SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 11/29/12 -- The Asian American Journalists Association is gratified to have Southwest Airlines as the AAJA Official 2012 Airline Sponsor.

Southwest Airlines' sponsorship supported AAJA's programs in 2012 that included JCamp 2012 for high school students in New Orleans and AAJA programs for professional journalists at the Unity '12 Convention in Las Vegas.

"We are so fortunate to have this continuing partnership between Southwest Airlines and the Asian American Journalists Association," said AAJA Executive Director Kathy Chow. "Southwest Airlines is clearly committed to the advancement of Asian Americans in news media and fair and accurate coverage of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders."

With Southwest Airlines as a JCamp sponsor, 42 high school students got specialized training at the end of June through the annual program. The students, from various socio-economic backgrounds, spent a week in the journalism boot camp on a college campus learning from veteran journalists and media executives and completing multimedia news projects. The students gained a range of skills plus ongoing academic and career support networks.

"Southwest Airlines' continued support for the Asian American Journalists Association has enabled us to fly in some of the nation's best journalists for our week-long enrichment program every summer," said Clea Benson, a JCamp co-director. "We wouldn't have been able to provide this level of experience for our students without Southwest's generous help."

Southwest Airlines' sponsorship was highlighted at AAJA's Gala Banquet in August during Unity '12, which drew together journalists and media executives from national and international outlets. The convention was an opportunity for AAJA to increase support for its programs and showcase how it serves professional and student journalists, the news industry and the Asian American community.

About Southwest Airlines - Southwest Airlines is AAJA's 2012 Official Airline. Stop searching for low fares and start traveling! Go to southwest.com -- the only place to find all of Southwest Airlines' low fares to the places you love!

About AAJA - Founded in 1981, AAJA is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, www.aaja.org. With more than 1,700 members, AAJA serves students, professional journalists, the journalism industry and the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. AAJA provides support, training, guidance and a dedication to fair and accurate coverage of AAPIs and AAPI issues in news media.