LAT’s ‘GRADING THE TEACHER:’ 100 interviews later…

In August 2009, Los Angeles Times reporter Jason Song had just finished the investigative series “Failure Gets a Pass,” about how difficult it was to fire some teachers in the Los Angeles Unified School District. He had his first byline at the newspaper as the school district reporter in November

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Minority Representation Low in Digital Media

BY KIM BUI / AAJA-LA (KPCC’S COMMUNITY, SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR) As we gear up toward conference season, I’m reminded of a debate brought on earlier this year brought on by Retha Hill, which later spurred an active Twitter chat. The complaint? Conferences — including AAJA’s — do a poor job

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‘Behind the Lens:’ The Perspective of the TV News Photographer

BY PHIL IGE/ AAJA-LA (KTLA VIDEOGRAPHER/ 2011 AAJA-LA BOARD MEMBER) In the world of TV news, the word interchangeability is commonly heard. Writers and producers are multi-tasking, taking on editing responsibilities in addition to their writing and producing responsibilities. Field reporters in various markets, even the Top 10, are being

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BANANA 2: The bloggers cometh’

5/20/2012 UPDATE by Joz Wang: AAJA-LA is pleased to announce the evolution of the Banana Conference… V3con, the V3 Digital Media Conference! Please visit V3con.com for the latest conference information! The bloggers came out from San Francisco, New York, Canada – one blogger postponing a return trip to Japan from

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IPI News Innovation Contest: International Press Institute and Google announce $2.7 million grant

Photo: Reuters The International Press Institute (IPI) today announced that it has been awarded $2.7 million by Google Inc, to sponsor the ‘IPI News Innovation Contest’, a project aimed at advancing the future of digital news by funding new ways to inform communities in Europe, Middle East and Africa. The IPI

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A Century on, re-envisioning a 21st century Rafu Shimpo

BY SAMANTHA MASUNAGA/ 2010-2011 Peter Imamura Memorial Scholarship recipient, UCLA junior Walk into the Little Tokyo office of the Rafu Shimpo and it is clear that this community newspaper is unlike many other news outlets. For nearly 110 years, the Rafu has maintained a presence in the Japanese-American community, covering everything

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Hard work pays off for 2010-2011 Chapter scholarship winners

Four Los Angeles-area college students received scholarship checks ranging from $1,000 to $2,500 to assist them in their pursuit of a career in journalism during a banquet hosted by the Los Angeles Chapter of AAJA on January 21. UCLA Daily Bruin editors Samantha Masunga (Peter Imamura Memorial Scholarship, $1,500) and

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ALHAMBRA SOURCE: Comment in Chinese, read it in English and Spanish

By JOHN SAKATA/ AAJA-LA Walking into his first student council meeting at Alhambra High School, Anthony Perez recalls feeling intimidated his freshman year.  He entered the room, and “everybody else was Asian.” Twenty four of the 25 students attending the council meeting were Asian.  He was the only Hispanic student to

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HONOR ROLL LIST: Pioneers, past and present

  Asian American Journalists Association Honor Roll ASIAN AMERICAN PIONEERS IN JOURNALISM REMEMBERING OUR ROOTS A pioneer is one who opens up an area or prepares a way.  A pioneer is somebody who does something for the first time or is one of the first to reach a goal, a

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