NAAJA USA

National Arab American Journalists Association
NAAJA USA

 

“An ethnic minority community is only as healthy and as successful as is its ethnic community news media. If the ethnic community news media is weak, the community is weak.”

— Ray Hanania

NAAJA is a professional networking association for Arab American journalists who work at all levels in the journalism and communications profession. But one of our priorities is to support the organic ethnic Arab American news media, the Arab American community news media, journalists who publish or work at independent Arab American journalism publications, including radio and TV/Cable stations.

We support the Arab and Middle East Journalists Association (AMEJA) which represents professional journalists and we also work with the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) which over the years has done much to represent and champion Arab American rights. We also work with the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) to correct their historical injustices against Arab American journalists and members.

Although organic ethnic Arab American journalism dates back to the turn of the century, the first effort to organize Arab American journalists in a professional manner began in 1999 and continues until this day. Organic Ethnic Arab American news media, community journalism, is in trouble. It is being challenged and only by coming together as professionals (and setting aside individual politics or national affinities) can we strengthen our important role as serving as the local “Newspaper of Record” for our communities.

If  you are an Arab American journalist or communicator, we encourage you to join our network (It’s free!). We are not asking for money. We’re not fighting about who is President and who has power. We are merely asking you to network and support an important mission to strengthen journalism and communications in the Arab American community.

If you are not Arab American, we welcome you and hope you will learn about our history, our culture and our current efforts to ensure that organic ethnic Arab American journalism survives.

Join us.