Roshania Patel was committed to amplifying voices and stories of people of color
The Asian American Journalists Association joins the South Asian Journalists Association in remembering Neema Roshania Patel, an editor at The Washington Post and a member of both AAJA and SAJA.
Throughout her career, Neema was known for being at the forefront of innovation. She worked as a news editor at WHYY, Philadelphia’s NPR affiliate, and was an AAJA member in her early years. She joined The Washington Post’s Emerging News Products team, where she helped launch “The Lily,” a multi-platform publication for millennial women, and became its editor in 2020. Most recently, she was an editor for The Post’s Next Generation team, helping the newsroom attract younger and more diverse audiences.
Her colleagues remember her as a bright star who blazed her own unique trail in journalism. She led with empathy and a clear vision, ensuring that underserved communities’ stories were brought to light. Her mentorship and kindness to the next generation through her work with the International Women in Media Foundation and the journalism community, in the newsroom and out of it, will be long-lasting. She will be missed.
Read SAJA’s statement below:
SAJA would like to extend its condolences to the family and loved ones of Neema Roshania Patel, an editor at The Washington Post. Neema helped establish “The Lily,” the newspaper’s site for millennial women and most recently served as an editor for the Next Generation audience team. Her sparkling curiosity, kindness, empathy, and gentle fierceness not only made her a wonderful friend but also a colleague so many journalists admired and looked to emulate. Neema’s commitment to amplifying the voices and stories of people of color, specifically young women from around the world and people from often-ignored communities, was unwavering and a hallmark of her career long before recent efforts by newsrooms to diversify. Neema is survived by her son and husband, parents, older sister, brother in law, and countless relatives and friends.
Her colleagues at The Washington Post created a fund to help support Neema’s son, Abhiraj. We encourage AAJA members to donate and support Neema’s family during their time of loss. We send our deepest condolences to her loved ones and to all whose lives she touched.
-The Asian American Journalists Association and The South Asian Journalists Association
###
ABOUT THE ASIAN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
The Asian American Journalists Association is a professional membership association founded in 1981. Since its founding, AAJA has been at the forefront of change in the journalism industry, advocating for accurate, comprehensive and fair coverage of the AAPI community. We champion the development of AAPI representation and leadership in journalism through trainings, opportunities and resources for our members as well as through nurturing and maintaining a network and community of AAPI journalists globally. Learn more at www.aaja.org or follow us on Twitter @AAJA.
ABOUT THE SOUTH ASIAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION
The South Asian Journalists Association, serves as a network for education, inspiration and training for South Asian journalists in America and those covering South Asia and South Asian diaspora. SAJA aims to upgrade the coverage of South Asia and uplift the standards of journalism. Founded in March 1994 with 18 members, today it connects and serves more than 1,000 journalists at news outlets, big and small. SAJA has members spread across North America. Its volunteers – from elected board members to chapter coordinators to individuals helping with various events – make SAJA possible. Learn more at www.saja.org or follow us on Twitter @sajahq. Media contact: Jennifer Chowdhury, SAJA social media coordinator, communications@SAJA.org.