April 2026 Newsletter


On Thursday, May 14, SAJA in Chicago is hosting a panel discussion on The Fourth Estate Under Pressure: Journalism at a Crossroads. The panel discussion will explore how the Fourth Estate can maintain credibility and hold power accountable in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. Panelists will address the challenges reshaping the news industry and consider their broader implications for the future.


Current confirmed panelists include:

Registration required for this event:  

https://forms.gle/5TUJU5is2HSi7Gt76

Location: Medill Chicago Campus, 303 E. Wacker Drive, Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60601 

Time: 6:30pm reception with hors d’oeuvres, followed by the panel discussion at approximately 7pm. For more details, please email SAJA board member Safia Samee Ali at sali@newsnationnow.com.

In Other News...

It’s also been a taxing time for many of our colleagues steeped in the tough work of daily journalism at a time when industry layoffs are routinely affecting our newsrooms. 


We were shocked and saddened to learn of the detention of longtime Texas court interpreter Meenu Batra, who is being held by federal immigration officers after she was arrested on March 17 at a Texas airport. Batra is the state’s only licensed Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu legal interpreter. 


For now, we’d like to highlight the work of some of our colleagues reporting on Iran — Farnaz Fassihi at The New York Times captured the power struggles inside Tehran and the human toll of the conflict, Nidhi Verma at Reuters, has covered how the war has reshaped India’s oil and energy ties with Iran and Kourosh Ziabar has brought vital context to the region through his independent reporting. Their work is a reminder that covering conflict is not just about headlines, but the people, politics, and consequences shaping life far beyond the frontlines.


SAJA Scholarships: 

We received about 60 scholarship applications from students from a wide range of universities across the U.S. and Canada, reflecting strong interest and a diverse applicant pool. Applicants came from institutions including Northwestern, Berkeley, University of Oklahoma, Colorado State University, University of Nevada, among many others—showing broad reach across journalism schools and related programs. Thank you to everyone who applied and for your interest in the scholarship program.

Online News Association Conference, March 30– April 1  

A few of our board members recently attended the Online News Association’s conference in Chicago. SAJA was so thrilled to sponsor two of our board members,Dipka B.(Bhambhani Hesse) and Noreen Nasir, to attend the Online News Association annual conference in Chicago this year! We are so happy to represent our members at this amazing event.

"There were great convos about AI, its uses and limitations in newsrooms, lots of independent journalists," Bhambhani Hesse said of her time there, adding that she was especially excited to see classes on "new emerging creators" and discussions on "what to create and how to fund those creations."  Nasir also said she had a wonderful time connecting with other reporters and representing the South Asian community.  "Attending ONA on behalf of SAJA was a wonderful experience," Nasir said. "I loved having so many conversations about the status of the industry and the ways in which our community members can support each other."


CAPTION: SAJA board members Noreen Nasir and Dipka Bhambhani Hesse pose with fellow journalists Zuleqa Husain and Amani Hamed at the Online News Association conference in Chicago. March 30, 2026. Photo credit: Zuleqa Husain

Sudeep Reddy of MS NOW is the new board chair of The National Press Foundation. He served on the SAJA Board as Secretary in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

New Intern! Please join us in welcoming our intern, Nazeefa Ahmed! Nazeefa will be joining the board to support a variety of SAJA projects, including building the scholarship database. Many of you may already know Nazeefa as a current SAJA Scholarship recipient and from her hard work at last year’s SAJA conference and gala dinner. 


Member Spotlight This month, we’re spotlighting SAJA member Deepa Arun Rao. Deepa is editor-in-chief of The Lotus, a monthly newspaper that reports on the Indian Community and its activities. The Lotus was started by a few university students in 1967 and has become a trusted voice for the Indian community in Northeast Ohio.


CAAM Film Festival  If you’re in the San Francisco area, be sure to check out CAAMFest,Center for Asian American Media’s annual festival celebrating bold films, documentaries, and stories from Asian America and beyond. This year’s lineup includes 60+ films, conversations, and showcases highlighting diverse voices across the diaspora. Some South Asian stories in the lineup include The A List: 15 Stories from Asian and Pacific Diasporas, featuring voices like Kumail Nanjiani alongside Sandra Oh and Tammy Duckworth; Seat at the Table, produced by former SAJA President Prerana Thakurdesai; Hoop Like This, which follows 12 top Indian basketball players competing for a $1 million prize; The Gas Station Attendant, Meals That Made Us and so many more.


NYIFF The New York Indian Film Festival, North America’s longest running showcase of Indian independent cinema, takes place from May 28 to 31 with a diverse lineup spanning 15 languages. Presented by the Indo American Arts Council, this year’s program features 19 narrative films, four documentaries and 27 shorts, including world premieres and a special LGBTQ shorts program, along with a 25th anniversary screening of Farhan Aktar’s film “Dil Chahta Hai.” Tickets and more information available at www.nyiff.us.

  Events


📅 Monday April 27th - Friday, May 1 - All week, The Society of Professional Journalists will be hosting SPJEthics Week, where the focus will be on improving the SPJ Code of Ethics, America’s most influential media ethics code. SPJ wants feedback from the public, journalists and those close to journalism to revise the Code for just the sixth time in its 100-year history. Check out SPJEthics Week and other events here.

📅 Friday, May 1 - The National Press Club Journalism Institute is hosting a reception in D.C. in honor of World Press Freedom Day. Find out more information here.

📅 Sunday, May 3 - Khasokhas is celebrating its 14th Anniversary in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day. Khasokhas has served as a vital bridge for the Nepali-speaking community in New York City. The program will begin with a 15-minute Press Freedom Walk followed by the main program, “Community Media: Inform, Empower, Advocate.”

3:30 PM | Press Freedom Walk: Gathering at 77th St and 37th Rd, Jackson Heights.
4:00 PM | Anniversary Program: Jewish Center of Jackson Heights, 37-06 77th St, Jackson Heights, NY 11372.


📅 Wednesday, May 6 - Join The Institute for Independent Journalists for its first-ever IIJ Town Hall, a virtual event where you can hear the latest industry trends affecting independent journalists of color, and how programming is evolving in response to these trends. Attendance is free so don't miss this chance to make your voice heard! Register here.


📅 Thursday, May 7 to Saturday, May 9, 2026 - The Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (SABEW), will hold its annual conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Philadelphia. SABEW’s annual conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Philadelphia. SABEW’s annual conference offers fresh ideas, valuable networking, and insights from top industry leaders—all while celebrating the Best in Business awards. Speed mentoring, fellowship opportunities and one-on-one coaching will be available. Click here to purchase tickets and register!


📅 Tuesday, May 19 - Religious News Service is hosting a virtual event bringing to discuss reporting on religion, press freedom, and the changing media landscape, with a focus on timely conversations around faith and public life. It’s a chance to hear from reporters and editors, ask questions, and connect with others in the field. Speakers include Niala Boodhoo, Jack Jenkins and Jeffrey Rosen. Register here.

SAJA Board meets in NYC
April Annual Retreat

Caption: Top Row:  Sreenath Sreenivasan, Esha Ray, Pia Sarkar, Rekha Shanmugam (on screen joining from India), Dipka Bhambhani Hesse, Shalina Chatlani, Safia Samee Ali. Seated: Mihir Zaveri, Indira Somani, Sonali Gupta, Noreen Nasir.

 Jobs, Fellowships & Internships 

As April winds down, there are still several opportunities to connect, learn, and network — from a virtual town hall to in-person newsroom gatherings. Below are some of the latest events, job listings, fellowships, listservs and shout outs to put on your radar! 

McClatchy, Summer News Internship, (San Luis Obispo)
LA Sports Media, LA Sports Report Internship
The Ventura County Star (USA TODAY), 2026 Summer Internship

Quanta Magazine, Science Writing Fellowship

More Perfect Union, Video Production Fellow (Remote)

The American University in Cairo, Kamal Adham Fellowship for Television and Digital Journalism


Check out SAJA’s Job Board and newsletters below to stay up-to-date on job openings -
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.

Sonia Weiser: 

Inside the Newsroom: the largest curated journalism jobs board in the world.

Freelancing with Tim: a newsletter offering practical advice, industry insights, and career tips for freelancers navigating independent work.

Scholarships & Grants

🏅 City Bureau has received a grant from Press Forward Chicago to help pay for emergency legal representation for journalists based in the Chicago-area who are detained/arrested when reporting on immigration enforcement or for journalists whose detention/arrest stems from their journalism. The fund prioritizes cases of non-citizen journalists who work for small news organizations. Emergency fund with a $15,000 cap per journalist and a one-time guidance call with an immigration attorney. Reporters can fill out the form here.

🏅 The Pulitzer Center is offering AI Reporting Grants for journalists in the Global South to support in-depth reporting on how AI systems and surveillance technologies impact communities. Grants typically cover reporting costs such as travel, records requests, data analysis, and collaboration expenses, with many awards falling in the $10,000–$20,000 range depending on the project scope. Staff and freelance journalists worldwide can apply, with strong preference for projects rooted in underreported communities and accountability journalism. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis/year-round, so there is no fixed deadline, but earlier submission is encouraged. Learn more and apply here.

🏅 Council for the Advancement of Science Writing has submission open for the annual Sharon Begley Award, which recognizes the accomplishments of a mid-career science journalist, and a grant of at least $20,000 to enable the winner to undertake a significant reporting project. Awardees will also be paired with a senior science journalist who will serve as a professional mentor to help support the project.  The deadline for applications is April 30. Check out the Application Process page.

🏅The 2026 Kurt Schork Awards in International Journalism honor courageous reporting on conflict, corruption, and human rights through three categories: Freelance Award, Local Reporter Award, and News Fixer Award. Open to journalists worldwide, the awards recognize often underreported work from conflict zones and developing nations.

Join SAJA

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. 

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