Joined: 15 Jul 2006
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Location: Dallas, TX
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SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- "Stand by ... we're 'live' in 3, 2, 1..."
The title of the new award-winning DVD "More Than A Job -- Broadcast Journalism" captures it all -- the excitement, the challenge of working in TV and radio news. The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) announced today the public release of the DVD to encourage Asian Americans to look at broadcast journalism as a rewarding career choice.
For many Asian American journalists, it's not only a job, it's a dream fulfilled.
"Broadcast journalism allowed me to travel the world to see history being made," said Lloyd LaCuesta, a bureau chief for KTVU (Fox) in the San Francisco Bay Area and an AAJA Lifetime Achievement Award winner. "It has always been more than just a job."
Victoria Lim, senior consumer investigative reporter for WFLA-TV in Tampa Bay, Florida, said, "Whether it's protecting my viewers from the latest scam or righting a wrong, my career in journalism has been incredibly fulfilling."
AAJA produced the DVD to stem the tide of the declining number of Asian Americans represented in newsrooms across the country. In 2000, 3 percent of local TV news stations across the country were comprised of Asian Americans, according to the Radio-Television News Directors Association. One percent of the radio industry was staffed with Asian Americans. By 2006, the numbers virtually remain the same, following years of declining figures. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders constitute 5 percent of the United States population, according to the U. S. Census Bureau.
"In order to have fair and equitable coverage, our newsrooms must reflect the communities we cover," said AAJA National President Esther Wu, who is a columnist/reporter for The Dallas Morning News. "Census figures show that Asians are among the fastest growing race in the United States. Yet, unless you live on the West Coast, you might be hard pressed to find any Asian faces on the nightly news. For these reasons, it is imperative that we have more Asian representation in the broadcast industry."
Television news pioneers such as Ken Kashiwahara, James Hattori, Tritia Toyota and Connie Chung opened many doors for talented Asian Americans. AAJA is dedicated to helping Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders enter and thrive in the competitive news business.
From working behind the scenes as producers, assignment editors and photographers to working in front of the camera and microphones as reporters and anchors, broadcast journalists work on new creative stories every day in a fast-paced, high-adrenaline industry. They can also meet presidents, governors, athletes, entertainers and everyday people with interesting personal stories to tell.
"I love reporting because you get to tell people about what's going on in their world, no two days are ever the same, and you get to meet interesting people and see different places every day," said Darren Lyn, national correspondent for ESPN.
Traci Tong, a producer with WGBH/National Public Radio in Boston and of the BBC World Service, said, "I've traveled the world working with reporters in Africa, Asia, the United Kingdom and the South Pacific. With the BBC World Service, you can talk with heads of state from Kenya, Haiti, and France, and then one day, interview surfers whipping through the Amazon."
Broadcast journalism offers an opportunity to write a great story while influencing the community and the world. AAJA believes Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are a vital part of television and radio news, and has been focusing on an initiative to increase the presence of AAPI men in the industry.
"Broadcast journalism needs to reflect the community it serves," said George Kiriyama, a reporter with KNTV in the San Francisco Bay Area. "Asian Americans in general and Asian American men specifically bring to the newsroom table their experiences, their dreams, and their opinions. It's important to have Asian American men represented in TV News ... because if we don't represent us ... who will?"
AAJA is making the DVD available to schools, community groups, career counseling centers and libraries. The DVD features six Asian American journalists from across the United States. The journalists on the video are: Jamie Nguyen, producer, KTRK TV Houston, Texas; Robert Handa, reporter, KTVU Oakland, California; Jam Sardar, reporter, WOOD TV, Grand Rapids, Michigan; Mimi Jung, reporter and anchor, KING 5 TV, Seattle, Washington; and Wilma Consul and Scott Tong, National Public Radio, Washington D.C. But what makes this DVD unique are the interviews with proud parents talking about their children's careers as journalists.
"Journalism is not a career that Asian American parents suggest to their children. But broadcast journalism is a field that can impact a community, a city, or even the nation," said Stanton Tang, Vice President of Broadcast of AAJA and executive producer of WZZM in Grand Rapids, Michigan. "More Than A Job -- Broadcast Journalism tells a compelling story from those who have pursued television and radio as a career and found success."
Randall Yip of KGO-TV in San Francisco served as executive producer of the project and Curtiss Kim of KFTY-TV in Santa Rosa, Calif., produced and hosted it. The Telly Awards recently awarded the video its bronze statuette.
Thanks to a grant from the Fox Entertainment Group, Diversity Development and assistance from TPS Production in Washington D.C., the DVD is available for free.
To request a copy, stop by AAJA's national office or send a check for $5 per DVD to cover shipping and handling to:
AAJA National Office
Attn: More Than A Job DVD
1182 Market St., Suite 320
San Francisco, CA 94102
Phone (415) 346-2051
national@aaja.org
Additional fees may apply for international orders.
About AAJA
The Asian American Journalists Association is a non-profit professional and educational organization with approximately 2,000 members today. 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 (AAPIs) 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. For more information, visit http://www.aaja.org/.
source: http://sev.prnewswire.com/publishing-information-services/20060801/SFTU06901082006-1.html
Website: http://www.aaja.org/ |
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