Emerging Journalist of the Year: Celina Tebor
Celina Tebor is a news editor for CNN in New York. She manages newsgathering across the northeastern United States, including reporting and editing for digital and broadcasting platforms to coordinate national news coverage. Celina was previously a national breaking news reporter for USA TODAY, and has interned for the Los Angeles Times, the San Diego Union-Tribune, The Oregonian and Oregon Public Broadcasting. She is a member and supporter of the Asian American Journalists Association, having served on the Portland chapter's board since 2020. Celina is a Portland, Oregon native and graduated from the University of San Diego.
ABOUT THE WINNER: Celina Tebor has been an involved and active member of the AAJA community since her teen years and has quickly scaled the career ladder where her work reaches and impacts a global audience daily.
In late 2022 at age 23, Celina was recently hired as a news editor in CNN’s New York bureau. She manages newsgathering across the northeastern U.S., writing and editing content for distribution across all CNN platforms -- including digital and broadcast shows. She’s frequently involved in high-level editorial decisions and ethics discussions, and is responsible for managing reporting teams both in the office and the field.
Before working at CNN, Celina was a national breaking news reporter at USA TODAY. Stories she covered included the Uvalde shooting and exploring the city’s connection with México. He article on shoddy living conditions and soldier suicides at Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star elicited a public response from the Texas Military Department.
At CNN, USA TODAY, and her internships at the Los Angeles Times, The Oregonian, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and Oregon Public Broadcasting, Celina has made a concerted effort to improve coverage of people of color.
This is Celina’s third year serving on the board of AAJA-Portland, the only organization in Oregon specifically designed to support journalists of color in the state. She began in 2020 as the chapter’s student representative, then became vice president of social media in 2022. She helped secure a $10,000 grant that allowed the board to open an additional slot for its summer internship program and reignited the board’s social media presence, greatly boosting engagement among chapter members.