Donate to the AAPI Journalists Therapy Relief Fund

There has been a rise in hate crimes against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. And that includes journalists who have been attacked on the job and during their personal time.

The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) launched a GoFundMe in mid-March to secure AAPI journalists with funds for mental wellness resources to help with any trauma they are dealing with today.

Let’s help the campaign reach the goal of $80,000.

If you need help or a mental health provider, you will find it on the GoFundMe page.

Sonia Weiser who helped organize the fund said they are already distributing the money, but AAJA needs to reach its goal to help more in need.

Thank you for helping AAPJ journalists who go out every day to do their job under difficult circumstances.

Resources:
Asian American Journalists Association

Univision: Composer Armando Manzero dies in Mexico of COVID19 Complications

Sad day. Musician, singer, and composer, Armando Manzanero has died in Mexico of #COVID19 complications. Earlier this month, the 86-year-old had gone to the opening of a museum in his honor in Mexico, and days later he was sick. He was known for composing some of the most beautiful romantic songs. He received a Grammy Lifetime Award in 2014.

One of his biggest hits was “Somos Novios.” Here he sings it with Luis Miguel, who considered Manzanero a mentor.

Gustavo Adolfo Infante

Mexican TV host, Gustavo Adolfo Infante shared his personal thoughts about the composer’s life and death. He said Manzanero was kind, generous, giving with his time, and he loved to cook.

Parkland Hospital asking for donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Photo Courtesy: Parkland Hospital

Parkland hospital needs the publics’ help. It needs donations of personal protective equipment (PPE). This equipment is vital for medical staff as they care for patients who have COVID19. Hospital officials are asking for new and unopened PPE for Parkland’s medical staff on the frontlines of coronavirus.

These are the items needed;

· N95 masks (Medical Grade)

· Surgical masks

· Industrial masks

· Surgical caps

· Medical protective gowns (water-resistant)

· Foot/shoe covers

· Medical latex-free gloves

· Eye protection goggles

· Medical face shields

· Powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR) and PAPR hoods

· Hand sanitizer (all sizes)

· Antibacterial soap

· Disinfectant wipes

· Disposable food-grade gloves

· Thermometers (non-contact digital)

No word yet on how much PPE they have at Parkland for staff to use. Items can be donated Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Parkland’s Logistics Building located at 5223 Tex Oak Avenue, Dallas, Texas. For additional information about donating PPE, the public is asked to email Pamela Bryant at pamela.bryant@phhs.org.

Michigan doctor says clean groceries before stored away and heat up take-out food

 

Screenshot: YouTube 

 

 

Dr. Jeffrey VanWingen of Grand Rapid, MI, wants you to play it safe with your groceries and take-out food you bring into your home during this coronavirus outbreak.  He has put his recommendations on YouTube. He’s a family physician with 20 years of experience and knows the virus can live on different surfaces for several hours, and that includes food containers, fruits, and vegetables.

The New England Journal of Medicine published a report that revealed the virus can live up to 72 hours on plastic and stainless steel.

SARS-CoV-2 was more stable on plastic and stainless steel than on copper and cardboard, and viable virus was detected up to 72 hours after application to these surfacehe CDC has determined the coronavirus lives on for hours and days on different services. That means many of the food containers and packaging may have it without you knowing. – New England Journal of Medicine

VanWingen says stores are doing a good job of sanitizing at night, but we as consumers need to do more.

But they are not cleaning every single canned good, every single bit of food that is wrapped in plastic. That is up to us. It’s not just about wiping the handle on the grocery cart. We need to be a bit more savvy when we go into the store.

— Dr. VanWingen

 

Dr. VanWingen also gives tips on what to do if you have take-out food. He says, heating it up in the microwave helps.

The Michigan doctor likes to see steam coming off his take-out food before he eats it.  He recommends buying take-out food that is hot over cold.

Share this information. Be safe.

 

Newsrooms need a Plan B to keep employees safe from the coronavirus but continue to keep the public informed

CBS News was caught off guard when two employees tested positive for the coronavirus. The New York Post reported CBS News managers had to think quick on how to get the news on the air, but also look out for the safety of the rest of their employees.

Broadcasting giant CBS ordered its staff in two Manhattan offices to work from home after two employees tested positive for coronavirus Wednesday, the network announced.

The network will be closing its main East Coast production hub — the CBS Broadcast Center, at 524 West 57th Street, and its nearby property at 555 West 57th Street — for disinfecting following the positive COVID-19 results.

All employees forced to work remotely for the next two days, according to a memo sent by CBS News President Suzan Zirinsky.

SET UP A PLAN B NOW, DECIDE WHO CAN WORK FROM HOME OR IN THE FIELD

News managers around the country should be taking precautions now to keep the newsroom functioning but also employees safe. As a reporter, I am always out and about and can take my own precautions, and as a freelancer, I write my stories from home or where ever I set up my laptop.

Journalists who work outside like photographers and reporters don’t have to go to the newsroom. As long as we have phones and laptops, we can work independently and report to the newsroom from wherever.

News managers cannot wait for the coronavirus to reach their newsrooms. Start planning who will work inside the newsroom and who can work from home. This will probably help parents who may have their children at home because some schools are closing down.

The goal is to keep employees safe, but also keep the gathering of news going. The public need us, but if we get sick, we can’t do our jobs.

Have a Plan B already? Let us know in the comments.

Coronavirus news coverage: Don’t fuel misinformation by using photos and video of Chinatown or Chinese people

When the coronavirus started making the news, I started seeing video included in television news stories of people in China and in various Chinatowns in the U.S.  It was  “generic” video that often television stations have on file. The video implied the people in the video were ill with the fatal disease. Some of the reports lacked explanation to the viewers on why they were seeing Chinatown or Chinese people. It was video used to make the story interesting, but instead, it was misleading.

The Asian American Journalists Association(AAJA) has issued a statement to make sure the coronavirus coverage is accurate.

…urging journalists to exercise care in their coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in China to ensure accurate and fair portrayals of Asians and Asian Americans and to avoid fueling xenophobia and racism that have already emerged since the outbreak.

Here is the rest of the statement issued by AAJA this week:

Some of the news and commentary that have raised concern include:

Use of images of people wearing face masks without providing the proper context:

For many years prior to the coronavirus outbreak, face masks have been commonly used in East Asian countries, including for protection from pollution. This practice has crossed over into immigrant Asian American populations in the United States and the masks are now more prevalent as a result of the outbreak. AAJA urges news outlets to consider the various reasons for the face masks and provide context when using such images.

Use of generic images of Chinatown: Only include images of a local Chinatown if it is directly related to a news story, not as a way to illustrate the virus. The images are appropriate, for example, if the story is about Chinatown businesses emptying out over fears of the virus, or if there are potential cases stemming from a particular Chinatown. AAJA warns against blanket use of Chinatown images that reinforce stereotypes and create a sense of “otherness.”
Use of the term “Wuhan virus”: The World Health Organization issued guidelines in 2015discouraging the use of geographic locations when naming illnesses because it could stigmatize the people living there. Coronavirus is the umbrella term for a large group of viruses that can cause anything from the common cold to SARS, according to The Associated Press stylebook. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the virus that originated out of Wuhan.

Meanwhile, AAJA is heartened to see examples of comprehensive, fair and accurate coverage of the outbreak, its impact in East Asian countries and among immigrant communities in the U.S. and around the world. For example, news outlets have coveredthe impact on daily livesof residents in and around Wuhan; the culture and history of Wuhan beyond its relation to coronavirus; efforts to help businesses in local Chinatownsaffected by fear over the virus; the proliferation of xenophobic incidents against those of East Asian descent around the world; and more.

AAJA encourages journalists to turn to reliable resources like the WHO and the Centers for Disease Control in their ongoing reporting. And as always, AAJA is available to engage in a dialogue to foster fair and accurate coverage of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.

– AAJA MediaWatch Committee

As journalists, we have a responsibility to report accurate information and that includes photos and video. Take the extra time to make sure that any photos and videos you use to for a coronavirus story are fully explained on why they are part of a report.

–Rebecca Aguilar

 

Anderson Cooper unleashes on Blagojevich who ignored 3,000 clemency cases when he was Governor

Screenshot: CNN

This had to be some of the best television I’ve seen in a long time. Former Illinois Governor Rob Blagojevich thought he was going on CNN to show viewers that he was a changed man, a man who thought of criminal justice reform. He asked CNN anchor Anderson Cooper to join him in reforming the criminal justice system because of the over sentencing of Black and Latinos.

Cooper wasn’t having any of the former Governor’s talk. Cooper reminded Blagojevich that when he was Governor, he ignored 3,000 clemency petitions that landed on his desk. These were cases of many people of color behind bars.

Anderson Cooper is a legend. pic.twitter.com/4YYwmJVF2a

— Ian Sams (@IanSams) February 22, 2020

Cooper to Blagojevich:

Because when you were actually in power and actually Governor you could have helped thousand of people with clemency and you blew it off!

Politicians, even those who have done prison time, need to remember, a good journalist, is always prepared with the facts.

 

El Paso Matters CEO dues ICE and Border Patrol for ignoring his FOI requests

The president and CEO of El Paso Matters is taking legal action against the federal government. Bob Moore tweeted, ” I have filed a lawsuit against Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Health and Human Services that alleges repeated failure to comply with the Freedom of Information Act.”

I have filed a lawsuit against Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Health and Human Services that alleges repeated failure to comply with the Freedom of Information Act. 1/ pic.twitter.com/QGU0JyYLm5

— Bob Moore (@BobMooreNews) October 2, 2019

Our job as reporters is to get information to keep the public informed. When federal agencies ignore our requests for information which looks into how the government is conducting business it appears suspicious. We ask why are journalists being stonewalled?

Freedom of Information Act Statute

From FOIA.gov

(a) Each agency shall make available to the public information as follows:

(1) Each agency shall separately state and currently publish in the Federal Register for the guidance of the public—
(A) descriptions of its central and field organization and the established places at which, the employees (and in the case of a uniformed service, the members) from whom, and the methods whereby, the public may obtain information, make submittals or requests, or obtain decisions;
(B) statements of the general course and method by which its functions are channeled and determined, including the nature and requirements of all formal and informal procedures available;
(C) rules of procedure, descriptions of forms available or the places at which forms may be obtained, and instructions as to the scope and contents of all papers, reports, or examinations;
(D) substantive rules of general applicability adopted as authorized by law, and statements of general policy or interpretations of general applicability formulated and adopted by the agency; and
(E) each amendment, revision, or repeal of the foregoing.

2) Each agency, in accordance with published rules, shall make available for public inspection in an electronic format.

Read more at FOAI.gov

 

Tips on interviewing at the #EIJ19 Job Fair

Job Fair at EIJ 2018

Bernice Kearney says “Come in to win!”

She’s the news director at KSAT 12 in San Antonio, TX. Every year she attends the Excellence in Journalism conference and interviews many candidates looking for a job in television news.

Bernice Kearney at EIJ 2018

This year the conference is a collaboration between RTDNA, SPJ and the NAHJ. It will be packed with news managers looking to hire.

I asked Bernice for her tips on how to come well prepared for an interview at a job fair.  Listen closely and take notes.

 

Be ready to talk to any and all news managers.

Thanks Bernice.

 

 

Bailey Jean Matheson’s obituary inspires us to live, ’35 years may not seem long, but damn it was good!’

When she discovered she had only two years to live, she made sure to live life to the fullest.

Bailey Jean Matheson recently died of cancer. Her touching obituary has moved hundreds of readers. https://t.co/YAVV2CWp3u

— New York Daily News (@NYDailyNews) April 18, 2019

Bailey Jean Matheson died earlier this month of cancer. Two years ago when she found out she had cancer, she decided to make several major decisions that she shared in self-written obituary.

My parents gave me the greatest gift of supporting my decisions with not going through chemo and just letting me live the rest of my life the way I believed it should be.

I didn’t know Bailey, but her death made me think of the recent deaths of my dear friends, Laura Brigante and Ana Real. I thought they would be around for a long time. Their deaths and Bailey’s obituary reminded me that we cannot predict where our lives are headed or when they will come to an end. We must enjoy our lives now.

Surround yourself with good people. Do a job that you love and make sure the people around you support you and not bring you down. If it’s toxic, leave and find something else.

Use your talents to help others. Volunteering is a good thing.

Don’t worry about what other’s think. Don’t let fear hold you back from taking a chance or speaking up.

Stop worrying about money. You can always live off rice, frijoles (beans) and tortillas.  Stop trying to keep up with the Kardashians.

Laugh today and love with all your heart.

Find some kind of spiritual nourishment. Yes, I believe in God. Remember you are never alone. If you’re on my social media, you know I keep it real. I follow my own advice.

Feel free to share this message with someone who needs some inspiration today.