Hello, Chicago journalism community! I hope 2023 is off to a great start for you! I’m writing with much gratitude, as this marks the start of my 10-year anniversary with the Chicago Journalists Association. It’s hard to believe that a decade has already passed. But when you love the work, it truly doesn’t feel like work!
A lot has changed since I first joined the association in early 2014. For starters, CJA didn’t have a social media presence, and we only held one event: our annual awards ceremony. Those of you who follow our progress know that we now provide multiple offerings throughout the year, from panel discussions and networking events to workshops and mentoring sessions. We have developed strong relationships with local universities, the Illinois High School Association and SPJ-Google News Initiative. AND, with the help of virtual tools, our programming has reached international audiences.
To celebrate this milestone, our Board of Directors decided to launch a new initiative this year. Several of our members asked us for job help, and we heard them loud and clear. We’re now issuing a bi-weekly jobs email, featuring a curated list of journalism/communications opportunities exclusively for our members. We will include journalism and communications positions, internships and freelance gigs.
If your organization would like to be featured on our list, please let us know! Simply email chicagocja@gmail.com with details about the opening(s), and we’ll happily consider.
It’s already shaping up to be a great 10th year, and we’re planning plenty of other exciting opportunities for our members. If you’re not part of our growing membership yet, I encourage you to join today!
Send your CV/resume to chicagocja@gmail.com, and our Board of Directors will review at our next Board meeting. You can learn more about qualifications here. Once we accept, you’ll be directed to pay the appropriate membership fee here.
Thank you for all of your support. I’m humbled by all of the media professionals who have given their time to this organization over the years. Please keep an eye out for more of our events and initiatives later this year!
Onward and Upward,
Stephanie Choporis
President
Chicago Journalists Association