Chapter Leaders Focus on Rebuilding AAJA in 2006
By Aman Betheja and Anna Nguyen
St. Petersburg, Fla. -- A cross-section of members from across the country met recently for a weekend of leadership building on the local and national level at the fourth Camp AAJA since 2000.
Thirty-four members from 17 chapters gathered in January at The Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida, to evaluate the role they play in AAJA chapters. It gave members the opportunity to reflect on their career in journalism and how AAJA became involved along the way.
"I feel much more confident. The camp empowers you with information," said Kiet Do, vice president of the Atlanta chapter and a reporter for FOX 5 WAGA-TV.
AAJA attendees learned more about how to assess the strengths and weakness of their leadership style in a series of exercises.
In one instance, facilitator Audrey Yamagata-Noji, interim vice president of higher education for Mt. San Antonio College, asked attendees questions ranging from their approach in a social situation to how they make decisions. Some members found they fell into one category of leadership such as a dominant director, while others saw they were a combination of several types.
"I have more tangible skills now. The camp teaches you how to use your skills to the best of your ability," Do said.
When it came to sharing the challenges of local chapters, several Camp AAJA attendees cited recruiting and retaining new members as a top priority.
"AAJA is only as strong as its weakest chapter," said AAJA national president Esther Wu. "We need to think of ourselves as stewards of this organization."
Many said their individual chapters were viewing 2006 as a "rebuilding year," where the focus will be on using innovative programs to bring back lapsed members and inspire fledgling members to take a more active role.
"We may have different backgrounds in journalism and work in a different medium but I think we all share a similar desire to really promote Asians in our field, be more active in the Asian community and to make sure that AAJA grow for the future generation," said Andrea Nakano, a member of the San Diego chapter and a reporter with KFMB-TV Local 8.
Early on in the conference, Yamagata-Noji introduced what would become a recurring theme: how new members can make an impact in established chapters. She arranged role-playing scenarios in which a young member tried to convince a board full of veteran members of the potential of a new or untested idea. The exercise showed participants the importance of being prepared for the most likely questions.
"That's all in the pre-planning," Yamagata-Noji noted. "Don't walk in cold."
Many members also found fundraising as another challenging aspect for local chapters. Skip Rhodes, president of the consulting firm Skip Rhodes & Associates, demystified the process for the group.
The firm specializes in strategic corporate and non-profit philanthropic organizational and community activities. Rhodes' experience comes from working with the Chevron Corporation for 46 years, 10 of which involved managing the charitable contributions from the company.
Some expressed uneasiness with journalists taking funding from corporations to which Rhodes responded to "Get over it!" A lively debate on how journalists can fundraise ethically ensued.
Rhodes said that a member represents AAJA when approaching a corporate donor and corporations should understand they'll benefit with recognition from AAJA for their sponsorship of an event or scholarship, not favorable news coverage by the journalist.
He also advised AAJA fundraisers on how to approach a potential donor. He told members to research a corporation's charitable giving. The member can then demonstrate how a partnership with AAJA can fit a company's goals.
"Don't low-ball yourself. Go in for what you want realistically and then ask for a little more," he said.
Rhodes also suggested maintaining a relationship outside the realm of asking for funding with a donor through invitations to AAJA fundraising events.
While much of the weekend focused on what AAJA members can do for their chapters, Murali Balaji made sure attendees looked at what AAJA could do for them.
Along with the opportunities for networking, Balaji, a former Camp AAJA participant who now heads the AAJA Philadelphia chapter, highlighted ways in which AAJA members can leverage leadership positions in their chapter to advance their careers.
"Chapter development parallels newsroom development," Balaji said. "If we don't assess what AAJA can do for us, we will get burnt out."
Balaji recommended building stronger relationships with upper management, and making them more aware of AAJA's mission.
"I have already started to translate my leadership skills in the chapter to my newsroom. I spoke with my managing editor and publisher about what AAJA does, and presented myself as a liaison and resource for broadening diversity coverage and providing resources for our reporters," said Ivy Dai, features writer for the Pasadena Star-News and a Los Angeles chapter board member.
Participants finished the weekend with a list of initiatives for how to enhance their chapters. Ideas ranged from tweaking scholarship programs to launching new projects aimed at mid-career journalists.
"When you get back to your chapters, these little ideas will make a difference," Wu said.
The weekend gave fresh ideas to chapter leaders like Cynthia Furey, a new board member in Los Angeles and a news assistant/entertainment writer at The Orange County Register.
"I think this weekend will make me a more outspoken leader. By talking to other board members and having a forum where we all discussed our ideas and concerns, I've come to understand what's at the heart of AAJA. The workshops gave me the little push I needed to start suggesting ideas for programs and events for our chapter," she said.
Aman Batheja and Anna Nguyen attended Camp AAJA 2006. Batheja is a reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and scholarship committee chair for the Texas chapter. Nguyen is a reporter at the Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, NJ in South Jersey and treasurer of the Philadelphia chapter.
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