Every journalist has a rolodex of go-to experts that they call on to help tell a story. The trouble is that few of them are diverse.
To help change that, the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) is organizing its first AAJA Media Institute, a two-day workshop to train thought leaders and help them become valuable sources to the media.
The workshop, sponsored by W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Nielsen and Southwest Airlines, will be held August 15 – 16 in Washington, D.C. The Media Institute will show selected participants how to tell their story in print, television and online formats. Led by a team of award-winning journalists, participants will learn about how a newsroom operates, get tips on becoming camera-ready and practice answering tough interview questions. By the end of the boot camp, they will also leave with a professional headshot and a video clip that demonstrates their expertise. The workshop will take place at the same time as AAJA’s national convention, allowing participants to network with hundreds of professional journalists from the industry’s top media outlets.
“If we in the media want to produce great journalism, we need to tell the stories of all our communities and include diverse perspectives in our reporting,” said Paul Cheung, AAJA president and director of interactive and digital news production at the Associated Press. “AAJA is proud to do its part to bring new voices to the forefront.”
The workshop will accept applications from fifteen non-profit leaders to attend the program at no cost as a fellowship. The non-profit fellowship was made possible by a generous grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. An additional fifteen slots will be made available for business leaders to apply; these fifteen slots cost $1,500 each. Applications will be accepted until Friday, July 25.
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“We are pleased to support AAJA’s efforts to offer hands-on tools and training that will help increase opportunities for communities of color to readily engage in major media and public dialogue,” said Joanne Krell, vice president for communications at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
For more information and to apply, check out the 2014 AAJA Media Institute.
