Janice S. Gin, an adjunct professor in the Journalism program, has been named a 2025 ICON by The Very Asian Foundation. This prestigious award, presented earlier this month at the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) convention, recognizes Gin’s trailblazing career and contributions to journalism.
For over 43 years, Gin has been a powerhouse in broadcast journalism, starting her career at KTXL-TV 40 in Sacramento before making her mark in the San Francisco Bay Area market at KGO, KRON, and KTVU. She has covered momentous events, including the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and the shooting death of Oscar Grant, a story that earned a Peabody Award. In 1991, Gin shifted her focus from on-air reporting to TV management. This led her to hold leadership positions in newsrooms across the country, from Greensboro, North Carolina, to Phoenix, and back to the Bay Area, before she eventually settled in Hawai’i. After leading her teams to win multiple awards, she retired as News Director at KITV. Beyond her work in newsrooms, Gin also created the Robert Kekaula Memorial scholarship to honor the broadcaster and UH football game announcer. The scholarship is administered by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, San Francisco / Northern California Chapter, and is awarded to outstanding Hawaiian and Pacific Islander undergraduate students studying broadcast journalism.
Now, Professor Gin brings her expertise in news gathering, producing, and writing to the classroom at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. Her passions lie in journalism ethics, diversity, leadership, and training. She is a member of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), Society of Professional Journalists, and the Asian American Journalists Association. Gin also serves on the Board of Directors of the First Amendment Coalition and RTDNA’s First Amendment Advisory Council, demonstrating her ongoing commitment to protecting freedom of the press. As a lecturer in the School of Communication and Information, she is a dedicated mentor to Journalism students, guiding them as they navigate their own paths in the industry.
The Very Asian Foundation, a non-profit founded by journalists Michelle Li and Gia Vang, created the ICON award to celebrate those who have made a lasting impact on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities through their work. Gin’s recognition as a VAF ICON is not just a testament to her past achievements but a celebration of her ongoing influence as a mentor and educator. SCI Chair Dr. Hye-ryeon Lee says, “We are so fortunate to have Janice as a member of the Journalism program ‘ohana. She is a phenomenal teacher with a wealth of experience and insights about being a good journalist. What makes her truly special, however, is how she gives individualized attention to each one of her students. Only someone who genuinely cares about her students can do that.”
