January 2023 Newsletter

Happy New Year and welcome to AAJA Hawai‘i’s monthly newsletter! Here, you’ll find chapter updates, upcoming events, member bylines and more.

If you have a story or career update you want to share with our AAJA family, let us know at hawaii@aaja.org!

Chapter Updates

AAJA Hawai‘i will once again sponsor the Hawai‘i Journalist of the Year contest, which is held by Hawai‘i Journalism Education Association. This contest is only for senior high school journalism students working at their school’s newspaper, yearbook or broadcast program. If you know a student who would like to participate, please email hawaiisja@gmail.com by Jan. 15. Applications are due by Feb. 15.

In 2022, AAJA Hawai‘i provided judges, as well as $500 in prize money for HiJOY. The HiJOY winner can enter the national JEA JOY contest. The national winner gets $5000 and four runners-up each get $1000. More information about HiJOY is available here.

Member News

Congratulations to Thomas Heaton for his November 2022 series, “UXO: Lethal Legacy,” which was lauded by The Pulitzer Center as one of the best projects it supported in 2022!

Member Bylines

What Happens When Private Equity Is Your Landlord in Hawai‘i
Hawaii Business Magazine’s Noelle Fujii-Oride investigates private equity landlords in Hawai‘i. Many renters “shared stories of sharp rent increases, poor upkeep of their units and common areas, numerous fees, and a lack of transparency about how those fees are calculated.”

Nearly half of young, local farmers experience depression, UH survey finds
Hawai‘i Public Radio’s Casey Harlow reports on the results of a new UH mental health survey. “The survey found that 48% of farmers under the age of 45 years old experienced depression, and 14% struggled with suicidal thoughts. That’s nearly two times higher than the general population of Hawaiʻi, and 17% higher than the Centers for Disease Control’s 2021 report on public health workers.”

Honoring Mauna Kea
KITV4’s Jeremy Lee reports on the significance of the temporary structures that were removed from the Thirty Meter Telescope protest site in December. “And so Mauna Kea, to me, from here I see her every day- fought for the right things to be done there. Because that’s not a prayer being left behind. That’s not a prayer, it’s not ours, it’s not ours to own,” says Ali’i Paul K. Neves of the Royal Order of Kamehameha I.

Bored Ape Creator Yuga Labs Nabs New CEO From Gaming Giant Activision Blizzard
DeCrypt’s Ryan Ozawa reports on the new CEO of Yuga Labs. “Luring (Daniel) Alegre over to the blockchain technology company behind the Bored Ape Yacht Club, CryptoPunks and Otherside is quite a corporate coup for Yuga Labs. While helping to lead Activision Blizzard since early 2020, Alegre had a hand in developing well-known brands like Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and Candy Crush.”

Hawai‘i Plans To Update Its Noxious Weeds List. Local Environmentalists Aren’t Waiting
Honolulu Civil Beat’s Cassie Ordonio reports on renewed efforts to revamp the official list of harmful weeds in the islands for the first time in 30 years. “The process also will involve a study of potential noxious weed species, public comments, assessments from advisory committees, legal advice and final approval from the Board of Agriculture.”

Farmers And Ranchers Buoyed By New Contingent Of Food-Focused Politicians
Honolulu Civil Beat’s Thomas Heaton reports on a cohort of farming legislators bolster Hawai‘i’s food systems and build on momentum from 2022. “Ranchers and farmers have long wanted representatives with a greater understanding of agriculture, and now they are pinning their hopes on bills being introduced to ensure Hawaii’s food system becomes more productive and profitable.”

Racial Disparities Vex Hawai‘i’s Child Welfare System. Can They Be Fixed?
Honolulu Civil Beat’s Anita Hofschneider reports on how Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander parents are far more likely to have children removed by the state. “Research shows removing children from their homes, even temporarily, can cause long-term trauma. That’s one reason why child welfare systems nationally have been under increasing scrutiny for disproportionately taking away children from Black and Native families, which can sever their connections with their communities.”

Local Job Openings

Civil Beat is seeking a criminal justice reporter with a minimum of 5 years experience who can combine strong digging and data skills, source building and compelling storytelling. More information here.

Updates from AAJA National

AAJA released its final report for its Broadcast Snapshot Project, which found that only 4 of the top 20 U.S. TV news markets had on-air staff comparable with their local AAPI population. Read the report here.

The Asian American Journalists Association is accepting applications for the following scholarships:
Due by January 15, 2023:
White House Correspondents’ Association Scholarship
Due by January 30, 2023:
Jimmie & Suey Fong Yee Grants
Al Young Sports Journalism Scholarship
Michael Kim Journalism Fellowship
Vincent Chin Memorial Scholarship
Mary Quon Moy Ing Memorial Scholarship
Due by February 28, 2023:
ABC News/Alexa Valiente Summer Memorial Internship
NBC News Summer Fellowship
Due by March 30, 2023:
Sam Chu Lin and Lloyd LaCuesta Broadcast News Internship Grants
William Woo Print and Online News Grant
Stanford Chen Internship Grant
Due by April 1, 2023 and October 1, 2023:
Dinah Eng Leadership Fellowship Grant