Dear members,
I have been an active AAJA-Asia member for one year. I first became aware of the Asia chapter via Twitter just weeks before I moved to Hong Kong in 2012, and immediately upon arrival both Ramy Inocencio and Wendy Tang welcomed me into the family. AAJA and its members were instrumental in connecting me with other journalists and industry groups in HK as I was finding my feet. Now, it’s my turn to do the same for future members.
My background is in broadcast journalism and for the past two years my role as Asia Editor/Bureau Chief at Storyful news wire has seen me hone my skills around technology for verification/discovery and social media as a newsgathering tool. With this expertise, I believe I can help diversify the skillset of members and spread AAJA-Asia’s reach into new media.
I speak regularly at industry conferences across the Asia Pacific and I have a strong passion for public speaking and networking. As a board member, I could focus my energy on continuing to build the reputation of AAJA and grow the Asia chapter.
My ties to this region are deep – from my hometown of Sydney, Australia I have spread my wings across most of Asia, having had the opportunity to live and work in Hong Kong, Thailand and Vietnam over the last seven years.
I’m really excited about the future of AAJA-Asia and I’d be honored to be a part of that. Thank you for your consideration.
Asha Phillips, Hong Kong – candidate for National Board Representative and At-Large Member