Asian American Journalists Association to Convene in Boston
Four-day convention focuses on how to survive industry turmoil, reinvent media
Boston, MA, August 13, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The Asian American Journalists Association will bring its 20th annual convention to Boston, starting Wednesday and running through Saturday (Aug. 12-Aug. 15). More than 700 journalists and other media professionals from around the country are expected to attend the conference, which takes places at the Seaport Hotel and the World Trade Center.
United States Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino are scheduled to welcome the group Tonight at a kick-off event sponsored by The Boston Globe. The gathering will bring together prominent Asian-American journalists and community leaders.
On behalf of its 2,000 members, AAJA promotes fair and accurate news coverage, develops managers in the media industry, and encourages young people to consider journalism as a career.
‘‘Our convention in Boston is all about pushing for diversity in the shifting journalism landscape and ensuring fair and accurate coverage of the Asian-American community,’’ said the group’s national president, Sharon Chan. ‘‘We’re excited to introduce our members to Boston’s vibrant community.’’
The convention is hosted by the organization’s New England chapter and cochaired by Shirley Leung, business editor of the Globe, and Sangita Lee Chandra, a producer and reporter at WCVB-TV/DT in Boston. Major sponsors include the Globe, The New York Times, ESPN, Bloomberg, The McClatchy Co., and The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
‘‘This has been tough year for all journalists and media companies, but the theme of our convention is ‘The Road to Reinvention,’’’ Leung said. ‘‘Journalism is far from dead, and we have designed a conference that arms reporters and editors with the skills to build a thriving future.’’
The convention panels and sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including: how to run an innovative newsroom with fewer resources, multimedia storytelling, and how to bring global perspectives to local news.
One session will focus on the issues facing journalists covering hot spots overseas. AAJA has been active in the release of Asian-American journalists Euna Lee, Laura Ling, and Roxana Saberi, holding vigils and issuing statements of support. All three have taped video messages that will be shown for the first time at our convention.
Confirmed panelists and speakers include: Detroit Free Press editor and publisher Paul Anger, WBUR ‘‘On Point’’ host Tom Ashbrook, Globe editor Martin S. Baron, ABC News correspondent Juju Chang, Patriot Ledger and Enterprise editor Chazy Dowaliby, ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons, CNN Director of Coverage Victor Hernandez, ESPN SportsCenter anchor Michael Kim, and WCVB TV/DT Boston reporter Janet Wu.
Some panels will be open to the community, including the Media Access Workshop, where editors and reporters will explain how underrepresented communities can get their stories into print and broadcast.
The convention will wrap up Saturday night with an awards gala featuring NBC News correspondent John Yang as the keynote speaker. Frances Rivera, an anchor with WHDH-7 News/CW56 in Boston, and Arthur Chi’en, a reporter/host with WPIX-TV/New York, will emcee the event.
About AAJA
The Asian American Journalists Association is a nonprofit professional and educational organization with about 2,000 members in 20 chapters across the United States and Asia. Founded in 1981, AAJA has been at the forefront of change in the journalism industry. AAJA’s mission is to encourage Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to enter the ranks of journalism, to work for fair and accurate coverage of AAPIs, and to increase the number of AAPI journalists and news managers in the industry.
AAJA is an alliance partner in UNITY Journalists of Color, along with the Native American Journalists Association, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and National Association of Black Journalists.
The Asian American Journalists Association
Website: http://www.aaja.org/
###
United States Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino are scheduled to welcome the group Tonight at a kick-off event sponsored by The Boston Globe. The gathering will bring together prominent Asian-American journalists and community leaders.
On behalf of its 2,000 members, AAJA promotes fair and accurate news coverage, develops managers in the media industry, and encourages young people to consider journalism as a career.
‘‘Our convention in Boston is all about pushing for diversity in the shifting journalism landscape and ensuring fair and accurate coverage of the Asian-American community,’’ said the group’s national president, Sharon Chan. ‘‘We’re excited to introduce our members to Boston’s vibrant community.’’
The convention is hosted by the organization’s New England chapter and cochaired by Shirley Leung, business editor of the Globe, and Sangita Lee Chandra, a producer and reporter at WCVB-TV/DT in Boston. Major sponsors include the Globe, The New York Times, ESPN, Bloomberg, The McClatchy Co., and The Annie E. Casey Foundation.
‘‘This has been tough year for all journalists and media companies, but the theme of our convention is ‘The Road to Reinvention,’’’ Leung said. ‘‘Journalism is far from dead, and we have designed a conference that arms reporters and editors with the skills to build a thriving future.’’
The convention panels and sessions will cover a wide range of topics, including: how to run an innovative newsroom with fewer resources, multimedia storytelling, and how to bring global perspectives to local news.
One session will focus on the issues facing journalists covering hot spots overseas. AAJA has been active in the release of Asian-American journalists Euna Lee, Laura Ling, and Roxana Saberi, holding vigils and issuing statements of support. All three have taped video messages that will be shown for the first time at our convention.
Confirmed panelists and speakers include: Detroit Free Press editor and publisher Paul Anger, WBUR ‘‘On Point’’ host Tom Ashbrook, Globe editor Martin S. Baron, ABC News correspondent Juju Chang, Patriot Ledger and Enterprise editor Chazy Dowaliby, ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons, CNN Director of Coverage Victor Hernandez, ESPN SportsCenter anchor Michael Kim, and WCVB TV/DT Boston reporter Janet Wu.
Some panels will be open to the community, including the Media Access Workshop, where editors and reporters will explain how underrepresented communities can get their stories into print and broadcast.
The convention will wrap up Saturday night with an awards gala featuring NBC News correspondent John Yang as the keynote speaker. Frances Rivera, an anchor with WHDH-7 News/CW56 in Boston, and Arthur Chi’en, a reporter/host with WPIX-TV/New York, will emcee the event.
About AAJA
The Asian American Journalists Association is a nonprofit professional and educational organization with about 2,000 members in 20 chapters across the United States and Asia. Founded in 1981, AAJA has been at the forefront of change in the journalism industry. AAJA’s mission is to encourage Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to enter the ranks of journalism, to work for fair and accurate coverage of AAPIs, and to increase the number of AAPI journalists and news managers in the industry.
AAJA is an alliance partner in UNITY Journalists of Color, along with the Native American Journalists Association, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and National Association of Black Journalists.
The Asian American Journalists Association
Website: http://www.aaja.org/
###
Contact
Asian American Journalists Association 20th Convention
John Gates
617-861-3651
www.aaja.org/
Mary Zanor
Elevate Communications
617-861-3653
mzanor@elevatecom.com
John Gates
617-861-3651
www.aaja.org/
Mary Zanor
Elevate Communications
617-861-3653
mzanor@elevatecom.com
Contact
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