Chapter of the Year: Washington, D.C. Chapter
AAJA-Washington, D.C. represents more than 250 journalists, community members and allies. Our professional members can be found in the halls of Congress and the White House press briefing room, holding powerbrokers accountable; in the c-suites of major news organizations; traveling the nation investigating abuses of power; in stadium press boxes and pounding the pavement in our local communities. We provide educational and networking opportunities for our members, in addition to mentoring and support for early career journalists and students.
ABOUT THE RECIPIENT: At a time when many in our industry are facing hardship, AAJA-D.C. has redoubled its efforts to help members navigate these tumultuous times, offering them support and fellowship regardless of where they are in their careers.
This year, nine members – three professionals and six students – are attending the convention with the help of $1,000 stipends from the chapter. The chapter also hosted a journalism job fair with other journalism organizations that drew 225 job seekers and 20 employers. It helped students at George Washington University and American University launch campus chapters, and it organized panels on campaign reporting and a networking event where members could get free headshots.
Leadership has organized a wide range of gatherings and supports with the hopes of engaging its entire membership: a Chinese New Year potluck and picnics on the National Mall. It supported the AAPI White House Correspondents Brunch. Board member Kelyn Soong, a veteran sports reporter, also got our members into the press boxes at Washington Wizards and Washington Spirit games. He helped members meet sports reporters, coaches and Spirit owner Michele Kang, the first woman of color to be the majority owner of a National Women's Soccer League club.
As the host chapter for last year’s convention, members organized a dozen gatherings for convention-goers, including trips to museums, restaurants, a famed Vietnamese shopping center, a bookstore hop and a tour of the Capitol. They also created a map to allow attendees to better navigate the city.