Value Add: Issue 10

Connecting Asian Americans (& Friends) in Media & Sports

May 22, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

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🌟 Note from AAJA Sports President Michele Steele
One of the great throughlines of my life over the last year has been community. I started a new job with the Big Ten Network this spring, and as excited as I was to start and to work with a great group of people, I underestimated the extent to which my familiarity and honestly, the nostalgia factor of getting to talk about schools I am so familiar with would impact the level satisfaction I have coming into the studio for shows. It has even shifted the way I view my alma mater, the University of Illinois. My memories are fond, and have grown that much warmer since starting at BTN. Community matters - and that’s why I’m so excited about this year’s convention in Minneapolis. We don’t get through things without each other!

We are getting VERY close to the convention so this is a convention-heavy edition of Value Add, your favorite neighborhood AAJA Sports Task Force newsletter. If you haven’t already done it, get your registration in. Book your hotel, and most importantly, book that flight! Last but not least, we have finalized dates and times for both our annual Korean BBQ fundraiser as well as our AAJA Friday Night Summer Jam. This year, like last year, Summer Jam will take place a little earlier in a relaxed, casual setting, giving our community a chance to hang out and catch some World Cup action at the same time. Also! We’ll have lawn bowling from 9-10pm. Amazing.
On that note, let’s do that newsletter!

🗓️ Upcoming Dates

Get Your AAJA Convention Tickets

Buy your tickets NOW before the deadline for our biggest event of the year, the AAJA annual convention. AAJA Sports will be hosting 2 marquee events: our annual Korean Barbecue on July 31st and Summer Jam on Aug 1st. You can also volunteer and attend for free, or apply for the opportunity rate $230 for the entire week.

  • Pre-registration deadline for tickets: May 27

Save the Date: Korean BBQ Fundraiser

This is one event that sells out early every year - our annual Korean BBQ fundraiser featuring all you can eat meat and a sports raffle with amazing prices. Tickets are super limited - just 80 spots because of restaurant capacity. Can’t wait!

Celebrate the World Cup at Summer Jam 2026

We will be capping off a great week at convention with our Summer Jam event at Brit’s - Minneapolis’ unofficial home for international soccer and a spot that is sure to be buzzing for the World Cup. Within 3 minutes walking distance of the convention. Great food & drink.

🚀 The Athletic x STF Delivering Professional Development

For the first time in STF history, we are partnering with The Athletic on a virtual programming slate that will feature 3 panels of editors, reporters and producers. You will NOT want to miss this - attendance will be limited so register ASAP at this link. You will then be sent the registration link ahead of the June 12th event. Each panel will be 60 minutes with at least 15 minutes for audience questions and will take place at 11 am ET, 1 pm ET and 3 pm ET.
Panelists & topics listed below:

  • The Beat Reporter’s Edge, 11 am:  Practical skills for journalists working a beat — building sources, developing a voice, breaking news, and staying relevant in a fractured media landscape. Grounded, actionable, and applicable the next day. Panelists include Katie Woo, Nicki Jhabvala, Sahadev Sharma & Sam Khan Jr.

  • The Interpersonal Edge: Managing People Well, 1 pm: For editors and aspiring leaders navigating the messy middle of management. How to give feedback that lands, lead through ambiguity and develop the kind of interpersonal savvy that comes from paying attention to people. Less about getting the right answer, more about navigating the gray. Panelists include Naoko Asano, Alex Prewitt, Marc Carig, Vik Chokshi and Tina Sturdevant.

  • Audience, Video and Social Strategy, 3 pm: How journalists and newsrooms are growing engaged audiences in 2026 — platform strategy, video storytelling, analytics literacy, and building community beyond the byline. Panelists include Matthew Ho, Yifan Wu, Torrey Hart and Shaneika Dabney-Henderson.

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The Jobs Board + Other Cool Stuff…

  • The Athletic is hiring for 2 positions: Seattle Seahawks beat writer https://jobs.lever.co/theathletic/97a3549e-3889-4498-bd80-d2cda071d3ea

    Edmonton Oilers beat writer https://jobs.lever.co/theathletic/2aa660a4-8b9f-4037-8b54-f8e76046a202

  • WAPT, Jackson MS (Hearst) hiring a sports reporter: https://eevd.fa.us6.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/HTV/job/2026604

    KUDOS

  • Pablo Torre "Pablo Torre Finds Out" won a Pulitzer for Audio Reporting and the National Magazine Award for Podcasting, and then also a Webby award for Best Sports Podcast

  • Mina Kimes won Celebrity Jeopardy All Stars and with the $1 million in earnings going to her chosen charity - SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition

  • Shehan Jeyarajah wins AAJA's 2026 award for Excellence in Sports Reporting

  • Navin Deol and Trisha Dasgupta selected as the ESPN interns via AAJA's Sports Task Force

  • Kyle Goon was at the top of the list for 2025 APSE Division B Column Writing; also combined with Giana Han and more on the Baltimore Banner staff to win for 2025 APSE Division B Event Coverage

  • Aishwarya Kumar named a finalist for the Dan Jenkins Medal for Excellence in Sportswriting

    Have something to promote to an engaged audience of AAJA Sports members? Email [email protected].

Till next time,

AAJA Sports Task Force