Convention

2010 AAJA Convention – Back to the Future

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

(L to R): Yakima Herald-Republic reporter Mai Hoang and student members Peter Sessum, Katelin Chow and Mary Pauline Diaz.
(Yakima Herald-Republic reporter Mai Hoang, NJC scholarship winner Peter Sessum and Founder’s Scholarship winners Katelin Chow and Mary Pauline Diaz.)

“Back to the Future” was the motto of this year’s AAJA National Convention in Los Angeles.

Aside from being the title of one of my favorite movies as a kid, “Back to the Future” succinctly captures this year’s milieu: We put the awfulness of 2009 behind us and looked ahead to the opportunities of tomorrow. We gave ourselves the space to dream once again — in Hollywood, a place where humans fail hard and often. But we all know that a few of the persistent ones eventually get a lucky break and make their dreams come true!

AAJA today is a dream realized for the journalists who founded it in 1981. You can’t help but feel moved by this awesome promo video marking the occasion of our organization’s 30th anniversary.

Courage. Pride. Passion.

These are words that come to mind when I think of the people who represented our Seattle chapter.

We can all be proud of our AAJA National President Sharon Chan and AAJA National Treasurer Candace Heckman for steering the organization through one of the most difficult years in its history. They made tough decisions, but today the organization has survived a fiscal crisis and is on steadier ground with a new executive director.

Who else was there from our chapter? KING5 anchor Lori Matuskawa; VOICES project director Marian Liu; and several of your chapter board members (Athima Chansanchai, Venice Buhain, Caroline Li and yours truly).

But there were a lot of other faces too! They include:

  • Seattle Times Executive Editor David Boardman
  • KING-TV reporter Owen Lei
  • Yakima Herald-Republic reporter Mai Hoang
  • AOL FanHouse producer Sunny Wu
  • KBCS news director Joaquin Uy (also recipient of an AAJA National award)
  • KNDO-TV (Yakima) reporter Shawn Chitnis
  • Public relations executive Christine Chen
  • Freelance writer Judy Hsu
  • Founder’s Scholarship recipients Katelin Chow and Mary Pauline Diaz
  • Northwest Journalists of Color scholarship winner Peter Sessum
  • Special appearances by Seattle Times Publisher Frank Blethen and former Executive Editor Mike Fancher

For those of you who didn’t come to the LA convention, I ask you, will we see you in Detroit next year? Should AAJA change the way it holds national conventions?

With only four months left in 2010, our chapter continues to offer great programs and events!

Sept. 11, afternoon: AAJA Seattle annual summer picnic. Golden Gardens. FREE. Bring your spouse, kids and anyone else who’s special.

Sept. 21, 11 am-4:30 pm: AAJA members get the SPJ discount to their Freelancer’s Survival Guide conference at REI. $30 members, $40 non-members.

Oct. 16, all day: Northwest Video Workshop at KING TV. $35 registration. First 10 AAJA members to register get in for $20. (You must send an email to me at sbhatt@seattletimes.com after you register to confirm the stipend is still available.)

Late October: Elections for chapter board. Stay tuned for details.

Early November: Our second Innovation Salon: Monetize Your Digital Content.

December: Holiday social mixer.

Lessons Learned at the 2010 AAJA National Convention

, , , , , , , , , ,

KatelinandLoriAAJA Seattle student member Katelin Chow with AAJA Seattle founder Lori Matsukawa at the 2010 AAJA National Convention in Los Angeles

The following post was written by Katelin Chow. Katelin will be a junior at the University of Washington this fall. A 2010 recipient of the Northwest Journalists of Color Scholarship, Katelin also earned the Founders’ Scholarship, which provided funding for her to attend the 2010 National Convention of AAJA in Los Angeles.

As the airplane carried me from Seattle to Los Angeles for my first AAJA convention, I could feel the strangest sensation bubbling in my stomach. And it wasn’t from the can of ginger ale that I had knocked back. I was getting nervous about the convention. I thought that because I was a student, I might not have much to contribute to the AAJA conversation. Luckily, I was wrong. These eight tips helped me walk away from the convention feeling more excited about my future with journalism than I had ever felt.

  1. Always have business cards and resumes on hand at a conference. Be sure to have your “resume” site finished, as well. If you’re a multimedia journalist, have a demo-reel edited and accessible online. When I was walking through the career fair, I was shocked at how many cards I was handing out. As Mai Hoang tweeted, “A good sign you met lots of great people at #aaja? You need to reorder your biz cards. I have 12 left.”
  2. When networking, be natural. The point of networking is to form lasting relationships—not to collect or give as many business cards as possible. It’s important to understand that almost everybody feels nervous and a little bit awkward when networking, so smile, breathe and let your passion for journalism shine through.
  3. Always ask questions. You’re a journalist, right? So you might as well let your inquisitive nature take over you at conferences. Asking questions helps show you’re interested, that you care and well, that you’re articulate.
  4. Use social media. Everybody wants to stay connected, so stay in the loop by keeping up with your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and FourSquare accounts. All these networks might seem intimidating and overwhelming at first, but no fear. Even the least technology-inclined (yours truly) are able to spring into action when it comes to social media. Plus, I learned that journalists can use social media to brainstorm and execute stories.
  5. Repetition. If you’ve found a producer, editor or human resources generalist who you’ve bonded with (at the career fair or around the conference), don’t be afraid to say hi to them again. Repetition builds recognition, which leads to them remembering your face. So that after the conference, when you follow up with all the people who were gracious enough to speak with you, you’re not just another e-mail that floods their already-crammed Inbox.
  6. Follow up within three days. Don’t be a slow-poke when it comes to writing thank-you e-mails (or letters)! My mentor, Owen Lei, insisted I send my e-mails out within three days, otherwise anyone who I had spoken with might not remember me. Which brings me to the next point…
  7. Find good mentors, and don’t be afraid to seek advice from them. Journalism is a scary business, so it’s important to have people who you can trust to give you solid advice. You’re not limited to having just one mentor—the more perspectives on your career, the better.
  8. Don’t forget about meeting other students. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the hoards of adults you meet, so make sure you also hang out with students, too. While you’re most likely at the convention to learn more about the journalism industry, remember that your peers are also the future!

Missed the 2010 AAJA National Convention? Here’s a taste.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Couldn’t make it to Los Angeles to attend the AAJA Convention? Or didn’t have a chance to attend all the sessions (or all the ones you wanted to attend were at the same time)?

No problem. Thanks to the wonders of technology, you can get a taste of the convention experience long after it’s over.

#AAJA Tweets — What the Hashtag has a transcript of all the tweets made during the convention.

Web tools and Social media — One of the convention highlights were several presentations from Robert Hernandez, a professor at the University of Southern California (and former senior news producer and director of development at The Seattle Times). Check out his handy site for interesting web tools as well as his Intermediate Social Media presentation (done with Justin Osofsky of the Facebook Development Network) .  And here’s a great takeaway made by Hernandez during his presentations: “You are a lazy journalist if you only use social media. You are a lazy journalist if you don’t use social media.”

Presentation bits and pieces. Sacramento-based multimedia journalist Cody Kitaura has a great post that includes a variety of audio, quotes and links from several convention presentations.

AAJA Voices. The student multi-platform project was a great success thanks to great professional mentors and top notch leadership from AAJA Seattle’s own Marian Liu. The site is chock full of video, photos and stories from the convention and around LA. Don’t know where to start? Check out this video by three-time Northwest Journalists of Color scholarship winner Peter Sessum on the convention experience of AAJA Seattle student member Katelin Chow. (And it’s worth noting that Peter practices what he preaches about social media — he was among the top 10 tweeters during the convention!)

Got photos? Share and check out convention photos on the AAJA Seattle Facebook Group or on AAJA Seattle’s Flickr page. (There is also a link to the Flickr page on the right side of the webpage.)

Finally, it’s never too early to think about next year. The next AAJA National Convention will be in Detroit on Aug. 10-13, 2011. Check out the video below.

2011 AAJA National Convention Heads to Detroit from Annabelle Udo on Vimeo.

Heading to LA for the AAJA Convention? Check this out! — UPDATED

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

UPDATE: The AAJA Convention Blog is on Tumblr. Check it out for regular updates.

The 21st Annual AAJA Convention: Back to the Future begins in  Los Angeles this week.

Here’s some tips to help you get the most out of the experience.

A cheap way from LAX to the Convention hotel

Here’s a handy tip from Kevin Leung of the Los Angeles Times:

Consider taking the FlyAway bus to Union Station in downtown and then
taking the Red Line subway to the Renaissance (Hollywood & Highland
station). It’s cheaper ($7 for bus + $1.50 for subway) than taking a
shuttle and probably faster (you are not being driven all over L.A. to
drop off other passengers).

The bus stops are just outside the baggage area. Make sure you take the
one to Union Station; there are separate buses to UCLA, Van Nuys and
Irvine. They run 24 hours.

The Red Line runs approximately 5 a.m. to midnight.

Plan out your convention

A full schedule can be found here.

It’s not all work in LA

Check out this handy guide from the AAJA-Los Angeles chapter. The guide offers information on popular dining and night spots, recreation areas and events happening during the week.

Be generous!

Check out the highlights of this year’s silent auction. A bottle of champagne from Robin Leach’s collection? Oh yeah!

Get connected with social media

Twitter

Mark your AAJA Convention posts with the hashtag #aaja.

Here are some Twitter users to follow while you’re at convention:

@aajajcamp — J Camp, a multicultural high school journalism workshop, is currently in session through Wednesday at Loyola Marymount University. Athima Chansanchai (@TimaMedia), AAJA Seattle’s National Board Representative, is J Camp trainer this year.

@aajavoices — Check out AAJA Voices, the convention’s student news project, directed by AAJA Seattle member and Seattle Times reporter Marian Liu (@marianliu).  AAJA Seattle student member Peter Sessum (@petersessum) is on this year’s Voices Staff.

@aajaseattle — AAJA Seattle’s Twitter feed.

@aajala — Follow the AAJA- Los Angeles chapter, who is hosting this year’s convention.

@aaja — the official Twitter stream for AAJA National.

Foursquare

Get the latest things to do while you’re at convention by adding AAJA to your Foursquare friends list.

Facebook

Official Convention Facebook Group

AAJA Voices Facebook page

Want a great convention experience?

Be a rockstar! [Thanks to the 10,000 Words blog]

Attention students: Just a few days left to apply for scholarships from AAJA Seattle

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

With May 1 quickly approaching, here’s another reminder to apply for one of three scholarships from AAJA Seattle.

Scholarships include the Northwest Journalists of Color, which offers college scholarships of up to $2,500; the Founders Scholarship, which provides registration for the upcoming AAJA National Convention and the AAJA Seattle/911 Media Arts Student Scholarship, which provides funds toward rental equipment or classes at the 911 Media Arts Center in Seattle’s University District.

More details and a easy-to-use application form can be found here.

Hurry! All applications must be postmarked by the deadline.

Journalism That Matters goes to Detroit, June 3-6

, , , , , , , , , , ,

AAJA Seattle was a proud co-sponsor of the Journalism That Matters event at the University of Washington in January. Check out a video put together by a documentary filmmaker who was at the event.

The video features interviews with three AAJA Seattle members (Sanjay Bhatt, Mike Fancher and Ranny Kang) and you might spot other chapter members who were there, including Athima Chansanchai, Joaquin Uy, Alex Stonehill, Sam Louie, David Boardman, Caroline Li, Ava Van, Naomi Ishisaka and Carina del Rosario.

Journalism That Matters will be holding a similar forum in Detroit with a special focus on diversity and communities of color.

Here’s the invitation from the JTM site:

Participate in “Journalism That Matters Detroit — Create or Die: Forging communities that initiate, incubate and innovate.”

This focused, three-day gathering of results-driven, action-oriented participants will discover, assess, shape and create forward-looking enterprises focused on key elements of community — diversity, shared values, tolerance, participation and developing youth.

JTM especially invites persons of color — journalists, entrepreneurs, programmers, technologists, bloggers, videographers, venture capitalists, artists, funders, educators and all who have an interest — to explore how voices often unheard or misrepresented can reshape the future of journalism.

Convention News Project applications due Monday, March 15

, , , ,

If you’re a student interested in going to our AAJA National Convention and producing some clips, listen up.

If you’re a professional interested in mentoring students during the National Convention, we need your energy!

Monday, March 15, is the deadline for applying to participate in the AAJA National Convention News Project. If you want to learn more, go to
http://www.aaja.org/programs/for_students/journalism_trainings/newsproject/

The project director is our own AAJA Seattle member Marian Liu. For questions, email Nao Vang, Student Program Coordinator, at programs@aaja.org.

Download the applications here:

Application for Professionals (mentors): http://www.aaja.org/programs/for_students/journalism_trainings/newsproject/10Convention_News_ProPro.pdf/

Application for Students (mentees): http://www.aaja.org/programs/for_students/journalism_trainings/10Convention_News_Pro_Stu.pdf/

AAJA Seattle member Shawn Chitnis answers questions on Asian American Small Market Broadcast Journalists

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

shawn

Shawn Chitnis, co-cordinator of the Asian American Small Market Broadcast Journalists group, with Lori Matsukawa, AAJA Seattle chapter founder and KING 5 anchor, at the AAJA National Convention in Boston. (Photo submitted by Shawn Chitnis)

On Nov. 1, AAJA launched the Asian American Small Market Broadcast Journalists (AASMBJ) group. The group, which will be advised by George Kiriyama, AAJA’s vice president for broadcast and a reporter for NBC Bay Area, was created to provide support and guidance for AAJA members who are in their first job, either at a small media market or in an entry-level position at a larger media market.

AAJA Seattle member Shawn Chitnis is serving as co-coordinator for the group. Chitnis, 23, is currently a reporter for KNDO-TV in Yakima. He is a 2008 graduate of the University of Southern California and a Seattle area native. Before coming to KNDO, he spent several summers working on the assignment desk for ABC News in Los Angeles and New York.

Chitnis met with fellow Yakima reporter and AAJA Seattle member Mai Hoang recently to answer questions about the group.

Q: Why did you want to get involved?

I am in a small market, so I can certainly empathize with the struggles of being in that situation. I believe very strongly in AAJA. I’ve been a member for two years, since I was a senior in college. In the limited time I’ve been a part of it, I feel I got a lot out of it and been able to connect with amazing people. (I want to do) anything I can to give back to the organization, and this is a first step toward that.

It’s very difficult to be in a small market in general. I think those who are members of AAJA may have additional challenges because they might be from larger cities and are adjusting to a smaller town or a part of a country they’re not familiar with and, honestly, a community that isn’t as exposed to Asian Americans as where they’re from. Take my situation, for example, (moving from) Seattle to Yakima. They’re both relatively diverse areas, but understanding of Asian culture is substantially different.

Q: What are some things from your small market broadcast journalism experience that you will share with the group?

The first thing is understanding what is needed in a smaller market and what small market news directors and small market TV stations are looking for. My experience was fairly exclusive to large markets, having grown up in Seattle, going to school in LA and interning in those (larger) markets. So perhaps I wasn’t properly exposed and didn’t know what small market news looked like and what was going to be expected of me in a small market.

Feedback and guidance is very difficult to get at any stage in your career, forget about being in a small market. Once you land that job, which in itself is a difficult step, you have to make sure you have the proper network to give you the right critique so that you are advancing; that you are improving. And so whatever your next goal may be – it might be staying in that small market and taking on a larger responsibility or it might be moving to a larger market – you need to have someone or a group of people who can help you do that.

Q: Tell me about your duties as the group’s co-coordinator.

Both Maria (Hechanova, a reporter and producer for KYMA in Yuma, Ariz.) and I, the two co-coordinators, have been tasked to lead the organization. We’re figuring out our social media presence. We’re trying to figure out how to have a show at AAJA-LA in 2010 and we are really working with our peers to figure out what is needed to make AASMBJ a success.

What’s neat about our situation is that I’m a year in working for a small market and Maria is a few weeks, maybe a month, into it. We’re people who can actively benefit from AASMBJ. We’re all going to be learning from each other and seeking each others help.

Q: How will AASMBJ integrate into the main AAJA group?

First of all, we’re a sub-group of AAJA and AAJA is what makes this organization alive. Our advisor is AAJA’s vice president for broadcast. Our associate advisors are active in AAJA and are in mid- to large-size markets so AAJA surrounds us and everything we do will be an extension of AAJA.

We’re working to figure out how we’re going to have a presence at the (AAJA National) Convention in 2010. Maybe it will be a mixer, maybe it will be a panel.

We have folks in small markets throughout the country. When we all come together for our convention, we want people to know that there is a place you can go during that time to connect with those who are going through the same things.

Q: How do you join the group?

We have a created a Facebook group (it can be found by searching for AASMBJ on the social networking site), which is going to be the core of AASMBJ. That is where we will do our primary order of business – putting out information, offering job postings, offering feedback and helping other members of AASMBJ connect with their peers. We’re also on Twitter right now. Twitter will keep you up-to-date and keep you in the loop, but we’ll push you to Facebook.

If you really want to be involved in AASMBJ, you have to be an active AAJA member, so you can join the Facebook group. And from there, we’ll do everything we can help connect people, create feedback, create forums and create a sense of community.

Apply for the AAJA Seattle Founder’s Scholarship! (Deadline June 3)

, , , ,

Are you a student who wants to go to the 2009 AAJA National Convention in Boston? We have one convention registration available for students. If you are a student member, please apply for the AAJA Seattle Founder’s Scholarship by June 3.

To apply, please submit a 500-word statement on what you hope to learn at the conference. Send the statement to AAJA Seattle at aajaseattle@gmail.com with the phrase “Founder’s Scholarship” in the subject line. Please also include a two to three sentence biography that states your age, what school you attend and your major, when you plan to graduate and your newspaper, radio, online or TV experience.

The recipient will be responsible for airfare, lodging and any other incidentals. He or she may be able to split a room with another journalist attending the conference. The chapter has members going to the convention who may still be looking for a roommate. This year’s convention is Aug. 12-15.