Asian American Journalists Association to Honor Lori Matsukawa, Skip Rhodes, Joe Grimm and Ray Rivera at 2005 National Convention

Asian American Journalists Association to Honor Lori Matsukawa, Skip Rhodes, Joe Grimm and Ray Rivera at 2005 National Convention

SAN FRANCISCO, July 26 /PRNewswire/ -- At its national convention next month in Minneapolis-St. Paul, the Asian American Journalists Association will present four of its prestigious national awards to Lori Matsukawa of Seattle's KING 5, former Chevron Corporation executive Skip Rhodes, Detroit Free Press newsroom recruiter Joe Grimm and Washington Post staff writer Ray Rivera.

AAJA will present the awards at a gala scholarship and awards banquet on Aug. 19 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. ABC News correspondent Sonya Crawford and ABC News anchor/correspondent Hari Sreenivasan will emcee the event, held as part of AAJA's annual convention Aug. 17-20.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Lori Matsukawa

Lori Matsukawa is the 2005 recipient of AAJA's Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes an Asian American who has demonstrated courage and commitment to the principles of journalism over the course of a life's work.

Matsukawa, a co-anchor with NBC-affiliate KING 5 in Seattle, first joined the station in 1983 as a reporter and co-anchor for a news show called "Top Story." From 1984 to 1990, she also co-hosted "Celebrate the Differences," a weekly KING 5 minority affairs program.

Matsukawa is a founding member of AAJA's Seattle Chapter and served as chapter president and co-chaired the 1991 national convention in Seattle.

Matsukawa's professional awards include ARBY Awards in 1987, 1989, 1992, 1996 and 2000, given by the Academy of Religious Broadcasting; a Society of Professional Journalists award for Economic Reporting in 1989; and the "American Scene Award," from the local chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 1986.

"Beyond her professional achievements, what really stood out was her continuing support and dedication to the advancement of Asian American journalists," said award judges. "Matsukawa is clearly a leader whose influence and actions inspire change. She has made it her mission to build a culture of diversity in newsrooms by mentoring hundreds of young Asian American journalists."

Special Recognition Award: Skip Rhodes

Skip Rhodes is the 2005 recipient of AAJA's Special Recognition Award, which honors an individual -- Asian or non-Asian, journalist or non-journalist -- who has helped to advance AAJA's goals.

Rhodes is President of Skip Rhodes & Associates, LLC, a consulting firm in strategic corporate and non-profit philanthropic organizational and community activities. He was with the Chevron Corporation for 46 years, where he was Manager, Corporate Community Involvement, from 1986 to 2005, responsible for the company's charitable contributions and community programs.

"Mr. Rhodes' efforts on behalf of his company, Chevron Corp., has helped AAJA nurture the next generation of journalists while expanding the ability of AAJA to sustain a growing array of projects and services for its members and for the communities they cover," said the judges. "(His) involvement has meant that more than $340,000 in scholarship money was awarded by the San Francisco Bay Area chapter and the national organization.

"Every year, for more than 15 years, Skip Rhodes has enthusiastically helped AAJA to do that and much, much more in fulfilling its mission. Few companies, and even more remarkably, few individuals, have shown the steady and unflagging support of AAJA that Mr. Rhodes has. He has provided unstinting support to AAJA, helping it fulfill its myriad goals, asking for nothing."

Rhodes, a former Piedmont, Calif. mayor and city councilmember, is a past president and current member of the Board of Governors of the Commonwealth Club of California, current member of World Affairs Council of Northern California Board and a former chair and member of the Board of Directors for the Council on Foundations in Washington, D.C.

Leadership in Diversity Award: Joe Grimm

Joe Grimm is the 2005 recipient of AAJA's Leadership in Diversity Award, which honors an individual or corporation that has made strides in promoting and demonstrating diversity in the news media industry.

Since 1990, Grimm has been newsroom recruiter and staff development coordinator at the Detroit Free Press, where he coordinates staff selection efforts, training and education for newsroom staffers and the summer internship program. In 1993, he established Detroit as the first city in the nation with an annual Minorities in Newspapers Jobs Fair. In 1997, he launched the JobsPage, a journalism career Web site and then in 2000 directed the creation of a resource guide called "100 Questions and Answers About Arab Americans."

Grimm, who joined the Free Press in 1983, is also an advisory board member for Michigan's Council of Asian Pacific Americans and on the advisory board to the Great Lakes Books series at Wayne State University Press.

"(Joe) has been not only a tireless champion of bringing into the profession journalists with talent or promise, but also of elevating their game once they're there. He has done so especially with journalists of color," said the judges. "Joe's contributions go far beyond those of a recruiter. When ASNE said last year it would look to cut job fairs and the student newspaper at its convention because of hard economic times, Joe was among the first to sound the alarms about the dangerous effects that would have on newsroom diversity.

"And when the Michigan chapter (of AAJA) hosted the forum 'Remembering Vincent Chin: A Conversation About Civil Rights and Journalism' this spring as a special fundraiser for the AAJA Endowment Fund, Joe lend his support loud and clear: He signed on as one of the financial sponsors. AAJA and journalism are better off because of Joe Grimm."

Dr. Suzanne Ahn Award: Ray Rivera

Ray Rivera is the 2005 recipient of AAJA's Dr. Suzanne Ahn Award for Civil Rights and Social Justice for Asian Americans. The award comes with a $5,000 prize.

Currently a staff writer for the Washington Post, Ray Rivera was a military affairs reporter for the Seattle Times when he wrote "Suspicion in the Ranks," a nine-part investigative series chronicling the origins and collapse of the spy case against Chaplain James Yee. For five years in Seattle, Rivera also covered higher education and federal courts. He and reporter Janet Tu led the Times' investigative coverage of the Roman Catholic sexual-abuse scandal.

In 2001, he was awarded a special citation for investigative reporting from the National Education Association for special education coverage. He has also worked at The Salt Lake Tribune and at two newspapers in his native New Mexico, where he got his start as a sports reporter and editor.

"Ray Rivera's skillful and determined pursuit of the charges against Army Capt. James Yee reflect the intent and mission of the Dr. Suzanne Ahn Award for Civil Rights and Social Justice," said the judges. "Detail by painstaking detail, Rivera revealed the government's flawed case against Capt. Yee, and in so doing, opened to readers the true nature of this talented young chaplain. It is to Rivera's great credit that he never gave up on this story.

"At a time when many people have lost trust in the media, Rivera is to be commended for his extensive research over a seven-month period, presentation of different perspectives, and adherence to the policy of including no information in the series based on a single unnamed source. By illuminating the conflicts and tensions that are shaping post-9/11 America, Ray Rivera tells an important, timely story that continues to remain relevant."

The award is named in honor of the late Dr. Ahn, a Korean American who was raised in Arkansas and Texas. She rose to become a successful physician, neurologist and inventor. Although she achieved a position of wealth and privilege, Dr. Ahn devoted her life to promoting civil rights and social justice for all Americans, especially women and Asian Americans.

About AAJA

Founded in 1981, the Asian American Journalists Association is a national, non-profit educational association based in San Francisco that has more than 2,300 members. Today, AAJA encourages young Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to enter the ranks of journalism, to work for fair and accurate coverage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and to increase the number of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders and news managers in the industry. For more information, visit http://www.aaja.org/ .

Source: Asian American Journalists Association

CONTACT: Janice Lee, Deputy Executive Director of Asian American Journalists Association, +1-415-346-2051, or janicel@aaja.org

Web site: http://www.aaja.org/

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