The Center for Community Media at Newmark J-School Launches an Asian Media Initiative

The Center for Community Media at Newmark J-School has formally launched an Asian Media Initiative (AMI), the first national effort to organize and sustain community media for and by Asian American and Pacific Islander communities across the U.S.  

Kavitha Rajagopalan is the director of the Asian Media Initiative at the Center for Community Media. Previously, she served as CCM’s community engagement manager, where she produced the center’s biweekly newsletter, managed its social media, engaged with regional and other strategic partner organizations, and created community spaces for community media journalists.  

A virtual town hall was held on September 15 to launch the initiative.  

The town hall started with a conversation between Rajagopalan, longtime community media advocate Jehangir Khattak, and digital storytelling pioneer Dr. Shirley Suet-ling Tang. Sing Tao Daily reporter Rong Xiaoqing, editor-in-chief of Khasokhas and Nepyork Kishor Panthi, Indonesian Lantern publisher Indah Nuritasari, and Mochi Magazine editor Giannina Ong shared their insights about community media.

Thank you @CCMNewmarkJ @JehangirKhattak and @kxraja for this opportunity to speak about @KhasokhasMag @NepYork and Nepali diaspora at a virtual town hall event to launch the Asian Media Initiative. Excited to work together! pic.twitter.com/fJP23wCleT

— Kishor Panthi (@KishorPanthi) September 15, 2022

 “CCM has been serving individual Asian media journalists for a long time, but this initiative will allow us to strengthen our commitment to this sector and support publishers in finding paths to sustainability,” said Graciela Mochkofsky, former executive director of CCM and dean of the Newmark J-school.  

Thank you to @CCMNewmarkJ at @CUNY & Asian Media Initiative director @kxraja for inviting me to share the story of @tayohelp at this afternoon's virtual town hall launching the AMI! 📰🔎💻 @newmarkjschool@FylproMabuhay #NewmarkJ #communitymedia #aapimedia #journalism https://t.co/jemfuEwGM4 pic.twitter.com/tl3BxjfQZ1

— the durian don dada (@ghostshowers) September 16, 2022

“The Asian Media Initiative will compile a national map and directory of AAPI-serving media across the country, develop targeted training opportunities, workshops, and cohorts to explore new revenue models and sustainability pathways, convene peer-to-peer networks for Asian media leaders to share resources and support, publish original research and reporting on the sector, including a landscape report of the Asian media ecosystem and analysis of community media’s role in supporting AAPI voters, host public conversations featuring Asian media leaders to share their expertise as journalism innovators and their insights on news events affecting their communities,” reads the official website of CCM. 

Celebrating the launch of the Asian Media Initiative with my curry leaf plant, aka Steph Curry the MVP!

What a rich, powerful, uplifting evening with AAPI community media leaders from across the US. We have us, and we’re going to do great things!!

🌏✨💪🏽❤️ pic.twitter.com/nigBv7jIs9

— Kavitha Rajagopalan (@kxraja) September 15, 2022