Chapter of the Year

AAJA-LA Chapter has risen to the challenge in this difficult pandemic year. When so many people were hit with economic uncertainty, health anxieties and social isolation, AAJA-LA scrambled to support members, community, and friends with financial assistance, rich programming, student-centered activities and some good old fun.

Some of the chapter’s accomplishments this year:

• Created a COVID-19 Reporting Relief Fund which awarded five $2,000 grants to journalists affected by the pandemic for reporting projects on underserved communities.

• Purchased $1,400 in COVID-19 Gratitude Gift Certificates for our longtime supporters who have generously donated food and drinks at our events but are struggling under the coronavirus crisis.

• Hosted its first virtual event in May, "A Story Like No Other: On the Frontlines with Asian Americans Covering the COVID-19 pandemic," followed by their Town Hall on Anti-Asian Bias & COVID-19, which featured such speakers as George Takei and Tzi Ma and drew a national audience of 300 people.

• Created a "Wash the Hate" video, joining the movement to stand against anti-Asian hate and publicize pandemic safety practices.

• In June, offered a workshop on Sports Journalism and held a United We Stand virtual mixer with NABJ, NAHJ, CCNMA and NLGJA to build solidarity and deepen ties.

• Raised $15,000 to fund three 10-week summer/fall student internships at the Pasadena Star News, Orange County Register and CalMatters.

• Awarded two $1,000 California Reporting Scholarships to two students to help them cover project reporting expenses.

• In August, held a summer Internship & Career Mixer featuring successful young journalists to share advice on how to make the most of internships and land those first jobs.

• In September, offered a Cover Letter, Clips, Resume & Reel workshop to share best practices with students and early-career journalists on how to put your best foot forward for internships & jobs and organized a mentoring program to match up students and early-career journalists with newsroom professionals to review their cover letters, clips, resumes and reels just in time for summer internship application season.

• Helped launch new AAJA-LA student chapters at Cal State Los Angeles, Cal State Northridge and Cal State Fullerton, joining existing chapters at UCLA and USC.

• Drafted statement of support for AAJA-LA member Josie Huang of KPCC/LAist, when she was arrested by Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies for allegedly obstructing justice

• Hosted annual Trivia Bowl fundraiser online, recasting it as a free, fun community event in October to thank supporters and friends, with more than 40 teams and more than 350 participants, including from AAJA chapters in Asia, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland.