Happy New Year! We’re kicking off 2026 with several new faces on the Board and saying goodbye to some wonderful colleagues as they step down. 

On Jan. 13, the 2026 Board met for the first time and elected a new slate of office bearers. Congratulations to all on their roles, and a heartfelt thanks to those who are leaving us for all their work. 

Stay tuned for more information on exciting events we’re planning this year and other updates. 

2026 SAJA BOARD:

2026 Executive Committee: 

• President: Indira S. Somani (second year of two-year board term,former Vice President 2001-2002) 

• Vice President: Esha Ray (first year of two-year board term)

• Secretary: Sonali Gupta (first year of two-year board term)

• Treasurer: Dipka Bhambhani Hesse (first year of two-year board term)

• Comptroller (to work with Treasurer): Mihir Zaveri (second year of two-year board term, former President)

• Director of Communications/Social Media: Shalina Chatlani (first year of two-year board term)

2026 General Board Members:

• Rekha Shanmugam (second year of two-year board term)

• Safia Samee Ali (first year of two-year board term)

• Noreen Nasir (first year of two-year board term)

• Sree Sreenivasan (second year of two-year board term, Co-Founder of SAJA)

• Pia Sarkar (second year of two-year board term)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 

SAJA names its 2025 journalism award winners and finalists

New York City, November 4, 2025 – The South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) has announced the winners and finalists of its 2025 journalism awards. The awards recognize outstanding work by or about South Asia and its diaspora, and help further SAJA’s mission of supporting newsroom diversity and promoting better coverage of issues related to South Asia worldwide. 

Journalists competed in six categories. Here are the winners and finalists:

General Excellence

Winner: The Wizard of Ozy, by Shaan Merchant, (Slate) 

Judges’ Citation: The Ozy piece stood out for being a strong investigative piece layered with a personal/professional narrative. It's a tough balance to achieve and Shaan's piece remained engaging, raising broader questions about race. The story goes into uncomfortable areas about race and society - always in pursuit of truth. We found the writing to be courageous given how hard it is to master this style of narrative/ investigative journalism.

Winner: Healing after Helene, by Zulekha Nathoo (USA Today)

Judges’ Citation: Healing after Helene is a strong, visual story, touching upon a broad range of issues, told through a diverse group of voices - in ways traditional TV outlets often fail to do. It's a hard story to do, given the ground realities of reporting from a disaster-hit area. What's also impressive is that the entrant, Zulekha wore many hats - serving as correspondent as well as co-producer and co-writer. We found the story not only stood out among its peers at the awards but also among other pieces we have seen about the impact of Helene.

Finalist: 

• America Through Food by Tejal Rao 

• • Is a Taco a Sandwich? No. Yes. Well, It Depends on the Law.

  • Why Do We Love ‘The Bear’ So Much?

  • California’s Rice Royalty Is Stepping Down

The Daniel Pearl Award

Winner: Brutality of Sugar, by Megha Rajagopalan and Qadri Inzamam (New York Times)

Judges’ Citation: The story is very powerful and has not been covered before in this way. The way the connection was made all the way to the large corporations is unique.

(No finalists) 

Outstanding Student Journalism Award

Winner:“‘Fighting for 40 years’: The tiny Texas community facing down Big Industry," by Aina Marzia (Al Jazeera) 

Judges’ Citation: The judges were impressed  by the reporter's thoughtful and complete picture of the environmental  issue described, providing a clear explanation of a complex controversy. They also were impressed by the fact that the reporter gathered all this material on her own without depending on the resources of a news organization backing her.

Finalists:

• "Indigenous Rights Are Rolled Back for Profits," by Subhanjane Das (PassBlue)

• "Older Adults and Suicide," by Sreejita Patra (Wisconsin Watch)

Outstanding Arts, Culture, and Lifestyle Reporting Award

Winner: “How modernity is rewriting Taliban rule,” by Rick Noack (Washington Post)
Judges’ Citation: The series of stories by Rick Noack for the Washington Post is an impressive feat of on-the-ground reporting and source building. The judges were struck by the fresh angles brought to a region that can often be covered through a narrow geopolitical lens, particularly in examining how Taliban rule is being reshaped by the internet and forces of globalized modernity. His reporting offers readers an original and nuanced perspective on cultural and lifestyle shifts that can sometimes be overlooked in broader coverage of the region.

Finalist: 

• India’s plan to teach traditional science by Vaishnavi Chandrashekar

Outstanding Business Reporting Award 

Winner: "Wives Out: Apple supplier Foxconn rejects married women from India iPhone jobs," by Praveen Paramasivam, Munsif Vengattil and Aditya Kalra (Reuters) 

Judges’ Citation: The story reveals systematic discrimination against married women at a Foxconn iPhone assembly plant in Tamil Nadu — one of India's highest-profile foreign investments. The reporting uncovered that married women were being rejected from jobs on grounds they had more family responsibilities than unmarried women, a practice that violated both Foxconn's and Apple's own anti-discrimination policies. The impact of the coverage was immediate and significant. Within months, Foxconn quietly changed its recruitment protocols, instructing hiring agents to remove age, gender, and marital criteria from job advertisements.This piece exemplifies how thorough, persistent business reporting can reveal systemic injustice and catalyze reform.

Finalists:

• India's Abandoned Elders by Matt Sedensky (The Associated Press) 

• How a Nobel Laureate Became a Political Target in Bangladesh by Bloomberg Originals

Outstanding International Reporting Award 

Winner: “Riders in the smog: Pollution is poisoning gig workers,” by Zuha Siddiqui, Samriddhi Sakunia and Faisal Mahmud (Rest of World)

Judges’ Citation:This was an innovative approach to investigating a familiar issue, using air quality monitors to track gig workers’ daily exposure to carcinogenic pollutants in India. It stood out as an excellent example of cross-border reporting in South Asia, weaving together stories from Lahore, Delhi, and Dhaka. The presentation was equally impressive and the story brilliantly linked the challenges of climate change, labor rights, and public health.

Finalists:

• “Election of Mexico’s First Female President,” by Maya Averbuch (Bloomberg)

• • AMLO Spends Like Never Before to Set Up Successor’s Victory in Mexico

  • AMLO Ran Mexico as a Maverick. His Protege Is Playing It Safe

  • How Mexico City Averted All-Out Drought

• “Pakistan polio workers fighting the virus one house at a time,” by Faras Ghani (Al Jazeera) 

Interested in being a leader and shaping the future of the South Asian Journalists Association? Run for a seat on our board!

Fill out this form if you are interested (and read the instructions carefully!)

All the details you need are on the form.

Press Release: SAJA announces 2025 Scholarship Award Recipients FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: SAJA names its 2025 scholarship recipients New York City, July 15, 2025 – The South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) has announced the names of the recipients of its 2025 scholarship funds. This year, six students who are currently enrolled in journalism programs or in pursuit of a journalism degree have been awarded $5,000 each, for a total disbursement of $30,000 in scholarship funds from SAJA. The following students have been selected for this year’s scholarship:  Raginee Sudhir Chaurey, M.J. (Master of Journalism), UC Berkeley Areeba Fatima, M.S. in Data Journalism, Columbia University Nazeefa Ahmed, M.A. in Journalism, Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY Ananya Chag, B.S. in Journalism, Northwestern University, Medill School of Journalism Tanka Dhakal, M.S. in Media, Indiana University, The Media School Neil Lazurus, B.A. in Journalism, American University, School of Communication To ensure a fair and robust evaluation process of each application, a committee of judges appointed by the board are enlisted to review each student based on need, interest in journalism (e.g. related coursework, internships, part-time work), and interest in contributing to the SAJA community. The following individuals were recruited to judge the candidate’s full profile, including two existing SAJA Board Members: Indira Somani, Ph.D., Documentary Director/Producer; SAJA Board Member Mihir Zaveri, Reporter, The New York Times; SAJA Board Member Dr. Maurine Beasley, Professor Emerita, University of Maryland Dr. Stacey Woelfel, Professor Emeritus, University of Missouri Prof. Suzanne Lysak, Associate Professor, Chapman University Juhi Doshi, Associate Producer, Meet the Press In its commitment to support and promote high-quality journalism, SAJA oversees this annual scholarship program to help students afford tuition. In 2025, the SAJA board elected to raise the total scholarship fund to $30,000 total and increase the number of recipients in order to provide stronger financial support to each individual.  ABOUT SAJA Founded in March 1994 with just 18 members, the South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) now represents more than 1,000 journalists of South Asian origin across the U.S. and Canada. SAJA serves as a network for training, inspiration, and support—not only for South Asian journalists but for anyone covering South Asia and its diaspora. SAJA also aims to improve the coverage of the Subcontinent and its diaspora.

Notes from SAJA Board Member JOHN LAXMI. If you'd like to be on his excellent mailing list tracking major trends and issues in journalism and media coverage of South Asia and the diaspora: johnlaxmius@gmail.com 

Three South Asians have won the 2025 Pulitzer Prize and two were among finalists. A book on the killing of Indian journalist Gauri Lankesh was a finalist in the book category.

Public Service

ProPublica, for urgent reporting by Kavitha Surana, Lizzie Presser, Cassandra Jaramillo and Stacy Kranitz

About pregnant women who died after doctors delayed urgently needed care for fear of violating vague “life of the mother” exceptions in states with strict abortion laws.

Kavitha Surana joined ProPublica as a national reporter covering access to reproductive health care in 2022. Before that, she reported on housing, law enforcement and health care at the Tampa Bay Times and BuzzFeed News. She was previously a fellow at ProPublica covering immigration. She got her start interning at The Associated Press in Rome and CNN, and as a fellow at Foreign Policy magazine.

Explanatory Reporting

Azam Ahmed, Matthieu Aikins, contributing writer, and Christina Goldbaum of The New York Times

For an authoritative examination of how the United States sowed the seeds of its own failure in Afghanistan, primarily by supporting murderous militia that drove civilians to the Taliban.

Azam Ahmed is an investigative reporter for The New York Times, focusing on long-form narrative projects.

In 2019, when he was the bureau chief for Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, Mr. Ahmed reported a series on the homicide crisis in Latin America, the deadliest region in the world, outlining the root causes of the violence. Each piece delved into a specific issue in a specific country, using intimate portraits of those living on the front lines of the crisis.

Finalists: Alexia Campbell, April Simpson and Pratheek Rebala of the Center for Public Integrity

For using innovative technology, archival research and personal storytelling to reveal how land titles granted to formerly enslaved Black men and women in the wake of the Civil War were unjustly revoked.

Pratheek Rebala was an investigative journalist and news developer at the Center for Public Integrity. He is now a computational journalist with ProPublica. His work at CPI received a Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting as well as other honors from the Society of Professional Journalists, Editors & Publishers, Society of Environmental Journalists and more. Prior to joining CPI, Rebala worked on the data team at Time Magazine. He holds a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from George Washington University.

Editorial Writing

Raj Mankad, Sharon Steinmann, Lisa Falkenberg and Leah Binkovitz of the Houston Chronicle

For a powerful series on dangerous train crossings that kept a rigorous focus on the people and communities at risk as the newspaper demanded urgent action.

Raj Mankad is the deputy opinion editor at the Houston Chronicle. He has a PhD from the University of Houston Creative Writing Program, and has edited and written for publications that specialize in economics, philosophy, literature, architecture, science and health. He previously served as the Chronicle’s op-ed editor and won the 2021 Texas APME first place in general column writing.

Feature Writing

Finalist: Anand Gopal, contributing writer, The New Yorker

For a deeply reported narrative of a woman’s life before and after she is imprisoned at an isolated detention camp in eastern Syria, illustrating how love and family intersect with larger geopolitical concerns.

Anand Gopal is a contributing writer at The New Yorker. He writes about conflict, democracy, and inequality, and his book “No Good Men Among the Living: America, the Taliban, and the War Through Afghan Eyes” was a finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize. He has won a National Magazine Award, a George Polk Award, and multiple Overseas Press Club awards for his reporting on Iraq and Syria. He has a Ph.D. from Columbia University.

General Nonfiction

Finalist: "I Am on the Hit List: A Journalist’s Murder and the Rise of Autocracy in India," by Rollo Romig (Penguin Books)

A captivating account of a crusading South Indian’s [journalist Gauri Lankesh] murder, a mystery rich in local culture and politics that also connects to such global themes as authoritarianism, fundamentalism and other threats to free expression.

Born and raised in Detroit, Rollo Romig is a journalist, essayist, and critic. He has been reporting on South India since 2013, most often for The New York Times Magazine.

For the full list and details of winners and awards, see: https://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners-by-year/2025

Update, Jan 13, 2025: SAJA's 2025 Board met for the first time on Jan. 8 and elected the following slate of office bearers:

SAJA BOARD 2025:

2025 Executive Committee: 

• President: Sree Sreenivasan (re-elected President; second year of two-year board term)

• VP & Conf Chair: Kiran Khalid (first year of two-year board term)

• Secretary: 

• Treasurer: Allana Akhtar (previously served as Secretary; second year of two-year board term)

• Controller (to work jointly with Treasurer): Mihir Zaveri (former President; first year of new two-year board term)

• Director of Comms: Tania Rahman (re-elected Director of Comms; second year of two-year board term)

General board members:

• John Laxmi (served as Treasurer for 25 years; second year of two-year board term)

• Pia Sarkar (first year of new two-year board term)

• Rekha Shanmugam (first year of two-year board term)

• Indira Somani (first year of two-year board term)

NOTE: Kiran and Indira served on the SAJA Board 15 and 23 years ago respectively. Our board members live in NYC, Philly, DC, Atlanta, Louisville and LA.

---
Update, Jan 2, 2025: Five members were elected to the SAJA board, joining the continuing members.

• Kiran Khalid (new; served 15 years ago)
• Indira Somani (new; served 23 years ago)
• Mihir Zaveri (returning)
• Pia Sarkar (returning)
• Rekha Shanmugam (new)

Elect your new SAJA board!

Read more about each candidate here.

Cast your vote here. Only full and lifetime members are eligible to vote.

Good luck to all!

SAJA STATEMENT ON HARASSMENT OF JOURNALISTS
October 30, 2024

SAJA, the South Asian Journalists Association, strongly condemns the online harassment — including threats of violence and misogynistic abuse —  against journalists who authored an article published in Al Jazeera on October 15, 2024. 

The article, reported with support from Columbia Journalism School, brought to light the Capitol Hill lobbying efforts of the Hindu American Foundation, a U.S.-based religious charitable organization. 

SAJA upholds the right of journalists to do their jobs freely and without fear of intimidation; to report the truth and hold those in power accountable, while remaining safe.

SAJA appeals to all individuals and groups to engage in civil discussions and debates. 

If you are a journalist experiencing online harassment for your work, here are some resources:

• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): Offers digital security workshops and consultations to help journalists prepare for and manage online harassment.

• International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF): Provides digital security assistance and has an Emergency Fund offering grants for psychological and medical care, temporary relocation, and legal aid for women journalists. IWMF Digital Safety Kit pdf.

• Coalition Against Online Violence: Offers emergency support for journalists facing online harassment, including digital security and psychosocial assistance. 

• Access Now: Provides 24/7 emergency digital security support in multiple languages.

ABOUT US: SAJA, the South Asian Journalists Association, founded in NYC in March 1994 with 18 members, represents 1,000+ journalists of South Asian origin working in the US and Canada. It serves as a network for education, inspiration and training for those journalists and those covering South Asia and the South Asian diaspora. SAJA aims to upgrade the coverage of South Asia and improve journalism standards. Over the years, SAJA has given out more than $400,000 in scholarships and fellowships. More info at SAJA.org · X: @sajaHQ · IG: @thesajaofficial

SAJA STATEMENT ON STUDENT JOURNALISTS COVERING CAMPUS PROTESTS IN THE U.S.
May 8, 2024

SAJA, the South Asian Journalists Association, would like to express its support and admiration for the tireless efforts of student journalists covering the recent and ongoing protests on campuses around the U.S. 

As places to learn, grow, and produce high quality work, student-led news outlets are a crucial part of the journalism ecosystem. And, as police and government agencies are called onto campuses, these newsrooms and journalists are also on the frontlines of press freedom. 

We encourage all student journalists to keep up the good work and we will continue to support your efforts.

✒️

ABOUT US: SAJA, founded in March 1994 with 18 members, represents 1,000+ journalists of South Asian origin working in the US and Canada. It serves as a network for education, inspiration and training for those journalists and those covering South Asia and South Asian diaspora. SAJA aims to upgrade the coverage of South Asia and uplift the standards of journalism. Over the years, SAJA has given out more than $400,000 in scholarships and fellowships.
Our 30th anniversary conference and gala awards dinner is Oct 11-12 in NYC.
More info at SAJA.org · X: @sajaHQ · IG: @thesajaoffial

• Share the statement versions on IG, LinkedIn, Twitter