ITV

Tag: RTNDA

  • Aaja to use DVD to get male Asian American TV journos

    Aaja to use DVD to get male Asian American TV journos

    MUMBAI: The Asian American Journalists Association (Aaja) has announced plans to debut a DVD to attract more Asian American males to the profession of television journalism in the US.

    The DVD will feature the work of current male Asian American television reporters and anchors. It will be unveiled at the Radio and Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) / National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention to be held from 19-21 April in Las Vegas.

    The DVD will be offered as a hiring tool at the event to all attendees and also to news managers, news directors, recruiters across the US. Aaja is also hoping that the DVD will help erase stereotypes and encourage Asian American males to choose broadcast journalism as a career.

    Aaja is trying to set right a situation where there is a severe lack of Asian American men on television news. A 2002 study by the Annenberg School for Communications at the University of Southern California found that there were only 20 male Asian Americans on the air in America’s top 25 markets.

    By comparison the study found a total of 85 Asian American female television broadcasters on-air. This means a ratio of nearly 5 to 1 women versus men.

    Aaja is encouraging Asian American male anchors, reporters, sportscasters and weathercasters to submit demo reels for the DVD. Participants do not need to be active job seekers to be included in the project. A company release ads that submissions should be in by 15 February 2004. Participants should include two packages and a montage of stand-ups and live shots. Anchors should also include samples of their anchoring. All participants must have paid professional working experience or must be students scheduled to graduate by June 2004.

  • Shortage of Asian American male broadcast journalists in US: study

    Shortage of Asian American male broadcast journalists in US: study

    MUMBAI:There is a critical shortage of Asian American male broadcast journalists in the US, according to a first-ever study that quantifies the problem and addresses some of the reasons behind it.

    “Asian Male Broadcasters on TV: Where Are They?” was conducted by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communications and was released at the ongoing 15th annual convention of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) taking place from 7-10 August in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas.

    In the top 25 television markets, there are a total of 85 Asian females on-air and 19 Asian males on-air, resulting in a nearly 5 to 1 ratio of women versus men, the USC study found.

    AAJA President Victor Panichkul said: ” The results of this study as well as the results of surveys done by RTNDA [Radio-Television News Directors Association] lend credence to the concerns that our male broadcast journalists have been raising in the past few years that the gender disparity among Asian Americans in broadcasting is significant. When our numbers are compared to the numbers of male and female African American, Native American, or Hispanic broadcast journalists, what we see is a problem that impacts our members more significantly than other people of color.”

    In light of the findings, AAJA will re-evaluate its current programmes to see how the organisation can better target them toward Asian American males with an interest in broadcast journalism, Panichkul said. In addition, AAJA hopes that other industry organizations will take part in helping to find solutions to this problem.

    Some of the findings in the study include:
    1. Asian Americans make up a small percentage of the student population in US journalism schools, but males far out-number females by approximately 4 to 1.
    2. In making career choices, Asian American male students are highly motivated by parents, prestige and starting salaries. They are more likely to go into science-related occupations.
    3. There is a lack of key Asian American male broadcast role models (such as Connie Chung is for Asian American females).

    The results from the USC study confirm other research done on the makeup of broadcast newsrooms. A recent Ball State University study found that Asians make up 2.7 per cent of the broadcast newsroom in 2001, or about 650 people. Asian males constituted only 1 per cent of the workforce, while Asian females made up 1.7 per cent. Meanwhile, there are more Hispanic, African American and white males than females in the newsroom, the survey found.

    The USC study is based on surveys of the top 25 television markets and top journalism schools in the United States. Interviews with program managers, news directors, and agents in the television industry as well as a focus group of Asian American students were also conducted.

    AAJA is a non-profit educational association based in San Francisco, devoted to training and developing Asian American journalists and ensuring fair and accurate coverage of the Asian American community. It has 1,700 members in 18 chapters across the United States and Asia.

  • CNN wins two RTNDA 2002 Edward R Murrow awards

    CNN wins two RTNDA 2002 Edward R Murrow awards

    CNN has bagged top honours for continuing coverage and news documentary in the Network Television Division at the US’ 2002 Edward R Murrow awards. 

    The Murrow awards, sponsored by the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA), recognise outstanding achievements in electronic journalism since 1971. This years competition judged 2,303 entries from 511 organisations. The awards ceremony will be held on 7 October in New York City when CNN will be honoured with awards in the following categories in the Network Television Division: 

    1. Continuing Coverage: 
    ’11 September, 2001: Terrorist Attacks’ – CNN is being recognised for its coverage of 11 September events. Coverage included constant news updates from each scene, eye witness accounts, international reports and in-depth perspectives from CNNs top anchors and correspondents around the world. Five hours of non-stop breaking news were anchored by CNNs Aaron Brown and Judy Woodruff.

    2. News Documentary:
    ‘Beneath the Veil’ – Investigative journalist Saira Shah journeyed to her ancestral home in Afghanistan to look at life under the iron rule of the Taliban. Using secret footage, hidden cameras and with unprecedented access, Shah showed viewers the ruins of Kabul, public executions and the forbidden underground network of women struggling to survive. From the frontlines to the forbidden classrooms, the execution grounds to the ruined gardens of Shahs fathers homeland, this film takes a searing look into the Afghanistan under Taliban rule.