SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Jun 24, 2011) - The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) announced today its 2011 J Camp class will convene for a six-day program that brings together a multicultural group of forty-two high school students to sharpen their journalism skills and develop media awareness. J Camp will be held Aug. 6 to 11 at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI, just prior to AAJA's national convention. This will be the eleventh year of the program.
High school students from across the country are selected in a competitive application process where academic achievement and journalistic talent are among the strongest considerations. The students selected for the 2011 J Camp are: http://www.aaja.org/programs/for_students/journalism_trainings/j_camp
"Every year, an AAJA highlight for me is meeting the best and brightest high school students in the latest class of J Camp," said Doris Truong, AAJA National President. "They were selected with all aspects of diversity in mind, and they will be journalism's future. I can't wait to experience the 11th session of J Camp firsthand and watch their progress myself."
There have been more than 400 students who have graduated from J Camp since the program began in 2001. An alumni survey funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in 2008 showed that high school students still see journalism and media-related jobs as viable professions, with a top reason being "to positively change the world." Recent works by alumni are at http://blogs.aaja.org/jcamplive/
"We're delighted to have such a diverse and talented group of young journalists joining us in Michigan this year," said Clea Benson, J Camp Co-Director and Bloomberg News reporter. "If they follow in the footsteps of previous J Camp classes and pursue journalism in college and beyond, the media will be in good hands."
J Camp's mission is to help ensure excellence in journalism by inspiring talented high school students from diverse backgrounds into considering a journalism career. A diverse newsroom can benefit readers and views with a different perspective on government, human interest stories, entertainment, science and international news.
J Camp's curriculum consists of interactive workshops, hands-on training, and field trips. The program draws prominent journalists as guest speakers.
The 2011 J Camp faculty includes: Paul Cheung, Global Interactive Editor, The Associated Press; Joe Grimm, Visiting Editor in Residence, Michigan State University; Caridad Hernandez, Executive Producer, CNN US; Kyndell Harkness, Photographer, Minneapolis Star Tribune; Richard Lui, Anchor, NBC News/MSNBC; and Neal Justin, TV Critic, Minneapolis Star Tribune.
J Camp 2011 is made possible by a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Additional support is provided by Michigan State University, CNN, Compuware, Dow Jones Foundation, Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, Bloomberg, Gannett, News Corporation, Hyundai, and individual donors. In-kind support provided by the Associated Press, Travel Tech and the Lansing State Journal.
The Asian American Journalists Association is a non-profit professional and educational organization with more than 1,400 members 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 (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 www.aaja.org.
AAJA is an alliance partner in UNITY: Journalists of Color, along with the Native American Journalists Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.