Laura Ling and Euna Lee are welcomed by their families as they their return home after being released from prison in North Korea. | Associated Press

By Audrey Kuo
Voices

Near the entrance to the Seaport World Trade Center, a large sign demanding the release of journalists Euna Lee and Laura Ling was vandalized.

With the addition of a blue “d,” the sign now celebrates the two women’s return to the United States on Aug. 5, reading “FREEd! EUNA LEE & LAURA LING!”

Ling and Lee were jailed in North Korea after being sentenced to 12 years of hard labor for illegally entering the country and committing “hostile acts.”

Their ordeal and recent release have been widely discussed at the AAJA Convention, crystallizing the dangers journalists face when working abroad.

Earlier this year, Roxana Saberi, an Iranian American journalist, was imprisoned in Iran on espionage charges and sentenced to eight years in prison. Saberi was released in May and is now working on a book about her experiences.

Saberi, Ling, Lee and the challenges of reporting overseas were all topics up for discussion during “Journalists in Jeopardy,” a plenary session moderated Thursday morning by Juju Chang, a correspondent for ABC’s “20/20.”

Panelists Bob Dietz, Asia program coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Sandra Nyaira, former political editor of the Daily News of Zimbabwe, drew from their own reporting experiences and advocacy work. Chang also screened statements from Saberi and Ling, who was joined on camera by her sister Lisa, a correspondent for CNN.

Saberi briefly described her experiences and suggested journalists working in a foreign country need to balance their own conscience and judgment against their work.

“It’s great to get career advice from someone who’s just been released from prison,” Dietz quipped after the video, before describing how the CPJ had worked with Saberi during her imprisonment.

The CPJ was founded in 1981 by journalists who realized that local journalists working alongside them were much more likely to face serious costs, even when covering the same stories. He said about 85 percent of journalists captured and killed abroad are locals, not foreigners.

The Lings’ statement was a shorter message of gratitude toward AAJA and others who worked toward securing Laura Ling and Lee’s freedom.

Before the plenary, Bob Dietz refuted media criticism that the women had been irresponsible and violated North Korean laws.

“They were covering a valid story,” he said. “We still don’t know what happened on the border.”

Local journalists face harsher treatment and generally get less support from the news organizations in the country they work for, Dietz said. He said his own motivation comes from seeing those disparities, comparing his own arrests in the 1980s to those of local journalists he met in the field.

To that end, American and Western journalists need to be aware of the situations they’re entering, and he advises that they receive at least a week of safety training if they’re going to enter conflict zones.

“Know the story,” he said. “Don’t assume privilege just because you carry a foreign passport. Be aware.”

Nyaira was also able to provide insight into the ordeals faced by local journalists. She was arrested in her native Zimbabwe in charges of “criminal defamation of the president,” after writing an article implicating President Robert Mugabe of being aware of bribes levied on foreign businessmen.

Nyaira was released – though her case has still not been resolved – and she later left the country on a scholarship to complete her master’s in London. She was about to return to her home country when her editor informed her that their paper had been closed down and advised her to stay abroad.

Now living in the United States, Nyaira continues reporting on Zimbabwe, aided, she said, by YouTube and Google, which allow those within the country to share images and information.

“Of course you want to be on the ground,” Nyaira said, “but because we are in an environment where the government (in Zimbabwe) is really oppressive, it’s easier from the outside.”

Organizations like the CPJ and Reporters Without Borders are crucial, she said, because all journalists face danger while working – including herself.

Nyaira’s entire family is still in Zimbabwe, and they have received phone calls from strangers demanding to know why she does her work as a journalist.

But, Nyaira said, she will continue reporting on health issues, poverty and corruption, even from outside Zimbabwe, working with other journalists both local and foreign.

“We keep telling stories that the government doesn’t want us to tell,” she said.

A technician works in the Nan and Bill Harris Studios at WGBH, August 12. Last year, more than 22 employees lost their jobs, and the station expects to have budget cuts as high as 8 percent this year. | Daniel Sato/Voices

By Yowei Shaw
Voices

In December, National Public Radio laid off 64 employees and canceled two California-based shows, “Day to Day” and “News & Notes.” In June, PBS informed workers that 45 positions would be eliminated, roughly 10 percent of its staff.

At the local level, television station WGBH in Boston recently imposed weeklong worker furloughs and suspended the station’s match on employee retirement plans to close a deficit. Even stations that managed to balance budgets are cutting back on discretionary spending and avoiding extra phone calls, mileage, and meals.

“We’re certainly traveling less and we’re not bringing food in for meetings that we might have in the past,” said Jason Daisey, chief financial officer for television station KERA in Dallas. “We’re watching what’s discretionary and what doesn’t make a difference in the end result to the quality of content we bring to the local community.”

But the forecast is not entirely bleak.

“Public broadcasters need to put the recession in perspective,” says Paul Niwa, a professor of journalism at Emerson University. “Commercial broadcasters are in much worse shape.”

Commercial media depends heavily on advertising revenue, whereas public radio and TV draw from several sources of funding including corporate underwriting, individual donations, government support and endowment payouts. “One of the greatest strengths of public radio over the years is the diversification of funding,” says Greg Schnirring, senior director of radio at the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. “In any particular year, one of those things might be more down so other areas can try to make up the difference.”

This year, the recession has placed significant stress on all levels of funding for public broadcasting. According to a CPB analysis in January, public radio and TV revenues may drop $418 million this year with the biggest losses in corporate underwriting. Yet, some local stations are experiencing benefits. Pledge drives are said to be successful and audience numbers are going up.

At WFCR radio in Amherst, Mass., program director Helen Barrington was pleased to hear this from one listener during the station’s pledge drive: “My hours were cut and I was thinking I wouldn’t give any money, but then I realized I’m going to be home more now and listening to the radio so I decided to give.”

The number of listeners is not only going up but stations and national shows are seeing a whole new audience opening up online.

Jonathan Dyer is managing editor of “The World,” an international radio news program produced by the BBC World Service and WGBH in Boston. He says there have been more than 1.5 million downloads of the show’s podcasts and “who knows how many new listeners.”

Dyer appeared with six other public broadcasting experts Friday at an AAJA panel on the future of PBS. The panel was held in the theater of WGBH’s new state-of-the-art facilities. WGBH produces the majority of programs for PBS.

“We are looking at doing more with less,” Dyer said. “But this is a creative opportunity because it does mean we have to go beyond our conventional boundaries.”

New media has dissolved some of the barriers to the world of public broadcasting: expensive equipment and technical know-how.

“The biggest explosion I’ve seen is cheaper technology. It gives access to anyone with a small camera, who can shoot,” said Raney Aronson-Rath, a senior producer for the PBS program “Frontline.”

Aronson-Rath says “Frontline” is still very limited in what it can air. But its online program, “Frontline World” is more accessible and offers a chance for more experimental projects.

And veteran journalists are forced to learn new skills and adjust to the changing environment as radio and TV production becomes cheaper and more accessible.

Arun Rath, host of the podcast for “Frontline,” has gone from “radio to TV back to radio and then both TV and radio. Now I’m doing podcasts. It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time.”

Public broadcasters are no different than their commercial counterparts having to reinvent themselves to stay marketable. And while they admit this is not a good time for the industry financially … public radio and TV experts are optimistic that their industry will stay relevant.

[podcast]http://blogs.aaja.org/conventionnews/wp-content/podcast/blogvx.mp3[/podcast]

Wanna-be radio insider on public broadcasting’s future

When my editor Traci Tong sent me a list of possible stories to cover, I jumped at the chance to report on the future of public broadcasting.
That was before I had the facts.
I’ve been seriously considering a career in public radio. But my initial research was a bit depressing.

First the bad news:

• Public radio is projected to lose roughly $83 million in revenue this year

• The entire system may lose $418 million in fiscal year 2009

Here’s the good news and what helps Me Sleep at Night:

• WNYC and WBUR, the local public radio stations in New York and Boston exceeded their pledge expectations

A Future of Public Broadcasting panel gave new hope to those who want to break into the industry. If you can work across various journalist mediums, there could be a future for you.

(Facts courtesy of the Corporation of Public Broadcasting and Current.org)

By Audrey Kuo
Voices

AAJA is expected to face a budget deficit of up to $275,000 for the year, officials said.

Glenn Sugihara, accountant for the national office, estimated that the shortfall would be at least $237,000. National Treasurer Candace Heckman’s report to the governing board’s meeting, held Saturday afternoon, indicated the current deficit is already $38,000.

The projected fiscal shortage is due to “a number of factors,” Sugihara said.

Those include losses from over the year, a dropoff in membership dues, losses associated to a lower-than-expected turnout at this year’s convention, sponsors who pulled or reduced their support and a buyout of a hotel contract with the Westin Boston Waterfront.

AAJA had originally booked the Westin as an overflow hotel for the convention. AAJA officials negotiated a buyout of the contract to avoid paying a $57,000 fee – and “saved ourselves $27,000 from that,” Sugihara said.

Maya Blackmun, interim executive director, said AAJA officials had a “variety of possibilities” to deal with the budget shortfall, including a fundraising push from individuals and chapters or looking to the endowment funds.

AAJA national president Sharon Chan said in an interview Friday that the association would have difficult choices in coming years because of the economic downturn and declining membership.

But, she said, “we would never make a decision just based on the finances.”

She added the association has taken this year’s numbers into consideration in planning the 2010 convention, renegotiating the hotel contract with Renaissance Los Angeles to pledge 1,536 hotel nights instead of the original 2,000.

The new contract includes an 85 percent attrition rate, which means AAJA will have met its requirement if its members book 1,306 room nights. The hotel also agreed to offer a lowered rate of $199 per night.

In spite of the looming budget shortfall, Sugihara said it was important to note that no programs had been eliminated yet and that any future cuts would have to be decided by the board.

As an alternative, he suggests AAJA tap into its endowment fund, which is meant to pull the organization through lean years.

“This is a wake-up call that we have to pursue funding a little more aggressively,” Sugihara said. “But there’s quite a bit in the endowment.”

By Carolyn Chin
Voices

A number of topics were addressed during the Advisory Board meeting Saturday morning, including convention, personnel and program issues.

* The Seaport Hotel was originally booked for 2,015 rooms, but AAJA renegotiated the required number in its contract to 1,536 rooms. The contract also stated that if rooms were booked, they still must be paid for even if they went unoccupied. And the Westin Boston Waterfront, AAJA’s overflow hotel, was booked at 400 rooms but “was lucky to have 50,” AAJA accountant Glenn Sugihara said.

* AAJA hopes to secure a permanent executive director by Nov. 30. AAJA national president Sharon Chan said that the search will go on until the right candidate is chosen. The search committee is recruiting and seeding through candidates. Once the search committee finds three candidates, the candidates will then interview with the executive officers. If the executive officers approve of a candidate’s skills and fit for the job, the candidate will then visit the national office.

* Advisory board members brought up complaints about the process lacking transparency. They also were concerned about the lack of transparency shown when former executive director Ellen Endo left AAJA and interim executive director Maya Blackmun replaced her. Chan said all advisory board members were notified of the events before the release was sent out on July 17, but members said they didn’t receive notice until hours before the actual release was sent.

* Deputy Executive Director Janice Lee’s last day was Saturday. She has been on half-time since June 30. Lee plans to work as the development and communications director for Urban Solutions in San Francisco.

* AAJA’s total assets as of June 30 equal $1.8 million. In 1982, AAJA’s total assets equaled $15,000. If AAJA continues to operate as is, it will last for two years.

Maria Hechanova looks over a story with her "Voices" editor Tina Pamintuan. | Credit: Voices staff

By Maria Hechanova
Voices

When I arrived at the Seaport Hotel on Monday, I met one of the AAJA Voices students, April Choi. We decided to scout the Boston World Trade Center to see where the newsroom was located before our first meeting.  After a couple of escalator rides and a good 10-minute talk with security, we were able to find what would be called the AAJA Convention Project newsroom.

After walking through endless hallways, April and I found Waterfront Room 3. The adventure ended as we entered the room, shocked and confused.  We weren’t sure if we were in the right place. The room was empty except for a couple of tables, one computer and a printer.

After getting a bite to eat, we ran into more Convention News Project students. We introduced ourselves and hung out in the hallway before our meeting.

Before we knew it, six o’clock rolled around. The mentors and editors arrived and we all sat down. I felt intimidated. I didn’t know what to expect.

That night, a group of us huddled in my hotel room and worked on the stories assigned to us.  We had one thing in common — we were all nervous about what the editors expected from us.

The next few days looked like this: Hunched over our computers, we were surrounded by white table cloths, faint chatter, fattening food and snacks, and easel papers tapped to the room divider, blaring our deadlines. We rarely had a chance to go outside of the newsroom.

One thing happened though: we stopped working to see a sunset. It was a nice break from the intense atmosphere. We giggled, took a couple of pictures and had a chance to smile and enjoy the moment. I was no longer intimidated.

As this Convention News Project comes to a close, I’m so thankful I got the opportunity to learn from professionals. I got to know the other students really well, too.  We were learning, networking and really making connections. This was more than just exchanging business cards and saying what’s-up.

If it weren’t for AAJA and being selected for the Convention News Project, I wouldn’t be here. I wouldn’t have been able to afford to come to Boston. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to pursue my dream.  Thanks AAJA!  You rock!

Joe Grimm

By Carolyn Chin
Voices

Longtime AAJA member Joe Grimm, formerly a recruiter for the Detroit Free Press, donated $10,000 to AAJA as an annual scholarship endowment. Grimm’s donation was made in memory of Vincent Chin and his deceased mother, Lily, who never saw justice for her son’s death.

Last year, Grimm donated $3,500 to AAJA, and his former company, Gannett Co., added a $3,300 donation, Grimm said. Grimm received AAJA’s Leadership in Diversity award at the 2005 Convention in Minneapolis.

Grimm’s donation and scholarship is not connected to AAJA’s existing Vincent Chin Scholarship, which was not given out this year due to lack of funding, according to Nao Vang, AAJA student programs coordinator. Grimm said he also expects to donate money next year, making the endowment at least $20,000, plus interest.

In a note sent to AAJA National President Sharon Chan, Grimm stated that the money is meant to be used only for student scholarships and not toward financial operations.

“If AAJA can’t give scholarships, then I’d want to move the money somewhere else,” said Grimm in an interview.

Chan announced the donation at today’s Advisory Board meeting, noting that regardless of difficult financial times, people still care about the organization and its mission.

Grimm said he has mulled the idea to donate money for a Vincent Chin scholarship to AAJA in the past few years. Chin’s slaying in 1982 is considered a linchpin moment in the pan-Asian American movement.

Grimm writes the “Ask the Recruiter” column for the Poynter Institute and is a visiting editor-in-residence at the Michigan State University School of Journalism.

The Committee to Protect Journalists maintains a database tracking those killed while actively working as journalists. | Audrey Kuo/Voices

By Audrey Kuo
Voices

The Committee to Protect Journalists maintains a database tracking those killed while actively working as journalists. The numbers in the database err on the conservative side, according to CPJ media officer Andrew Levinson. “We don’t like to confirm a death unless we’re very sure that they were killed as a result of their work,” he said.

• Roxana Saberi gives a statement and Q&A.

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