AAJA Members Launch the Asian American Small Market Broadcast Journalists Group

Oct. 30, 2009

AAJA members working as broadcasters in small markets have a new resource for ideas and support starting Nov. 1 with the launch of the Asian American Small Market Broadcast Journalists group.

The group connects AAJA members through a couple of social media routes, said Shawn Chitnis and Maria Hechanova, co-coordinators of the new group. The group can be found at http://twitter.com/aasmbj and through Facebook by searching “AASMBJ.”

George Kiriyama, AAJA vice president for broadcast and a reporter for NBC Bay Area, nurtured the start of the group. He reached out to Chitnis, a reporter for KNDO-TV in Yakima, Wash., and Hechanova, a reporter and producer for KYMA in Yuma, Ariz.

Chitnis said the group is aimed at those in small media markets and also those in large markets who might be in entry level positions just starting out. He sees the group helping those who will soon start out in such markets, working in them or about to make the transition to a larger market.

“This group will be that bridge,” he said.

Sometimes AAJA members can feel isolated in those markets and face special circumstances.

“For a lot of people in your community,” he said, “you’re the first Asian American they’ve ever met.”

Hechanova said she well understands feeling stretched in a small market as her job has also included producing and uploading stories for her station’s Web site, running a teleprompter, anchoring newscasts, shooting video, loading up and driving a news vehicle and meeting with potential advertisers.

She sees the new group as an ongoing encouragement to meet the varied demands of life as a small market broadcaster. She said the group reflects the supportive nature and culture of AAJA, with the group providing a way for small market broadcasters to network and get advice be it on a particular story, job and lifestyle challenges or ways to support the organization.

“We’re all learning,” she said, “we’re all in this together.”

In addition to Kiriyama as the chief advisor, the group has Gene Kang, a reporter for WHAS-TV in Louisville, Kent., and Howard Chen, sports director for FOX Toledo in Ohio as advisors.

Kiriyama also founded and advises the Asian American Student Broadcast Journalists group, with Taylor Mirfendereski of Ohio University and Maxine Park of Arizona State University as co-coordinators.