2026 Michael Kim Journalism Fellowship
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Michael Kim Broadcast Fellowship
A young sports broadcast journalist or graduate student who has less than three years of professional experience will receive $2,500 to support their career pursuits in honor of Michael Kim, the godfather of AAJA’s Sports Task Force and a pioneer for Asian Americans in sports broadcast journalism. The scholarship is made possible thanks to the Sports Task Force.
Applicants will be selected on the basis of demonstrated journalistic ability, financial need, a strong commitment to the pursuit of a sports journalism career and dedication to AAJA’s mission of advancing Asian Americans and other underrepresented communities in media.
Eligibility and Selection Criteria
- Must be an active AAJA member
- Must either be a graduate student enrolled full-time with at least 12 credit units each semester at a junior college or university OR must work in the sports media industry in some electronic media form, either as a talent or behind the scenes
- Must be within three years of college graduation and/or in their first television market
- The selected scholarship recipient must commit to a minimum of five hours of volunteer work for the AAJA Sports Task Force, preferably before and/or at the next annual AAJA Convention
Application Requirements:
- Resume
- Journalistic work samples
- Contact information for two references
- A brief statement describing any financial need
- In 1,000 words or less, explain how the financial support of this fellowship would help your short- and long-term career goals, and why you want to continue your sports journalism/media career. The essay should also answer all of the following questions:
- What unexpected challenges have you faced as an aspiring or early-career sports journalist?
- What role or responsibility do journalists of color have in a modern press box? What importance does your ethnic or racial identity serve in the way you cover sports as a professional journalist?
DEADLINE: The application deadline is 11:59PM PT on January 21, 2026. Questions? Email support@aaja.org.
ABOUT MICHAEL KIM
Michael Kim is a groundbreaking anchor who opened doors for the Asian community at the Worldwide Leader in Sports. Kim was an anchor at SportsCenter for 17 years and was one of the original anchors who launched ESPNews.
Prior to ESPN, Kim won a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Show – Daily. Kim is a graduate of the University of Missouri.
Kim has been a proud member of AAJA for years and is a Sports Task Force legend who has supported the group from its inception.
ABOUT THE AAJA SPORTS TASK FORCE
The Asian American Journalists Association’s Sports Task Force is pleased to offer several scholarship and fellowship opportunities for enrolled college students and young professionals to support their pursuit of careers in sports journalism and media. The selected fellowship winners must commit to a minimum of five hours of volunteer work for the AAJA Sports Task Force.
The AAJA Sports Task Force elevates the voices of Asian Americans in sports and encourages future Asian American sports journalists through mentorship and scholarship opportunities.
To join AAJA’s Sports Task Force or to find out more about the group, please check the “Sports Task Force” box when becoming an AAJA member at aaja.org/join.