Netflix cordially invites members of the South Asian Journalists Association and their families to screenings of the Oscar®-nominated Short Documentary Film, The Elephant Whisperers.

Four screenings:

• SoHo House — 29-35 9th Ave, 7:00pm Wednesday, March 1, in person Q&A with director Kartiki Gonsalves to follow
• Paris Theater — 4 W 58th St, Saturday, February 25 at 2:00pm; Saturday, March 4 at 2:00pm; Sunday, March 5 at 2:00pm

SAJA members may RSVP by sending an email with “SAJA Member” in the subject line to: netflix@jmpverdant.com

Space is limited. All RSVPs must be confirmed via email in order to attend.  

Invitation is non-transferrable.

The Elephant Whisperers follows an indigenous couple as they fall in love with Raghu, an orphaned elephant given into their care, and tirelessly work to ensure his recovery and survival. The film highlights the beauty of the wild spaces in South India and the people and animals who share this space. 

Directed by

Kartiki Gonsalves

Produced by

Guneet Monga and Ajin Jain

Executive Produced by

Douglas Blush and Kartiki Gonsalves

Note: Screenings of The Elephant Whisperers at the Paris Theater start at 2:00pm and are part of a double feature documentary program with the Netflix Oscar nominated short documentary The Martha Mitchell Effect. SAJA members are welcome to screen one or both films.

SAJA members have a special opportunity to attend a screening of All That Breathes in Manhattan on Feb. 21! The screening will be followed by a Q+A with the director, Shaunak Sen.

Soho House New York Screening
7:00pm Tuesday, February 21
SoHo House — 29-35 9th Ave

In Person Q&A with director Shaunak Sen to follow

SAJA members may RSVP by sending an email with “SAJA Member” in the subject line to: allthatbreathes@jmpverdant.com

Space is limited. All RSVPs must be confirmed via email in order to attend.   Invitation is non-transferrable.

All That Breathes follows two brothers who devote their lives to the quixotic effort of protecting the black kite, a majestic bird of prey essential to the ecosystem of New Delhi that has been falling from the sky at alarming rates. Amid environmental toxicity and social unrest, the ‘kite brothers’ spend day and night caring for the creatures in their makeshift avian basement hospital. The film explores the connection between the kites and the Muslim brothers who help them return to the skies, offering a mesmerizing chronicle of inter-species coexistence.

India / USA / UK | 94 mins | 2022
DIRECTED BY: Shaunak Sen
PRODUCED BY: Shaunak Sen, Aman Mann, Teddy Leifer
DISTRIBUTOR: Sideshow and Submarine Deluxe in association with HBO Documentary Films

Report for America (RFA) helps local newsrooms report on under-covered issues and communities by sending early, mid-career and experienced reporters and photographers to newsrooms throughout the country. As an RFA Corps Member Journalist, you’ll be a part of a movement to strengthen communities— and our democracy—through local journalism that is truthful, fair, fearless, and smart.

We are seeking talented, service-minded journalists and photographers to join our reporting corps.  Applications are now open for 56 reporter positions.  RFA is a two-year program, with an optional third year. Each service year begins on July 10 and runs through July 9. We currently have 300 reporters and photographers in 200 newsrooms serving communities across the country.  Check out our interactive database of the 56 job openings, newsrooms and beats here.  Reporting opportunities include healthcare, K-12 and higher education, rural communities, cities and towns, sports reporting, and rural communities.  Candidates should have a minimum of 1-3 years of local news experience. Recent graduates may apply if they’ve had local newsroom internships or journalism leadership experience in college.
 
Report for America is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
 
Application Process

To apply, complete the corps member application here. The deadline to apply is January 30, 2023.  Should you become a finalist and be slated for one or more newsroom interviews by our selection team, your application will be shared with those newsrooms.
 
Important Note: Please be sure to alert your two references that they will receive an email from Submittable, our application platform, with the recommendation form.  At the prompt in the application, we strongly recommend you send this form right away even before completing your application.  Your application will not advance if we don't receive your two references by February 6, 2023 - the reference deadline.   
 
Questions? Contact the Report for America recruitment team at recruitment@reportforamerica.org or join us for one of our virtual information sessions. 

You may register for an information session here.

The South Asian Journalists Association (SAJA) Board, elected in December 2022, announces the appointment of our Executive Officers.

The 2023-2024 Board has three new members: Hanaa’ Tameez, Priyanka Vora, and Angeli Kakade who replaces former Board member Deena Zaidi. 

The four returning board members are Jennifer Chowdhury, Pia Sarkar, Karen Mahabir and Mihir Zaveri. Farnoush Amiri, John Laxmi, Mythili Sampathkumar, and Sabrina Malhi are serving in the second year of their current terms. 

The new executive officers include: 

President - Mythili Sampathkumar

Vice President - Jennifer Chowdhury 

Treasurer - John Laxmi

Secretary - Priyanka Vora

Member at Large/Communications Manager - Hanaa' Tameez

APPLICATIONS CLOSED

The South Asian Journalists Association is providing a new funding opportunity to help working journalists to help cover training, professional development, and other miscellaneous costs associated with reporting and editing. Applicants with financial hardships will be given special consideration.

Up to $5,000 will be distributed among up to 10 recipients ($500 max for each applicant.)

The types of costs that could be partially or fully covered include:

– Conference registration

– Training course fees

– Training materials like books or software

– Equipment like cameras or recorders

– Costs of fact-checking

Deadline: Dec. 15.

APPLY HERE. 

Selection/Eligibility

Professional development fund grants are open to journalists of South Asian descent based in the United States and Canada. Applicants must be working for news organizations located in the United States and Canada or working as full-time North America correspondents for South Asian media outlets. Freelance journalists are also eligible for the grants.

Immediate relatives of SAJA Board members and judges are INELIGIBLE to apply.

Evaluation Procedure

A committee of judges appointed by the SAJA Board will review applications. The applications will be evaluated based on genuine financial need and the relevance and importance of the activity the grant recipient will pursue to fulfill their professional or reporting needs. Applicants may be interviewed by phone, Skype or in-person by a member of the scholarship committee. Winners will be notified by the end of December 2022.

Award process

Recipients are expected to become SAJA members if they aren’t already and give back to SAJA by volunteering at one SAJA event during the year. They should commit to promoting SAJA activities, events, membership drives and donation appeals on social media platforms in order to help SAJA achieve its mission and expand the network. All recipients of the grants must also agree to provide an update on their journalistic achievements one year after the award is given. We will post excerpts from these statements on the SAJA website and social media platforms to share with the public the impact of the program. 

SAJA is pleased to announce the winners of this year's awards, which represent an excellent batch of journalism. The winners were scored and selected by panels of independent judges.

THE DANIEL PEARL AWARD
Established in honor of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was killed while reporting in Pakistan, this award recognizes outstanding investigative reporting that exhibits courage under difficult circumstances and exposes important public issues. See, for example, a previous Daniel Pearl award winning story about Kashmir during the recent military takeover by Modi’s government for the GroundTruth Project.

Winner

India Under Surveillance
Niha Masih, Joanna Slater
The Washington Post

Read the series here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Finalists

Online censorship is growing in Modi’s India
Paroma Soni
Columbia Journalism Review

The Hindu Extremists at War With Interfaith Love
Angad Singh (Producer), Ahmer Khan (Field producer), Masihuzumma Ansari (Associate producer), Siddarth Bokolia (Camera operator), Puneet Sharma (Camera operator), Jose Flores (Editor), Oliver Gruber (Production assistant), Neda Tolui-Semnani (writer), Karishma Vyas (Senior Producer)
Vice News Tonight

BUSINESS REPORTING

Winner

Facebook Under Fire
Cat Zakrzewski, Gerrit De Vynck, Niha Masih and Shibani Mahtani
The Washington Post

Finalists

Trapped in Silicon Valley’s Hidden Caste System
Sonia Paul
WIRED

How Big Tech Is Importing India’s Caste Legacy to Silicon Valley
Saritha Rai
Bloomberg News

ARTS & CULTURE

Winners (TIE)

The Slow Death Of Artistic Freedom In India
Tatsam Mukherjee
Slate

Why minorities are abandoning India’s trailblazing queer forums
Ankur Paliwal
Rest of World

Finalist

Chef Asma Khan on breaking barriers with familiar flavors
Imtiaz Tyab
CBS News

HEALTH REPORTING

Winner

How Science in India Became a 'Political Weapon' Under Modi; 'Everyone Here Is Alone' ; One Son's 48-Hour Fight to Save His Parents
Karan Deep Singh
The New York Times

Read the series: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Finalists

These twins are 5 years old. They lost both parents to covid-19.
Joanna Slater
The Washington Post

India's Deadly Delta Wave
Angad Singh (Producer), Ahmer Khan (Field Producer), Surabhi Tandon (Correspondent), Karishma Vyas (Correspondent and Senior Producer), Jahangir Zaidi (Associate Producer), Omar Khan (Associate Producer), Akash Bisht (Associate Producer), Gabrielle Caplan (Associate Producer), Supreet Bargi (Camera Person), Puneet Sharma (Camera Person), Siddarth Bokolia (Camera Person), Adam Deniston (Editor) Alejandro Soto (Editor), Kyri Evangelou (Editor), Adriane Quinlan (Writer), Brian Josephs (Writer), Craig Thomson (Executive Producer)
Vice News Tonight

COMMENTARY & OPINION

Winner

Policies Mandated by Multilateral Institutions Are Contributing to India’s COVID Catastrophe
Puja Changoiwala
Scientific American

Finalists

Will Pakistan Be the Next Country to Fall to a Taliban-Style Takeover?
Hasan Ali
The Nation

What America Missed About the FedEx Massacre
Angad Singh (Producer and Host), Adriane Quinlan (writer),  Ana Simoes (Graphic Designer), Andrew Marulanda (Editor), Scott DeAngioletti (Camera person), Dan Cain (Camera person), Karishma Vyas (senior producer), Emily Drew (Senior Broadcast producer)
VICE News Tonight

STORY ON ANY SUBJECT

Winner

Return to Afghanistan Under Taliban Rule
Imtiaz Tyab
CBS News Face The Nation

Finalists

Housing Crisis in California
Mustafa Mirza
VICE News Tonight

Part 1, Part 2

Dalit Scientists Face Barriers in India’s Top Science Institutes
Ankur Paliwal
Undark Magazine

STUDENT JOURNALISM

Winner

What Went Wrong at Cook County Jail
Kiran Misra
South Side Weekly and Shadowproof (Collaboration)

Finalists

The dirty business of wetlands restoration
Tanay Gokhale
Local News Matters

How Suburban Influence Defeated a Resolution to Condemn the Indian Government
Kiran Misra
Chicago Reader

We're excited to announce the recipients of the 2022 SAJA scholarships! We're proud every year to provide people with financial support to pay for a journalism education. Congratulations to all of these individuals. We are excited for their futures!

2022 Recipients

Saugat Bolakhe

I am an aspiring life science and environment journalist from Nepal and a science journalism student at the City University of New York.

Mehar Gujral

Mehar Gujral is a graduate student at New York University and documentary filmmaker making home in this world.

Prachi Vashisht

Prachi Vashisht is currently pursuing her master's in Digital Media Studies, studying India's misinformation and disinformation crises. She previously worked with NPR's KEDT as a reporting intern.

Pooja Sarkar

Pooja Sarkar has been a financial writer for over a decade, writing on private equity and Indian Economy. Her aim is to simplify complex financial jargons for her readers. She is studying at Columbia University.

Nazmul Ahasan

Nazmul Ahasan (he/him) is a Bangladeshi journalist in the Investigative Reporting Program at UC Berkeley and a graduate student at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

Juhi Doshi

Juhi Doshi is an incoming junior at Chapman University studying Broadcast Journalism and Documentary and minoring in Political Science, and is currently interning for CBS Evening News with Norah O’ Donnell in Los Angeles.

Nikita Vashisth

Nikita is a current student at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. Previously, she’s worked with various organizations as a data journalist and later as an editor.

SAJA is excited to once again recognize and award some of the great journalism produced last year! Many of our awards focus on reporting about South Asia or the South Asian diaspora. Other awards recognize the tremendous work produced by journalists of South Asian backgrounds. Together, these awards help further our mission of supporting newsroom diversity and promoting better coverage of issues related to South Asia worldwide.

See below for details on this year's SAJA awards! Questions? Email president@saja.org.

Make your submissions here.

Deadline (new!): September 22, 2022 at 11:59 p.m.

Eligibility Criteria

The submitted piece(s) of work must have:

• Appeared in a U.S. or Canadian news outlet between January 1, 2021, and December 31, 2021. Work published in a media outlet based in South Asia is NOT eligible for entry.
• Most awards require the submissions to be focused on subjects about one or more than one South Asian countries or the South Asian worldwide diaspora. Read the descriptions carefully. Two awards recognize broader work produced by journalists and student journalists of South Asian backgrounds.
• Branded content is not eligible for an award -- submissions must be examples of independent journalism.

Other criteria:

• Awards are open to all US and Canadian media: national newspapers/TV channels, local/regional newspapers/TV channels, news and features websites, and other online platforms that DO NOT include personal or professional blogs.
• Freelancers and journalists employed by newsrooms are both eligible to apply by submitting a story published in a North American publication.
• Individuals may submit entries or organizations may enter the contest on behalf of their journalists.
• Organizations and individuals can make multiple entries. BUT the same entry/story cannot be submitted in different categories.
• Former SAJA board members are eligible to apply but they must not have served on the board since the past two years (2020).
• The countries that we consider as part of "South Asia" are India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
• No award will be presented in any category that does not receive a minimum of 3 quality submissions.

Fee

SAJA levies a non-refundable application fee to help cover some of the costs of the awards process. The fee is $75 per entry for companies who are making submissions on behalf of employees, $25 per entry for individual journalists submitting on behalf of themselves and $15 per entry for students.

Judging

SAJA will select a pool of volunteer judges for each award, who will rate each submission on a number of factors including: 

• News Value: insight, informative qualities and durability.
• Originality and/or Exclusivity: enterprise and discovery.
• Reportorial Quality: thoroughness and balance.
• Writing and Production Quality (where applicable): clarity in dealing with description, concepts, findings and complex issues.

Awards Categories

SAJA this year is recognizing journalism in a number of different categories: business, arts and culture, health, opinion and commentary and photography. Here is a full list:

1. The Daniel Pearl Award for outstanding reporting about South Asia

Established in honor of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, who was killed while reporting in Pakistan, this award recognizes outstanding investigative reporting that exhibits courage under difficult circumstances and exposes important public issues. See, for example, a previous Daniel Pearl award winning story about Kashmir during the recent military takeover by Modi’s government for the GroundTruth Project.

All media formats are allowed. The reporting can be a single piece or a series on a specific topic. Please be considerate of the volunteer judges' time when submitting large entries.

2. Outstanding business story about South Asia, or the worldwide South Asian diaspora

This award recognizes outstanding news, feature or explanatory reporting in business, technology and economics.

The story should not be an opinion piece. All media formats are allowed, though video or audio submissions must not be longer than 30 minutes. The reporting can be a single piece or a series on a specific topic.

3. Outstanding arts, culture, and lifestyle reporting about South Asia, or the worldwide South Asian diaspora

This award recognizes outstanding reporting about arts, culture or lifestyle.

The story should not be an opinion piece. All media formats are allowed, though video or audio submissions must not be longer than 30 minutes. The reporting can be a single piece or a series on a specific topic.

4. Outstanding health reporting about South Asia, or the worldwide South Asian diaspora

This award recognizes outstanding reporting about health, science, public health and the coronavirus pandemic.

The story should not be an opinion piece. All media formats are allowed, though video or audio submissions must not be longer than 30 minutes. The reporting can be a single piece or a series on a specific topic.

5. Outstanding commentary, editorial, opinion piece or personal essay about South Asia, or the worldwide South Asians diaspora

This award recognizes outstanding creative writing, use of language, quality of articulation and coherence that covers news, sports, business, entertainment or any other aspect relating to South Asia or South Asians.

All media formats are allowed, though video or audio submissions must not be longer than 30 minutes. Books are ineligible for this awards. The reporting can be a single piece or a series on a specific topic.

6. Outstanding photography about South Asia, or the worldwide South Asian diaspora

This award recognizes outstanding feature or breaking news photography in black and white or color in newspapers, magazines or digital publications.

This category can be a single photo, or a photo series.

CATEGORIES FOR SOUTH ASIAN JOURNALISTS WORKING IN NORTH AMERICA

7. Outstanding story on any subject

This award recognizes outstanding reporting on any subject.

The story should not be an opinion piece. All media formats are allowed, though video or audio submissions must not be longer than 30 minutes. The reporting can be a single piece or a series on a specific topic.

CATEGORY FOR SOUTH ASIAN STUDENTS IN U.S.A OR CANADA

8. Outstanding story on any subject by a South Asian student in the US or Canada

This award recognizes outstanding reporting on any subject by a South Asian student studying in North America. Reporting can be in any field or medium, and can include reported opinion pieces or essays.

This category is for students of South Asian origin studying in North America. All media formats are allowed, though video or audio submissions must not be longer than 30 minutes. The reporting can be a single piece or a series on a specific topic.

On March 8, SAJA Board Member Masuma Ahuja spoke with member and freelancer Lakshmi Gandhi about her new book Girlhood: Teens Around The World In Their Own Voices, what it was like working girls from around the world, and the ins and outs of writing a book as a journalist.  

Click here to watch the program

Watch the full event here.