VOICES is a student fellowship program that provides aspiring journalists with career-ready skills to succeed in the continually-evolving media landscape. The program’s mission is to help a diverse group of aspiring journalists understand how audiences engage with them, how communities view the work they produce, and how they can understand the impact of their work. By nurturing relationships between students and professional volunteers, VOICES also gives students the opportunity to tap into mentors’ networks and begin their own.
This program is open to undergraduate and graduate students interested in journalism. We are looking for students who are interested in producing a long-form, in-depth news project over the course of the summer. We want students who are excellent storytellers and who are interested in new technologies and story forms. Reporters, social media strategists, designers, developers, data engineers, podcasters, broadcasters, bloggers are all welcome to apply.
The program this year will consist of summer-long training and project work that begins in mid-April and culminates at the AAJA National Convention, which this year will be in Washington DC from Wednesday, July 19 to Sunday, July 23.

As a VOICES fellow, students will:

• Create meaningful editorial work by working in student groups to pitch and produce a long-form story.
• Attend virtual trainings throughout the summer led by industry leaders.
• Build lasting relationships with their editors and other AAJA professionals
• Be a part of the AAJA National Convention as attendees and presenters. 
• Meet and interview with recruiters from major news companies 

Past fellows have gone onto internships and jobs at news companies such as the New York Times, the Washington Post, Frontline, and more.  Former VOICES students and editors are now Pulitzer Prize-winners, documentarians, public relations professionals, broadcast anchors and newsroom editors. Above all, VOICES is a community that lasts far beyond this one summer, a community that students will be a part of for a lifetime. To view past work by fellows, visit the VOICES website.


Frequently Asked Questions:
Can I also intern or work somewhere else while I participate in VOICES over the summer?
Yes! Most of our students intern for another organization over the summer. The workload is meant to complement your internship, not supersede it. However, every student must be able to attend the national convention. If you are accepted into the program, we are happy to reach out to your internship supervisor if needed.

How much experience do I need to have to be accepted?
Minimal experience. We expect all participants to have certain baseline reporting abilities and experience in order to be accepted into the program. However, students do not need to have prior experience in audio to do an audio project; one of our goals is to push students outside their comfort zone and to learn new things. 

What is covered as a VOICES participant?
AAJA will pay for fellows' travel, accommodations, meals and registration fees to attend the in-person portion of VOICES at #AAJA23. 

I am a recent graduate. Can I still apply?
Yes, if you graduated from an undergraduate or graduate program no earlier than Spring 2023, you are eligible to apply. If you will be graduating from high school in Spring 2023, you are eligible to apply.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: March 17, 2023, 11:59 p.m. PT

 The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) is seeking a new leadership team VOICES, one of its signature program.

AAJA’s Voices program is a unique opportunity for college students to develop reporting and leadership skills under the mentorship of industry professionals. A cohort of 15-17 students participate in a series of trainings and leadership sessions that will include interactive online courses, and are assigned stories covering the journalism industry and AAPI communities.  

As part of leadership, you will have the opportunity to direct the VOICES signature program with AAJA internal staff with the following responsibilities:

• To mentor and guide Voices program participants on their summer projects.
• To help organize and facilitate training and networking opportunities for Voices students.
• To support Voices leadership in other tasks related to carrying out the Voices program, including, but not limited to, application reviews, strategic planning, and outreach.
• To provide encouragement, information, advice, and scholarship assistance to AAPI students who aspire to professional journalism careers.
• To provide to the AAPI community an awareness of news media and an understanding of how to gain fair access.
• To provide a means of association and support among Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) journalists and advance AAPI journalists as news managers and media executives.
• To research and point out when news media organizations stray from accuracy and fairness in the coverage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and AAPI issues.

DEADLINE TO APPLY: March 6, 2023 11:59 p.m. PT