AAJA-AARP Social Media Fellow Announced for 2014

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Apr 21, 2014) - Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) is pleased to announce Gil Asakawa as the new Asian American Journalists Association-AARP Social Media Fellow in a continued partnership between the two organizations. "On behalf of AARP, I would like to thank all of the applicants that applied for the AAJA-AARP Social Media Fellowship," said Daphne Kwok, vice president of AARP. "The caliber of the applicants was of the highest level and their passion and commitment to the Asian American Pacific Islander 50+ communities palpable."

Asakawa will be working on stories focused on topics covering the 50+ Asian American Pacific Islander communities in this 10-month guest social media fellowship. "Gil's professional experience and social media skills coupled with his lifelong commitment to the AAPI community will help us continue our work ensuring that families and individuals 50+ can live a life with dignity and respect," said Kwok. Asakawa will also be key to driving more engagement through AARP's Asian American Pacific Islander social media channels.

Asakawa is currently Manager of Student Media at University of Colorado's School of Journalism and Mass Communications, where he oversees the student-run news website, CUIndependent.com. He is also AAJA Denver's local chapter president.

"This is a great next step for the AAJA and AARP partnership," said Paul Cheung, national president of AAJA. "Gil will bring a rich and diverse perspective on covering our community as he has evolved from artist to reporter to author and now a digital guru."

The Asian American Journalists Association is a nonprofit professional and educational organization with over 1,700 members in 21 chapters across the United States and in Asia. 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 (AAPI's) to enter the ranks of journalism, to increase the number of AAPI journalists and news managers in the industry and to work for fair and accurate coverage of AAPI's and AAPI issues. AAJA is an alliance partner in UNITY Journalists for Diversity, along with the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) and National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association (NLGJA). For more information please visit www.aaja.org.