Features

AAJA Seattle in 2011

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Chapter President’s Report
Dear friends,

Your AAJA Seattle chapter ends 2011 with noteworthy accomplishments, a strong community presence and new leaders.

Just this year, AAJA Seattle played an important leadership role in calling for the release of detained Al Jazeera reporter Dorothy Parvaz, a former AAJA Seattle member. The chapter also hosted a memorable Northwest Journalists of Color scholarship reception emceed by AAJA Seattle VP Owen Lei, with great support from KING TV, Safeco Foundation and The Seattle Times.

Former NJC scholarship recipient Thanh Tan, a multimedia reporter for The Texas Tribune, delivered the keynote speech to this year’s scholarship recipients. If you want to be inspired, watch her outstanding speech:

Our chapter and the Seattle Association of Black Journalists presented a leadership plaque to Seattle Times Publisher Frank Blethen for his consistent support of diversity nationally and locally. And we cut a red velvet cake to mark the 25th anniversary of the NJC scholarship, which has helped more than 100 aspiring journalists of color from Washington state with college expenses.

Chapter VP Owen Lei also brought together our board and other active members for a video shoot at Seattle Center. The video was incorporated in the LA chapter’s AAJA Trivia Bowl video.

The Seattle chapter had an impressive showing at the AAJA National Convention in Detroit. Three of our members – Caroline Li, Sarah Wallace, and Sunny Wu – were awarded Ford Foundation fellowships to attend the conference. The chapter also sponsored University of Washington student Peter Sessum with a Founders scholarship. Whitworth University graduate Kyle Kim joined the team at this year’s VOICES convention newsroom project, which was led by the able Marian Liu (now community manager at Storify.com). Athima Chansanchai represented the Seattle chapter on the convention programming committee co-chair and on the Governing Board as National Secretary.

Former AAJA National President Sharon Chan received the Outstanding Leadership Award from AAJA’s Executive Leadership Program. Yours truly was humbled to receive the Chapter President of the Year award and the Gannett Foundation’s Digital Innovation in Watchdog Journalism award. Seattle Times Publisher Frank Blethen received the AAJA Special Recognition Award. Congratulations to all!

We have some fantastic talent leading the chapter in 2012:

  • President: Sona Patel, social media producer, seattletimes.com (term expires in 2013)
    VP-Programs: Lauren Rabaino, associate web producer, seattletimes.com (term expires in 2013)
    VP-Events: Caroline Li, web entrepreneur (term expires in 2012)
    Treasurer: Mai Hoang, business reporter, The Yakima Herald-Republic (term expires in 2012)
    Secretary: Samantha Pak, reporter, The Redmond Reporter (term expires in 2013)
    National Board Representative: Sanjay Bhatt, business reporter, The Seattle Times (term expires in 2013)

    • The new board already has stepped up to the plate, and it’s not even Jan. 1! Sona Patel helped organize Holiday Scoop 2011, an unaffiliated event, with AAJA members Sharon Chan and Candace Heckman and Online News Association member Tiffany Campbell. The event raised $2,000 for the Northwest Journalists of Color Scholarship!

    The new board has begun planning for our 2012 Lunar New Year Banquet & Silent Auction, which will be held Jan. 28 at Acquabar in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood.

    You may have noticed that AAJA Seattle’s website has a new look and feel. The site has served mainly as a bulletin board for chapter news and job listings as well as an archive of photos, videos and stories about past chapter events. Thanks to incoming chapter VP Lauren Rabaino, as well as AAJA members Sarah Wallace, Furhana Afrid and Sunny Wu, the site now is integrated with our @aajaseattle Twitter account and designed to offer a better user experience and engagement. If you’d like to contribute stories to the site, please contact Lauren, whose Twitter handle is @laurenrabaino.

    As we close out 2011, you still have a few days to make a tax-deductible donation to AAJA! You can make an online donation to AAJA National’s Power of One campaign or its scholarships. The Seattle chapter also welcomes donations by check to its P.O. Box. The chapter will have a PayPal option in 2012.

    Don’t forget to renew your AAJA membership! I encourage you to renew at the Gold or Platinum level, each of which include perks and special mention on the chapter and national websites. Platinum level membership includes your registration fee for UNITY 2012 in Las Vegas!

    For the past four years, I have been honored to serve the chapter during a period of turbulence for our employers and our occupation. Working together, we finished the campaign to establish a $100,000 endowment for the NJC scholarships, grew membership despite the closure of The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and increased our reach through workshops, partnerships, field trips and digital media.

    We are blessed in Seattle with a cadre of leaders who have an ethic of giving and paying it forward. I’d like to thank several people who supported me in ways large and small during my term: my fellow board members Nicole Tsong, Mai Hoang, Athima Chansanchai, Venice Buhain, Caroline Li, Owen Lei; AAJA Executive Director Kathy Chow; Karen Johnson of Hacks & Hackers; former AAJA chapter officers Sharon Chan and Lori Matsukawa; and the leadership of The Seattle Times, especially Publisher Frank Blethen, Executive Editor David Boardman and former Executive Editor Mike Fancher.

    Being a journalist today is more challenging and entrepreneurial than ever before. Journalists must sharpen their skills, cultivate their network and have a community to stand behind them. You and your fellow members are AAJA. Together, we are charting a new course for journalism in the 21st century.

    Happy New Year!

    Sanjay Bhatt
    Seattle Chapter President

    Chapter board elections approaching

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    Hey AAJA Seattle,

    It’s time for the chapter to elect board members for 2012!

    There are four seats up for election, all of which are two-year terms, effective Jan. 1, 2012:

      President

      Vice president, Programs

      Secretary

      National Board representative

    Serving on the chapter board is an important way for you to demonstrate your leadership (a key skill many employers look for), give back to this organization and support your fellow members.

    Chapter secretary Venice Buhain will oversee our elections, which will occur in mid-October. Our national office will receive the names of our 2012 chapter board members by Nov. 1.

    FAQ

    Who’s eligible to run and vote?

    Anyone whose 2011 membership dues are current as of Sept. 30, and is a Full Member. This means those who receive the majority of their income from or spend the majority of their work time in journalistic work (including freelance), those unemployed members between journalism jobs, or those who have left journalism but were AAJA members and journalists for five or more consecutive years. Associate, Student and Retired members are NOT eligible to run or vote.

    What is the time commitment?

    The board meets at least six times a year to discuss chapter business and plan our two marquee events: Northwest Journalists of Color Scholarship Reception (early June) and the Lunar New Year Banquet & Silent Auction (late January/early February). Board members are expected to participate in these meetings (generally an hour or two) and these two events.

    What are you looking for in board members?

    Each board seat has distinct responsibilities, which makes it easier for the group to delegate tasks and for individuals to figure out what fits their skills and talents. Of course, the board can decide to change these duties to fit the needs of the group and the chapter.

      President: This person is responsible for the overall health of the chapter and represents the chapter at the National Convention and in the Seattle community. Typical duties: Facilitating board meetings, managing relationships with other organizations, and speaking on AAJA Seattle’s behalf in the community.

      Vice president, Programs: This person is responsible for the Northwest Journalists of Color Scholarship outreach efforts, judging and reception.

      Vice president, Events (seat open in 2013): This person is responsible for the Lunar New Year Banquet & Silent Auction. This person also could organize the summer BBQ, social outings and happy-hour mixers.

      Secretary: This person is responsible for the chapter board’s official minutes and elections. This person also could be the group’s social media manager.

      Treasurer (seat open in 2013): This person is responsible for managing the chapter’s finances and complying with National’s rules on bookkeeping. This is the only board position that can be held by someone other than a Full Member, i.e. Associate or Retired Members.

      National Board Representative: This person is responsible for soliciting input from the local board on issues coming to a vote before the National board and reporting back to the local board. This person is required to represent the chapter at the National Convention.

    We will be holding a chapter mixer sometime in the next month. Board members will be there if you want to ask them questions about serving on the board or the elections process.

    Oct. 12 is the filing deadline to register your interest in running for a chapter board seat. Send an email to chapter Secretary Venice Buhain, including your name, job title, company and a brief statement (no more than 250 words) on why you’re running.

    Oct. 27 is the deadline for casting your ballots. As in previous elections, you’ll most likely receive a ballot electronically.

    If you have any questions, send an email to aajaseattle@gmail.com with “2012 chapter elections” in the subject line. Or you can contact one of the board officers directly. Thanks!

    AAJA Seattle student summer updates

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    By Kyle Kim

    In today’s recovering job market, I know firsthand as a recent graduate how competitive the news industry has been. So it is great to hear how fellow AAJA Seattle student members are still able to land opportunities in journalism.

    Rachel Solomon is a print reporter turned radio broadcast journalist who was recently hired as a morning news producer for 97.3 KIRO FM.

    Solomon received a Bachelor’s in Communication from the University of Washington in June where she spent time writing for the college’s student newspaper, The Daily. Her interest in radio led Solomon to produce a monthly This American Life-inspired radio podcat focusing on campus-life.

    Her work has ended up in The Seattle Times, National Native News, KUOW, KPLU and KPBCS.

    Listen to episodes of Solomon’s program “The Bark & The Bite” online.

    Joanna Nolasco snagged an internship this summer at The Oregonian covering Washington County news after spending six months interning for The Seattle Times.

    Nolasco was the recipient of the 2011 Northwest Journalists of Color Scholarship. The NJC scholarship program awards students in Washington state demonstrating talent and commitment in journalism.

    She has also interned for The Cambodia Daily in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in the summer of 2010.

    Nolasco studies Journalism and Political Science at the University of Washington and is expected to graduate in 2012.

    AAJA Seattle summer picnic on Saturday

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    Come celebrate the summer (what’s left of it) this Saturday at Lincoln Park in West Seattle. The picnic starts at noon and runs the afternoon.

    VP of Events Caroline Li is organizing this event.

    WHERE DO WE MEET?
    Lincoln Park, shelter 2 area tables 23-26 (but we don’t have the shelter, just the grill that is near the tables) See map, http://www.seattle.gov/parks/_images/maps/picnics/Lincoln1-2.pdf

    WHAT ARE YOU BRINGING TO THE POTLUCK?
    Please jot it down on this Google Docs.

    JOBS: Check out these openings from JournalismJobs.com

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    It’s summer (finally), and some of you may be looking for jobs. Congratulations to our new graduates! I remember how hard it was to find my first job after college. I applied for jobs at more than 50 news organizations but I wasn’t doing it the smart way. I wasn’t plugged into AAJA’s network.

    If you or a friend of yours is hunting for work, here are some job listings recently posted to a leading job site for journalists. If you’ve heard of other job openings that aren’t listed here, please submit a comment with the job lead and we’ll make sure it gets posted.

    If the employer asks how you heard about the job, please tell them “AAJA.” And if you GET the job, please consider making a donation to AAJA Seattle this year. Thanks!

    Philanthropy Reporter, Puget Sound Business Journal
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1261623

    Business Reporter, IntraFish.com
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=907082

    Reporter, Issaquah Press
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=681518

    Reporter, Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1258644

    Reporter, The Daily (created for digital tablets)
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/job_listing.cfm?JobID=1261522

    Photo/Video Editor, The Chronicle (Centralia)
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1262236

    Editor, Whitman College
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1262976

    Writer, Whitman College
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1262977

    Visiting Instructor in Journalism, University of Oregon
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1259175

    Managing Editor, The World (Coos Bay, Ore.)
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1261596

    The Bulletin (Bend, Ore.)
    is looking to fill four newsroom jobs:

  • Cops and Courts reporter:
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1261883
    Government reporter:
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1201746
     Public Lands Watchdog reporter
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1261855
    Editorial Writer
    http://www.journalismjobs.com/Job_Listing.cfm?JobID=1232573

    • RSVP for AAJA dim sum, July 9

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    Come eat, talk and eat some more at our next chapter business meeting! Help shape the chapter’s programs and get some cool swag.

    WHEN: 10:30 am – Noon, Saturday, July 9
    WHERE: Bamboo Village, 4900 Stone Way N., Wallingford (Seattle)

    We’ll be discussing the chapter’s plans for the summer and fall, as well as board elections and the National Convention. We welcome your ideas and involvement in our mission to support the next generation of journalists.

    Please RSVP by 5 pm FRIDAY to Sanjay Bhatt, sbhatt@seattletimes.com. Thanks!

    NJC 2011 Scholarship Winners Announced! Blethen honored for diversity commitment.

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    By Owen Lei

    Congratulations to this year’s NJC scholarship recipients!  On the 25th anniversary of the Northwest Journalists of Color Scholarship, AAJA Seattle was able to award nearly $5,000 in scholarships to help offset the cost of tuition, send a student to the 2011 AAJA national convention in Detroit, and help pay for off-campus multimedia storytelling courses.

    (above picture, from left to right) Mary Jean Spadafora, 911 Media Arts Scholarship; Joanna Nolasco, Northwest Journalists of Color Scholarship; Peter Sessum, Founder’s Scholarship; Gina Cole, NJC Scholarship. (not pictured: Katelin Chow, who won an NJC Scholarship, made a special appearance from Barcelona, Spain, via a pre-recorded webcam message)

    Seattle Times Publisher and AAJA Platinum member Frank Blethen received a “leadership in diversity” award from AAJA-Seattle and the Seattle Association of Black Journalists.

     

    Frank Blethen accepts Leadership in Diversity Award from NJC

     

     

    Thanh Tan of the Texas Tribune, as keynote speaker, shared her experiences as a multimedia reporter/producer covering state politics at a non-profit journalism outlet.

    The Texas Tribune is a non-profit journalism startup based in Austin that relies on diverse lines of revenue to sustain its hard-hitting reporting on state government and politics.

    Here’s an excerpt from Thanh’s amazing keynote speech:

    Will we succeed in our mission to be a non-profit, sustainable provider of public interest news? I don’t know. Will I still have a job in a year or two? I sure hope so. When I questioned whether I wanted to venture into the unknown, I leaned on my old Nightline executive producer, Tom Bettag, for help. Here’s what he told me, “As for the future of the Tribune and its model, I don’t think anyone knows. What we know is that it is a serious attempt to do important work. If it fails, it will be a noble failure. People will respect you for having done your best to make it work.”

    If you’d told me seven years ago that I would NOT be working in television news. That instead, I’d be producing and writing for an online start-up in Austin, Texas. That I would be a multi-platform journalist– I’d have said, ‘Whatever. Yeah right.’ The bottom is I’ve worked in local TV news in small and big markets. I’ve worked in public broadcasting at a local and national level. All those experiences—the good, the bad, and the ugly… led me to where I am today and make me appreciate what I have so much more. You don’t have to follow my path. Create your own future, and know that it may look nothing like what you’re envisioning right now. But the basics are the same. Just do it. Find that first break. Surround yourself with people who want you to succeed.

    Keep in touch with those whose work you admire. Break a few stories. Check your facts. Seek the truth. Hold the powerful accountable. Meet your deadlines. Learn from your mistakes. Survival in this industry may well be based on your ability to adapt your stories for different mediums—so learn all you can about how print, online, and broadcast work. Try new things—but always be mindful of your mission. And know that your job allows you to wield a certain amount of power that should not be abused. Pay attention to the people around you… listen to their stories, and understand that our work as journalists often gives voice to the voiceless. That’s a huge responsibility.

    Times are changing for this industry—it is a FASCINATING time to be a journalist, if you do it for the right reasons. You’ve gotten this far. I promise you that with a little help from the Northwest Journalists of Color—and all the people who are around you today– you will go on to produce work that inspires and enlightens your community.

    This is just the beginning of your journey, and I am so excited for you.

    Thanh Tan and her father, Duc

    VIP Reception for Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan after her appearance at Elliott Bay Books, June 10

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    Join AAJA New York member and author Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan and longtime AAJA Seattle member Terry Tazioli, host of TVW’s “Author Hour,” for a conversation about food and family in her tantalizing memoir “A Tiger in the Kitchen” at Elliott Bay Book Co., and then come to a VIP private reception/fundraiser at Tazioli’s home!

    Conversation: 8 p.m. on Friday, June 10

    Location: Elliott Bay Book Co., 1521 10th Avenue, Seattle (Capitol Hill neighborhood)

    Based in New York, Cheryl is a freelance journalist who has worked for the Wall Street Journal, InStyle magazine and the Baltimore Sun. She has given much back to AAJA as a longtime former AAJA Governing Board member.

    After growing up in the most food-obsessed city in the world, Cheryl left home and family at eighteen for America to pursue her dream of becoming a journalist. (It was proof of the rebelliousness of daughters born in the Year of the Tiger.)

    But as a thirtysomething fashion writer in New York, she felt the Singaporean dishes that defined her childhood beginning to call her back. Was it too late to learn the secrets of her grandmothers’ and aunties’ kitchens, as well as the tumultuous family history that had kept them hidden before? In her quest to recreate the dishes of her native Singapore by cooking with her family, Cheryl learned not only cherished recipes but long-buried stories of past generations.

    If you liked “Eat Pray Love” or you have noshed at Malay Satay Hut in Seattle, you will devour Cheryl’s book. You can check out her blog at http://atigerinthekitchen.com and follow Cheryl on Twitter @cheryltan88.

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    A VIP reception with author and AAJA member Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan

    Friday, June 10, 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
    Location: The Leschi home of Terry Tazioli, host of TVW’s “Author Hour”

    We’ll be eating late-night snacks with Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan at a VIP reception immediately after her book reading at Elliott Bay Book Co. In Singapore, we call the midnight snack siew yeh. You’re invited to siew yeh with Cheryl after her reading Friday!

    You’ll get personalized cooking tips from Cheryl and the New York Fashion Week style forecast straight from the one-time InStyle magazine editor.

    All attendees will receive a signed copy of a new special recipe designed for Seattle foodies by Cheryl that is not in her book. You’ll also be able to purchase autographed copies of her new book at the reception.

    It’s all for a great cause. Proceeds from the reception will benefit the Founders Scholarship program for the nonprofit Asian American Journalists Association Seattle Chapter.

    We will also be selling tickets at Cheryl’s book reading at Elliott Bay Book Co. at 8 p.m. on June 10.

    Buy your tickets today from Brown Paper Tickets!  AAJA members get in for $25. Non-AAJA members pay $40. These prices do not include Brown Paper Tickets’ service charge.

    Any time in June: Buy your copy of “A Tiger in the Kitchen” by AAJA member Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan from Elliott Bay Book Co. in June and the store will donate 10 percent of sales proceeds for the book to the AAJA Seattle Founders Scholarship!

    You don’t need to live in Seattle to take advantage of this offer. You can order a copy of Cheryl’s book by mail from Elliott Bay and she will sign it for you while she is in Seattle on June 10! To order, call 206-624-6600 or email orders@elliottbaybook.com

    Thanh Tan of The Texas Tribune headlines this year’s NJC scholarship reception

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    Thanh Tan

    Thanh Tan is the keynote speaker for this year’s Northwest Journalists of Color awards reception, which will be June 7 at KING TV.

    Get your free tickets at EventBrite!

    The reception, which marks the 25th anniversary of AAJA Seattle’s flagship program, brings Thanh Tan from Austin, Texas, to share her experiences with this year’s scholarship winners.

    Tan, a three-time NJC scholarship winner, is a multimedia reporter/producer for The Texas Tribune.

    She previously worked at Idaho Public Television, a PBS station that serves a statewide audience.

    While there, she was an Emmy award-winning producer/reporter/host for the longest-running legislative public affairs program in the West, Idaho Reports, moderator of The Idaho Debates, and a writer/producer for the flagship series Outdoor Idaho.

    Prior to joining IdahoPTV, she was a general assignment reporter at the ABC affiliate in Portland, OR and a political reporter for KBCI-TV in Boise, ID. Her work has also appeared on the PBS NewsHour and This American Life.

    She graduated with honors from the University of Southern California with degrees in International Relations and Broadcast Journalism.

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