Dear AAJA Family,

We are thinking of you and hope you are staying well. As we continue to closely monitor the COVID-19 outbreak, we wanted to provide timely updates and resources to our AAJA family. We are all coping with unprecedented disruption to our lives, an increased risk of illness, and other uncertainties. We thank our members working hard to report on the outbreak, and hope you're taking care of yourself and checking in with your colleagues and loved ones. 

We encourage all to err on the side of social distancing, and to take any possible extra measures and precautions beyond guidelines issued by the CDC , the WHO , and your local authorities. 

PROGRAMS UPDATE

With that, we wanted to give a few updates regarding AAJA's programming. We understand and empathize that chapters are quickly having to pivot and reschedule many of their hard-planned scheduling for this year. Thank you for your patience with National as we do the same. 

• Our Executive Leadership Program 2020 has been postponed until August 2020.
• AAJA Asia's N3Con has been rescheduled for August 28-30 in Hong Kong.
• The spring board meeting will continue as scheduled; we will be meeting virtually.
• Google Election Tools trainings have been postponed until further notice. Chapters will not be required to plan for a rescheduled date at this time.
• Voices: Our Voices program will continue to accept applications. We will assess the situation and provide another update in April.
• JCamp: Our JCamp program will also continue to accept applications. We will assess the situation, especially with our university partners, and provide another update in April.
• #AAJA20: We are continuing to plan for what promises to be an exciting #AAJA20 convention in Washington, D.C. If the situation changes, we will immediately notify members and stakeholders, and keep you updated on any contingency plans. 

GUIDANCE ON COVERAGE

Thanks to our MediaWatch Committee , our guidance on COVID-19 coverage has set clear standards for media outlets nationwide. We continue to share it widely, and encourage you to do the same. 

Inaccurate coverage only exacerbates the racism and xenophobia aimed at Asian Americans and Asian American communities in this already difficult time. Help us keep track of both concerning and thoughtful coverage by using the hashtag #AAJAMediaWatch . 

This is a particularly distressing time for our AAPI communities' small business owners who have experienced a decrease in business. Like many of our chapters are doing, please support our AAPI restaurants if you are able to do so - by ordering takeout, getting food delivered, or even buying gift cards.

RESOURCES AND PRO TIPS

Pro Tips for Journalists Covering Coronavirus: 

Journalists already under the pressure of deadlines are now experiencing added stress reporting on COVID-19. We've compiled resources below to help alleviate the stress and anxiety of a rapidly changing situation.

Pro Tips for Wellness While Working From Home:

 

For those working remotely, social distancing and the closure of many public gathering places can be extremely isolating. Thanks to AAJA Freelance affinity group and Hannah Bae , co-director of Mentor Match, for sharing these tips for maintaining work-life balance while WFH. 

Pro Tips for Working From Home With Kids: 

 

For our members who are working parents, here are some resources to help you juggle parenting and working from home.

If there are any questions or concerns that arise, please do not hesitate to contact us.