Two Portland news organizations and a poet have been named winners of the 2023 AAJA Portland Diversity and Inclusion Awards, the Portland chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association announced.
The Oregonian/OregonLive’s 2022 project, “Publishing Prejudice: The Oregonian’s Racist Legacy,” won in the politics/business category.
“Very detailed, incredible inward look at The Oregonian’s role in minimizing or perpetuating violence and racism against communities of color,” the judges said. “Not only does the newspaper dig into its own archives, but it also looks at the effect that its journalism had on settlement in the state and can draw parallels between coverage and diversity in some Oregon cities.”
KGW-TV won for its documentary “One Day: 24 Hours Inside Portland’s Homeless Crisis,” in the environmental/health category.
“An empathetic and truly powerful report on homelessness in Portland,” the judges wrote. “KGW really devotes the time and resources to thoroughly investigating what it is like for unhoused people, business owners, and nonprofits and medical organizations helping unhoused people, and despite the short vignettes into these peoples’ lives, you really get a sense of who they are and what their hopes are.”
In arts and culture, poet and author Jennifer Perrine won for her 2022 piece “We’re Here for Each Other: How Oregonians of color are building relationships in the outdoors,” published by Oregon Humanities.
“Jennifer Perrine’s story on the importance of outdoors for African Americans and their barriers showed just how important access to nature is to communities, but also just how difficult it is for those facing structural racism,” the judges said. “She was able to weave in the voices of many outdoor groups, not just a single one, and painted a portrait of life in their shoes.”
Members of the Los Angeles chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association chose the winners, who each receive a $250 prize. The AAJA Portland awards recognize journalism about discrimination or structural inequities that disproportionately affect people of color or other under-resourced groups in Oregon or southwest Washington.