AAJA-LA hosts panels, workshops, mixers and other programming to help inform members, provide them with resources and networking opportunities and build community around issues that affect our industry. The chapter offers fellowships, grants and scholarships for reporting projects; paid summer internships at local news organizations; a variety of social gatherings and monthly professional development programs.

ABOUT THE WINNER: The AAJA-Los Angeles chapter had a groundbreaking year in 2022.They co-hosted the annual convention and launched new partnerships, programs and fundraising initiatives to provide opportunities for members, support better coverage of the AAPI community, and promote greater equity, diversity and inclusion in journalism.

The chapter lost one of its longtime leaders, Henry Fuhrmann, and board members worked quickly to organize a copy-editing internship in his honor that will be offered in 2023 in conjunction with the L.A. Times. 

Some of the chapter’s most important work was around journalists’ mental health. They partnered with NAHJ-LA and NABJ-LA for an event about how to navigate our challenging industry in a sustainable and healthy manner, and co-hosted a Twitter Spaces panel with the Public Relations Society of America on media coverage of the rise of AAPI attacks and its effect on mental health.

After receiving a $25,000 grant from the California Endowment to raise awareness about health inequities, the chapter organized two webinars on the implications of underfunding of healthcare research for communities of color, provided a health justice internship at Capital & Main, which investigates power and politics, and disbursed six ethnic media grants. Other fundraising efforts supported the careers of young AAPI journalists.

On the cultural front, the chapter hosted a screening of the documentary, “Free Chol Soo Lee,” worked with USC Annenberg, NABJ-LA and the College Futures group for a virtual panel discussion about the 30th anniversary of the L.A. uprising; co-hosted a lively conversation with MSNBC anchor Richard Lui about his  book, “Enough About Me; The Unexpected Power of Selflessness”; and organized a dumpling-making workshop and chat with food and travel writer Kristie Hang during AAPI Heritage Month.

The Chinese American Museum recognized AAJA-LA with its 2022 “Advocacy in Action” award.