September 2026 Newsletter |
SAJA’s biggest night of the year is almost here!
Please join us for the 32nd Annual SAJA Awards as we bring together top journalists, editors and media leaders for an unforgettable night celebrating the best in South Asian journalism. |
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Keynote: Daisy Veerasingham, President and CEO of The Associated Press
Extended early bird prices through the rest of October
Members: $50 Non-members: $75 Students: $25 - 10-ticket bundle: $500, regardless of membership status
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Our annual celebration honors outstanding journalism covering South Asia and the South Asian diaspora while creating an opportunity for members of the SAJA community to connect, celebrate and support a more diverse press. You can expect an evening of awards, networking and conversation with journalists from news organizations across the industry.
We’re thrilled about this year’s keynote speaker Daisy Veerasingham, president and CEO of The Associated Press. Veerasingham leads one of the world’s largest news organizations and made history in 2022 as the first woman, first person of color and first person from outside the United States to lead the AP.
We hope to see you there on October 24th!
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Thursday, Oct. 1, in NYC: From Storytelling to Audience-Building
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Join SAJA and AAJA-NY this Thursday, Oct. 1 for a live podcast taping exploring what it takes to launch a podcast, build an audience and stay authentic behind the mic. The panel will feature Cathy Erway, Nayeema Raza and Asthaa Chaturvedi, moderated by Jaeki Cho, followed by a Q&A and mixer with food.
Tickets: $5 for SAJA/AAJA and affinity group members; $15 for non-members. Capacity for the event is very limited so grab your tickets today!
Register here:
The 2026 edition of Jaipur Literary Fesival USA
Internationally acclaimed journalists, writers and thinkers are coming to JLF USA, and SAJA members can get complimentary media access in Houston from Oct. 2–4. Check out the schedule and fill out the press form, or contact SAJA board member Sree Sreenivasan at sree.sreenivasan1@gmail.com.
The Los Angeles edition was co-presented with Zócalo Public Square and UCLA, September 14-16, 2026. Panelists (left photo) included Seema Sirohi, Caroline Elkins, Nina Hachigian and Viet Thanh Nguyen. On the right, UCLA Law Professor Kal Raustiala interviewing Dr. Shashi Tharoor, member of the Indian Parliament and Indian National Congress. |
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Building trust in health reporting workshop in Chicago
Chicago journalists are invited to join Perspectives for a free, hands-on workshop where local public health experts will share strategies for building trust with skeptical communities and cutting through misinformation. “Tips from the Medical Frontlines: Building Trust & Beating Misinformation” will take place Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 7–9 p.m. at Impact House. Registration is free. |
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SAJA events in September
Chicago Journalism Unity Picnic delivered a memorable day! SAJA board member Safia Samee Ali joined fellow journalism groups to celebrate diversity in news while enjoying beautiful Lake Michigan.
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SAJA’s virtual event on the "Do's and Don'ts of Getting Hired in this Job Market" was a big success. Journalists, including emerging and student journalists, joined us for an online session focused on how to stand out, strengthen applications and improve their chances of getting hired in an increasingly competitive job market.
Thank you to our moderator, SAJA President Indira Somani, and panelists Mashaal Mir, SAJA board member Esha Ray and Julie Patel Liss for sharing their valuable insights and advice! |
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SAJA Lifetime member Anup Kaphle examines Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s closely watched UN address, where Shah made the case for climate justice and greater regional cooperation following devastating floods in Nepa |
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SAJA President Indira Somani interviewed filmmaker Vaishali Sinha to discuss her new documentary, Give It a Shot, which explores the decades-long quest to develop the first long-lasting, reversible male contraceptive and what it could mean for the future of family planning. Watch the full interview here. |
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SAJA wants to spotlight your work!
Do you have work you’d like featured in our next newsletter? We want to highlight all the amazing work our members are doing. Submit your work here.
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5 Questions With...Shalina Chatlani
Get to know SAJA board members |
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What do you do?
I’m a national reporter for States Newsroom, a nonprofit network that puts reporters in state capitols to cover local legislatures. I focus on health care and immigration, and everything we produce is free to be syndicated by newspapers across the country. Outside of work, I’m a dog mom, cyclist, footballista and foodie who loves learning about different cultures and communities.
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How did you get into journalism?
I grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, and my parents are immigrants from Mumbai. I was exposed pretty early on to the political and social realities of the deep south. I started exploring concepts of identity through writing very early on, submitting poetry and essays in competitions when I was a teenager. I wrote for my high school newspaper and then my college’s alt-weekly, and by then I was hooked. I’ve been interning or working in journalism since I was 18!
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What’s a favorite or particularly impactful story you’ve worked on?
While working at Gulf States Newsroom, I collaborated with NPR on an investigation into the early COVID-19 vaccine rollout. We found that many primarily Black and brown communities across the South had been left out. After our story was published, the mayor of Baton Rouge made a statement and sent a mobile vaccine unit to one of the communities we reported on. This story was super validating for me at the time that I'd made the right decision to come home and work on this beat, and I was so happy that our reporting made an actual impact. The story also won a regional Edward R Murrow award!
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What advice would you give to new journalists?
Learn to be patient. It’s easy to get caught up in wanting to win the big award or do the big project and forget that it’s really about the journey. Everyone mistake, every embarrassing moment after taking a risk, every relationship forged or burned is part of the process. Everyone’s timeline is different. As long as you’re moving forward and being authentic to yourself, you’re exactly where you need to be!
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You get to plan your perfect last meal. What’s on the menu?
My nani’s Sindhi khatti daal and chawal with fried kachaloo. |
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Stanford's Bill Lane Center for the American West is offering an $8,500 fellowship for journalists pursuing projects on significant issues facing the American West, including environmental challenges. The fellowship supports three to six months of work. Apply by Oct. 5.
The National Press Foundation will award up to $2,000 to 20 journalists to support reporting projects on rare diseases, including travel and reporting time. Apply by Oct. 22. |
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Jobs, Fellowships & Internships
Applications are open for the Fall 2026 McGraw Fellowships for Business Journalism which offers experienced journalists up to $15,000 and editorial support for deeply reported enterprise and investigative stories. Open to freelance and staff journalists. Apply by Oct. 12.
The Hollywood Reporter is hiring a social media producer to create social-first content around major entertainment moments, interviews and events across its digital platforms. POLITICO is hiring an enterprising political reporter for its California Playbook team to break news and cover the people and power shaping California politics.
USA TODAY is seeking an executive editor of audience & digital production to lead its digital audience strategy and newsroom production across platforms. The role is based in New York City or Washington D.C.
The Association of Health Care Journalists has several training opportunities, a Fall Summit Oct. 8–9 in Los Angeles, and a rural health webinar series coming up covering data centers, disappearing rural health data and federal policy changes. Journalists who complete four of the five webinars and a short assessment can also earn a digital certification in covering rural health.
American University's School of Communications seeks an Assistant or Associate Professor of Journalism in Data Science and Quantitative Methods for a tenure-track position.
Explore the latest journalism jobs on SAJA’s Job Board and in the newsletters below.
Mandy Hofmockel: a newsletter for journalists who want to keep tabs on the industry and job market.
West Coast Media Jobs: a curated list of California & Pacific Northwest journalism jobs.
Inside the Newsroom: the largest curated journalism jobs board in the world.
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Thank you for being part of the SAJA community. Your support helps us create quality programming, grant scholarships and awards, champion our members’ work and advocate for South Asian journalists across the industry. Because of your continued support, here’s what we’ve been able to accomplish so far in 2026:
- Expanded our presence with “SAJA Comes to You” events across the country
- Awarded $30,000 in scholarships to six students
- Revamped our monthly newsletter
- Deepened relationships with partner organizations
- Expanded our awards to include a Documentary - Short category (40 minutes or less)
- And we’re just getting started!
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ABOUT US
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.
Follow us on social media
SAJA.org· X:@sajaHQ· IG:@theofficialsaja·
LinkedIn:South Asian Journalists Association |
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