received a promotion or advanced to bigger and better opportunities in their newsrooms or companies.
- Conducted a biennial leadership retreat aimed at developing organizational and leader ship skills among its emerging chapter leaders.
- AAJA has taken the lead in training high school students to encourage them to consider a career in journalism through its multicultural high school journalism program, J Camp. An amazing 75% of past J Camp participants have enrolled in a college journalism course or pursued news and communications-related work.
- AAJA has displayed leadership in advocating for fair and accurate news coverage, educating publishers, newsroom managers and reporters on racial, ethnic and other issues of concern to Asian American and Pacific Islanders.
- Produced a disseminated a guide and stylebook on coveringAsian American and Pacific Islanders, now being used in newsrooms across the country.
- Commissioned studies that looked into the lack of Asian American and Pacific Islander male broadcast anchors, the need for multi-lingual polling, and the lack of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in management levels in the newsroom.
- AAJA has been quick to alter its menu of services to match the needs of the industry, offering online classes, fellowships to transition mid-career journalists to the business side of the industry and organizing media and study tours to Asia.
- Encouraged quality journalism and recognized outstanding service to the news industry through its annual journalism awards and other special awards.