August 11, 2020
Dear #AAJAFam

Is...time flying for y'all? Because it feels like we were just learning about Dr. Sanjay Gupta's work-life balance, and now we've sung together, made dumplings, gamed together, and so much more.
What did you think of Day 3? We want to hear all the pluses and deltas, all the roses, buds, and thorns. Let us know in the daily feedback form.

Today's Digest
  • Wednesday Program
  • #AAJA20 Week Ahead
  • AAJA Mixers and Social Hours
  • Tuesday Highlights
  • Toyota during the pandemic
  • Connecting at #AAJA20
Dumplings made by Corinne Chin at last night's Nom Wah cook-along, journalist by day...professional dumpling maker by night?
Wednesday at #AAJA20
all times listed in ET
Start Wednesday with a power lunch hour: Covering Politics: from the White House to the Campaign Trail, presented by CBS News.

*Join in before 1pm to catch live or watch the recording here!*

The politics surrounding the coronavirus pandemic and the protests driven by George Floyd's death have dominated the headlines throughout this important election season.

Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan will host a panel with two journalists in the thick of it all: White House Correspondent Weijia Jiang and CBSN Anchor Elaine Quijano.
Then learn about the work of (& opportunities with) our exhibitors in the Virtual Exhibit Hall & Trade Show from 1-2:30pm.

2:30-3:30p

3:00-4:00p

4:00-5:00p

5:30-6:30p
The final plenary of the day is Pandemic and the Polls with NBC University featuring John Yang, Madalene Mielke, Chris Lu, Karthick Ramakrishnan, Deepa Shivaram, and Jessica Prois in conversation with Jo Ling Kent and Richard Lui.

Mid worries that the Coronavirus will resurface and cause a whole new bigger wave of cases in the Fall what will voting look like in many states? What are the particular challenges for minority and rural communities? And, in the AAPI community in particular, how does the spike in racist backlash related to COVID19 impact voters and would-be voters?
At 8pm tonight, join Maria Ressa and filmmaker Ramona Diaz in conversation with Benjamin Pimentel to learn about the parallels between the Philippines and the United States, the importance of being a global citizen, and the role of social media and Silicon Valley in democracy.

Also at 8pm, Hong Kong Under Siege: Visuals from the Protests' Frontlines. Our members who have been covering the Hong Kong protests since Day 1 show their work and talk about their planning and execution of covering the protests, and what they learned along the way.

Decompress with the Systems Game Show, tonight at 9pm. Watch the livestream on Facebook.
The Week Ahead

Women Do News Wiki Edit-a-thon Nominate a woman journalist for entry on Wikipedia and join fellow conference attendees today through Friday (2:30-4:30pm) to help edit or write entries, or just to hang out.

2020 Dith Pran Instagram Photo Shootout Competition
Join in the photo competition this year with an entry on the theme "Coping With a Pandemic." Full competition details here. #AAJAPhoto

AAJA Second Annual Film Showcase on Saturday at 7:30pm ET
Close the first-ever AAJA virtual convention with a movie night showcasing AAPI filmmakers hosted by AAJA Photojournaists, Video, Women & Non-binary Voices, and Features Forum. Details TBA.
AAJA Board Election
Today, 8pm ET, is the voter eligibility deadline (must activate or renew membership by this date). Voting ends tomorrow at 8pm ET. Full elections information here.

Karaoke Night Popular Vote
Watch the judges' Top 5 entries of the 30th Anniversary Karaoke Competition and vote in the polls here to award the newly minted George Kiriyama Karaoke Award. (For a shorter highlight reel, check out this Twitter thread)
Mixers & Social Hours

Movie Watch Party hosted by Yung (Young) AAJA tonight 9:30-11:30pm ET Join fellow AAJA members in watching Always Be My Maybe. Details on how to join the Netflix party here.

AAJA Atlanta Mixer Tonight 6:30pm ET
The Atlanta Chapter is hosting a hangout Wednesday evening for our current, former and future Atlanta chapter members. Join Zoom Meeting at 6:30pm ET (passcode: 7eeH3q).

AAJA New York Chapter Hangout on Friday
AAJA New York is hosting a hangout on Friday, August 14 at 7pm ET. All are welcome regardless of chapter affiliation. Please RSVP here to receive the Zoom link. (Are you hosting an #AAJA20 social gathering? DM us on Twitter @aaja so we can hype you in these daily convention updates!)

AAJA Chicago Virtual Happy Hour 5-7pm CT Let's celebrate AAJA Fest with a chapter happy hour this Friday evening. Come for as long or little as you can. We'll be there to say hi, hang out and get to know everyone a bit better. Some of us may or may not drink a beverage or two... BYOB. Details here.

AAJA DC Chapter Meetup on Friday at 6pm ET
Catch up with your fellow DC AAJA members. Join their Zoom Meeting at 6:00pm ET (pass code: 243241)
AUDIO Social Friday 7-9pm ET AAJA Radio & Podcasting, Asian-American Podcasters Association and AIR invites you to a Friday night social from 7-9pm ET. Networking and more with your hosts Lee Uehara, Tran Vu and Rahul Bali. Register here.
Tuesday: Select Highlights
Rachel Ramirez (@rachjuramirez) CNN Queens!!! I love this moment, taken seconds after @mj_lee's dog joined the party. @NatashaChenCNN @KyungLahCNN #AAJA20

From CNN's Power Hour Clips & Conversations
Megu Kolanko (@megukolanko) I was kind of crossing my fingers for a brief baby interruption! @aaja @weijia

From Reporting While Asian American: From 1600 Pennsylvania
How to Thrive as a Freelancer: From the Pitch to the Paycheck thread by Cody Kitaura (@codytoshiro) and thread by Rina Diane Caballar (@rinadianewrites)


Care Before You Share: How to Debunk Fake News and Misinformation
Heather J. Chin (@HeatherJChin) Invaluable #aaja20 panel on #misinformation #fakenews. Don’t want to amplify, but silence enables spread. Has influencer or someone in power spread? Don’t just focus on debunking; highlight tactics, techniques, weaponizing info to push agenda--ppl don’t like to be manipulated.
Social at #AAJA20
With the COVID-19 crisis hitting small and medium-sized businesses particularly hard, Toyota Motor North America (TMNA) together with its Pan-Asian nonprofit partners, is supporting a variety of initiatives aimed at helping Asian American-Pacific Islander (AAPI) entrepreneurs sustain their companies.


Toyota is committed to help halt the spread of this virus in our communities and committed to help everyone not only start … but achieve … their impossible… especially during these tough times.
Connecting at #AAJA20
💡 FESTIVAL TIP: Check out "The art of effective (virtual) networking" from the Lenfest Institute.

#AAJA20 Collaborative Playlist
We're starting an #AAJA20 playlist to cultivate the collective mood of fest! Add your favs here.

Joining us for the first time today? Welcome! Check out this tipsheet on how to maximize your experience. Don't forget to play conference bingo!

Virtual Welcome Bag Please enjoy these exclusive offers, freebies, and discounts from friends of AAJA during the festival. Find the Virtual Welcome Bag on your #AAJA20 menu bar.
Please help us ensure the best possible festival experience by letting us know your thoughts in real-time here.