Five commitments to this community
Expanding the Tent
Journalism is bigger than the newsroom. AAJA belongs to everyone who carries journalism values, not just those with traditional reporter or editor titles. Whether you're moving into product, technology, revenue, academia, freelance or content creation, we see you, we claim you, and we want to represent you. Your journalism values don't expire when your job title and responsibilities change.
- Encourage and open AAJA membership to journalists in adjacent roles across product, technology, revenue, academia, freelance and content creation
- Actively advocate for members navigating career transitions
- Redefine what it means to be an AAJA member in 2026 and beyond
For Members Who've Put In the Years
Early career programming gets a lot of attention. But what about members who are ten, fifteen, twenty years in? Navigating office politics, career pivots, layoffs, burnout, and the weight of doing this work while raising families and building lives? AAJA should be there for that too. We're building dedicated programming for mid and seasoned career members, along with career pivot workshops that help translate journalism skills into the roles our industry needs right now. Because your experience is something this community can't afford to lose.
- Dedicated programming for mid and late career members
- Career pivot workshops that translate journalism skills into adjacent roles
- Mentorship and programming specifically designed for where you are right now
Celebrating Who We Are
Celebration can't just mean spotlighting the winners. If AAJA only celebrates the promotions, the awards, and the bylines, we become a highlight reel and a community where people only feel seen when they're succeeding. That's not what this organization is for. Our members are breaking stories, leading newsrooms, mentoring the next generation, and doing it all while navigating an industry that doesn't always make space for them. Many are also navigating layoffs, career uncertainty, and an industry that keeps getting harder. All of them deserve to feel seen. We're building recognition that reflects who our members actually are, not just what they've won.
- Expand awards and recognition programs beyond convention
- Build year-round member spotlights that celebrate members for who they are, not just their accolades
- Tell our community's full story, the wins and the struggles, to each other and the broader journalism world
Keeping the Convention Feeling Alive
Convention is the heartbeat of our community. I've helped program five of them, and what I've seen every time is that the most meaningful moments happen between sessions: in hallways, at dinners, in conversations that change someone's career trajectory. But not everyone can make it every year. Travel costs, work schedules, and family obligations are real barriers. That's why we're building year-round programming that brings the convention feeling to wherever you are, so AAJA feels like a constant presence in your career, not just one week a year for those who can afford to be there.
- Build year-round programming that extends the convention experience
- Create accessible virtual and regional touchpoints for members who can't attend in person
- Make the connections and energy of convention available to every member regardless of circumstance
Chapters and Affinity Groups Are Where We Live
Our chapters and affinity groups are where community actually happens. But chapter leaders deserve more than goodwill. They need real support. We're building fundraising coaching to help groups become more financially sustainable, and creating better ways for chapters and affinity groups to collaborate, share programming, and learn from each other. Wherever you find your people in this organization, that experience should be everything it can be.
- Build fundraising coaching and resources for chapter and affinity group leaders
- Create structured collaboration between chapters and affinity groups to share programming and best practices
- Invest in the people who show up locally so the national organization actually feels local
Fifteen years of showing up for AAJA
Frank Bi is an editor at the Minnesota Star Tribune and has been part of AAJA since VOICES in 2011. Minneapolis will be his 16th consecutive convention — he hasn't missed one since his first in Detroit.
National Leadership
- VP of Journalism Programs — lost the race once, ran again, and won. Intimately familiar with every AAJA program
- Leading the Membership Committee to improve chapter and affinity group support and governance
- AAJA Member of the Year, 2019
- Executive Leadership Program (ELP), 2019 · VOICES, 2011 · Mentor Match, as both mentor and mentee
Convention Programming
- Convention co-chair: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023, 2026
- Involved in convention programming since 2016 in various roles, including as chair
- Karaoke host six times, 2017–2022
AAJA New York
- Chapter President, 2019–2022 — led the chapter through the pandemic
- Chapter of the Year, 2021–2022
Team AAJA
- Raised more than $115K for AAJA by partnering with the NYC Marathon
- Six chapters have benefited from the fundraising: Hawaiʻi, Philadelphia, DC, Los Angeles, Minnesota, and New York
Chapter & Affinity Group Support
- Quarterly leadership roundtables for the last three years
- Helped relaunch multiple chapters and groups, including Minnesota and the Audio Affinity Group, and assisted with multiple leadership transitions