AAJA - Medill Innovator Award: Lam Thuy Vo
Lam Thuy Vo is a journalist who marries data analysis with on-the-ground reporting to examine how systems and policies affect individuals. She is currently an investigative reporter and an associate professor of data journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Previously, she was a journalist at The Markup, BuzzFeed News, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera America and NPR's Planet Money.
ABOUT THE RECIPIENT: Lam Thuy Vo has pioneered what it means to truly serve the AAPI communities she reports on. Going beyond the journalism itself, Vo used what she learned during her reporting on misinformation in Vietnamese immigrant communities to create a misinformation workshop tailored to that community. After publishing, Vo returned in person to give the workshop. Her journalism not only highlights AAPI issues but also highlights how misinformation coverage has long ignored the specific issues experienced by AAPI communities. After her series, Languages of Misinformation, was published, one misinformation expert proactively shared that she had never considered looking at misinformation in this way and that Vo’s work was extremely helpful.
ABOUT THE AWARD: The inaugural (2024) AAJA-Medill Innovator Award recognizes journalists who approach AAPI issues in a fresh and innovative way. The award includes an opportunity to speak to Northwestern Medill students to encourage and inspire the next generation of journalists.