About

The Jazz Journalists Association (JJA) is an international organization in support of professional reporters, photographers, radio and television hosts, producers and editors, documentarians and new media users who cover jazz in all its iterations.

A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in the state of New York, the JJA supports the creation and dissemination of accurate, balanced, ethical and informative journalism on all of jazz’s genres and encourages the creative use of media to spur the growth, development and education of the audience for jazz.

The JJA is member-supported, with identified sponsors. It provides forums for the discussion of jazz-related issues, events and values, encouraging journalistic and presentation skills, offering opportunities and encouraging adoption/adaptation of  media as it is now — online, in diverse platforms with new challenges — by emerging journalists as well as those already engaged in the field.

We believe that jazz is an important cultural resource and means of individual and community free expression. Jazz has its roots in African-American, Caribbean and Hispanic-American, indigenous American and Western European music and history — but in a century has attracted participants from all races and backgrounds, globally, and embraces their distinct contributions. Jazz media, the JJA believes, should reflect the diversity of jazz itself.

The legacy of jazz must be preserved while the music continues to evolve; jazz of the moment must also remain visible and available to all populations and all ages. To these ends, the JJA emphasizes that community network building and effective media use go together. We work to hone our media skills and expand our visions, to build networks among musicians, educators, local presenters and listeners themselves, far and wide. We encourage the use of JJA-enabled networks and promoted skills to tell local jazz stories.