March 2023 Newsletter
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
Congratulations to Skye Bulman of ‘Iolani School and An Vo of McKinley High School, who won first and second place in the 2023 Hawaii Student Journalist of the Year contest organized by the Hawaii Journalism Education Association and sponsored by AAJA Hawai‘i. Reach more about the two winners on the Hawaii Scholastic Journalism Association’s website here.
“Defining Courage,” which tells the story of a segregated combat team of Americans of Japanese ancestry, is coming to Hawai‘i Theatre on March 18 at 7 p.m. The performance by Emmy Award-winning filmmakers Jeff MacIntyre and ABC7-Los Angeles News Anchor David Ono features live music, vocals and multi-media to immerse viewers in the legacy of the 100th Battalion/442nd Regiment. More information here.
If you are interested in gathering after the “Defining Courage” performance, email AAJA Hawai‘i board member Wes Nakama at wesnakama@gmail.com!
Member Bylines
Breaking Down Benchmarks
Building Management Hawaii’s Chris Aguinaldo reports on Honolulu’s Better Buildings Benchmarking Program, which requires that Honolulu’s largest buildings report their annual energy and water usages. “According to the city, the program will allow building managers to compare their performance to similar buildings and make adjustments to be more energy-efficient.”
While a tax hike to fund homeless services may not pass, housing advocates have a plan
Hawai‘i Public Radio’s Casey Harlow reports on a plan by housing advocates to push for an increase in the state’s conveyance tax to fund homeless services. “Senate Bill 678, for me, is a no-brainer. Dedicated funding to homelessness is a no-brainer,” said Nicky Winter, executive director of Achieve Zero. “I don’t care where the money comes from, we should be throwing everything that we have in the arsenal at homelessness.”
Hawaii Entrepreneur Awards 2023: Deal of the Year
Hawaii Business Magazine’s Noelle Fujii-Oride profiles Blue Ocean Barns, a Kona-based startup company that grows and manufactures a seaweed-based supplement to reduce methane emissions from cow burps. “Series A funding of $20 million led by Valor Siren Ventures will help the company scale commercially, says Joan Salwen, co-founder and CEO of Blue Ocean Barns.”
Japan Delays Dump Of Fukushima Wastewater. But For How Long?
Honolulu Civil Beat’s Thomas Heaton reports on Japan’s decision to postpone the release of treated nuclear wastewater into the ocean. “Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida indicated that the nation would hold off the release until it was “verifiably safe to do so and based on a relationship built of trust and in the spirit of friendship,” according to the Pacific Islands Forum, an intergovernmental organization.”
Why Blind Students Struggle To Get Braille Textbooks On Time
Honolulu Civil Beat’s Cassie Ordonio reports on a bill that would force public schools to provide timely instructional material. “The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard that underpins federal law is intended to ensure blind and visually impaired students have access to textbooks and other educational materials promptly.”
Institutional Traders Shifting Attention from Blockchain to AI: JP Morgan
Decrypt’s Ryan Ozawa reports on JP Morgan’s e-Trading Edit report, which is based on a January survey of 835 institutional traders in 60 global markets. “More than half of the institutional traders surveyed by global financial services giant JP Morgan said that artificial intelligence and machine learning will be the most influential technology in shaping the future of trading over the next three years—cited four times more often than blockchain and distributed ledger technology.”
Local Job Openings
Lāna‘i Today is seeking a managing editor, publisher and lead reporter with a Bachelor’s in English or Journalism. This combined position will be responsible for working with a variety of contributing journalists and a series of amateur writers from the community to create a community newspaper. More information here.
Honolulu Star-Advertiser is seeking a city editor who will lead a staff of 15 reporters and three assistant editors as they cover breaking news for the paper’s print and online editions. The successful candidate will be an excellent editor who is comfortable generating story and project ideas, coaching reporters at all experience levels, and engaging with readers and community members. More information here.
Honolulu Star-Advertiser is seeking a general assignment reporter to join its city desk. Reporting experience at a daily newspaper is essential, as is evidence of strong news writing and critical thinking, and a willingness to tackle any assignment. More information here.
Civil Beat is looking for an opinion writer to produce compelling commentary that educates and engages readers on a number of levels. Salary based on experience but minimum is expected to be $70,000. More information here.
Updates from AAJA National
Applications are open for AAJA’s signature programs:
JCamp | Deadline: March 17: Our flagship program for high school students is a six-day training camp that brings together culturally diverse students from across the nation to learn from veteran journalists and leading media executives. Apply here
VOICES | Deadline: March 3: Our flagship program for college students is a student fellowship program that equips student journalists with career-ready skills to succeed in the continually evolving media landscape. Apply here.
Executive Leadership Program (ELP) | Deadline: March 1: ELP brings together mid- to senior-level journalists and prepares them for tackling important leadership and change management questions. Apply here
AAJA is also accepting applications for the following scholarships, which have a March 30 deadline:
Broadcast News Internship Grants
Stanford Chen Internship Grant
William Woo Print and Online News Internship Grant
The AAJA Pacific Islander Task Force has also opened applications for its 2023 NAJA-AAJA Journalism Scholarship. The funding is intended to help Indigenous peoples of the Pacific, including Polynesians, Micronesians and Melanesians, pursue careers in journalism, especially in the U.S. and U.S.-affiliated Pacific islands. Up to two scholarships of $5,000 each will be awarded this year. Deadline is May 1. Apply here.
AAJA has opened registration for #AAJA23, which will be held in Washington, D.C. in July. Room blocks for conference attendees are also available from Sunday, July 16, 2023 to Monday, July 24, 2023. Rooms are discounted at special #AAJA23 rates, starting at $189 USD per night. More information is available at: https://aaja23.org/.
Other Resources
The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority recently updated its Ma‘ma‘e Toolkit, a “cultural resource that has recently been enhanced for the visitor industry, businesses and community organizations to portray the Hawaiian Islands in a manner that is accurate and authentic.” More information here.
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