AAJA left out of Niketown celebration

By John Hunter
The Unity News

Board members from NABJ, NAHJ and NAJA took their "Just do it" attitude to the Niketown reception Wednesday evening. AAJA board members, however, just didn't know about it.

Most AAJA board members were not part of a crowd of 500 conference attendees, including large representations by the boards of NABJ, NAHJ and NAJA, invited to the Unity '99 Niketown reception.

"None of the AAJA officers were invited to the reception, and as far as I know none of the board members were, either," said Victor Panichkul, AAJA vice president for print. Traci Tong, vice president for broadcasting, said that she had not received an invitation, either.

While some expressed surprise at the news of a Nike reception, the reasons were uncertain. At least one AAJA board member thought that the reasons were less than cordial.

"I heard that it possibly had something to do with the outcry against the sweatshops in Thailand," said Vic Lee, reporter for San Francisco's KRON-TV. "That's why they snubbed AAJA."

"Nike doesn't run sweatshops," said Bob Mitchell, senior manager at Nike communication and reception organizer. "Nike is a leader in labor reform."

AAJA hasn't taken an official stand about the allegations against Nike and doesn't take sides on political issues, said Catalina Camia, Unity '99 and AAJA president. Camia said she didn't know whether AAJA board members were invited to the reception. She wasn't at the reception and couldn't recall whether she had received an invitation.

"You'll have to check with Nike," Camia said.

Mitchell said he called the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, the Native American Journalists Association and the Asian American Journalists Association for the names of board members. Catherine Direen, then AAJA's interim director, returned his call and left a message that she would call him if AAJA decided to attend, Mitchell added.

Direen could not be reached for comment.

"Quite frankly, I didn't hear back from AAJA," Mitchell said, adding that he also invited some Asian-American journalists he knew.

"I think it was an oversight," said Rene Astudillo, who replaced Direen as executive director in May.