About
New York Times best-selling author Jae-Ha Kim started writing professionally while she was a pre-law student at the University of Chicago. Since earning her M.S. in journalism from Northwestern University, Kim has covered everything from hard news (as a reporter for United Press International) to pop culture (as the Pop Music Critic and film reviewer for the Chicago Sun-Times). She currently is a nationally-syndicated columnist for the Tribune Content Agency and her column runs in print and/or online in publications such as the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times. Her profiles, essays and reviews also appear in outlets such as Rolling Stone (U.S.) (Korea) (Japan), NPR, Victoria & Albert Museum, Mashable, Salon, Teen Vogue, TODAY, Variety, New York Daily News and MTV News.
Kim has won a Peter Lisagor Award for Excellence in Journalism. She also wrote the first book about the hit sitcom Friends and is a co-editor of several travel books. She has appeared as a pop culture expert on NBC’s Today, Entertainment Tonight, A&E’s Biography and E! Entertainment. Kim is also a voting member of the Television Critics Association. Additionally, her work is featured on Rotten Tomatoes — the review-aggregation website for film and television.
Kim is an in-demand voice on Korean entertainment, who has been quoted in media outlets (including the New York Times, Associated Press, MTV, Korea Times, South China Morning Post). She also wrote about Korean cinema for the Hallyu: The Korean Wave exhibit at London's V&A Museum. Additionally, Kim is a popular guest lecturer, discussing the intersection of journalism and pop culture at the University of Southern California, Columbia College Chicago, North Central College and North Park University.
Kim got her first passport when she was four years old and hasn’t stopped traveling. She counts Edinburgh, Seoul and Melbourne as some of her favorite cities. Kim lives in Chicago with her husband and their son.
If you need more information, you may contact me via Facebook or the contact sheet below:
Due to the volume of messages, I unfortunately can’t respond to all requests for assistance.
Substack
Hello! Some of you may know me from Twitter, where I tweet a lot about K-dramas and Korean pop culture. I once wrote that it was my hope to write solely about Korean content in the upcoming years. Well, the world’s not quite ready for that yet. Ha! But I am. So I’ve started a Substack, where I’ll curate my reviews and views about Koreancentric things happening in the pop culture realm (and beyond) that pique my interest…and I hope yours, too.
I’ll also be writing about some of my experiences as a Korean immigrant growing up in the United States … and how both nothing and everything has changed over these past decades. And I'll be publishing interviews with Korean actors, musicians and other creatives. So if any of this sounds interesting to you, I hope you’ll consider subscribing. It’s free (with an option to upgrade).
Attribution
If you're quoting me, here are some attribution options:
Jae-Ha Kim, syndicated columnist, Tribune Content Agency.
Jae-Ha Kim, contributing pop culture writer, Chicago Tribune.
TCA is a news syndicate owned by Tribune Publishing, and my work appears nationwide in outlets such as the Chicago Tribune and the Baltimore Sun.
If you need more information, you may leave a private comment here or fill out the contact sheet below:
Due to the volume of emails, I can't get back to everyone. But I will try.
Reader Qs & As
Can you share your contacts with me?
I get asked this many times and I generally can not. The exceptions are for people who I know in real life whose work I can vouch for. In the past, I have asked management companies and public relations specialists if they would like me to forward these requests to them; and their replies were almost always, "No." Why? They keep track of what's written on subjects who are similar to their own clients and then pitch specific publications and reporters.
How do I get a job as a K-pop writer?
I give the same advice that an editor gave me when I told him I wanted to be an entertainment reporter many, many years ago. He said, "Read everything that you can and be knowledgeable about a variety of subjects." Writing jobs come up, but not necessarily for the exact one that you want. But once you have the job, there are opportunities to write about subjects you want to at the publication you now work at. And, if not, you can freelance for other outlets on your off time.
As of today, I don't know of any major U.S. outlet that has a full-time position for a K-pop writer.
If you only want to write about K-pop, then you may want to consider getting a full-time job doing something else in order to support yourself. That's not necessarily a bad thing either.
Can you translate or interpret for me?
No. That's an art unto itself and you should hire a professional who is skilled at this. That person is not me, I promise you.
Would you recommend that I become a journalist?
Your answer is more important than what I think. Would I encourage my child to become a journalist? No. Why? Because I'd like him to earn more money and work less hours than I do. Would I be upset if he chose to become a journalist? No, because that would be his choice and I want him to be happy with whatever career he pursues.
How did you get started in journalism?
After graduate school, I applied for jobs covering the news on air and in print, but I only received job offers in small markets that were offering very little pay. So instead, I took a corporate job in Chicago where I wrote for the company magazine. It was boring, but the pay was better than the journalism jobs. When I got home from work, I freelanced for music magazines. This led to a full-time job at a major Chicago newspaper, where I was later promoted to Pop Music Critic.
To be clear, I didn't do any internships and didn't even know they existed. I hadn't intended on pursuing journalism. (I was going to be an attorney.)
If you are still in school and have the opportunity to take a summer internship at a magazine, newspaper or TV station, I highly recommend it. Many of my colleagues who had interned were hired after they graduated from college, without the usual 5-years (or so of) experience outlets require.
What does it mean that your column is syndicated?
I write my "Go Away With ..." column for the Tribune Content Agency — a news wire service (like Reuters or the Associated Press) that releases my work to its subscribers. TCA distributes the column to all the outlets that have paid for it. Please note that I am employed by TCA. I do not write for one specific newspaper.
How to pitch
If you’re a publicist or manager who’d like to have your client featured in “Go Away With …” — my nationally syndicated celebrity travel column — this section is for you! Besides writing about celebrities such as Yo-Yo Ma, Justin Bieber and Idris Elba, I also like to feature well-known entrepreneurs, athletes and authors. The key is, they have to be interesting, well known and enjoy traveling.
Please verify with your client that they are comfortable talking about their travels. Some people just don’t enjoy talking about that aspect of their life, and I respect that. However, misleading them (and me) into doing an interview won’t help get your client placed. I have conducted some interviews where the subjects said, “I don’t really like to travel…” There’s not a lot I can do with that kind of answer, except to kill the story.
If your client has a new album, book or DVD to promote, please mail me his or her CD, DVD/Blu-ray or book prior to the interview. Give me a few days to go over the material. If you would like the product back, include a SASE or a prefilled-in airbill for a prompt return. (You may leave a private comment for me here. Or, please use the contact form for more inquiries or my office address.)
Because the column runs in multiple outlets, I don’t peg articles to certain cities (i.e. a concert in just one location). If your artist has a national tour or a film that is coming out, let me know when. Also, if your client is the star of a TV series, please let me the dates for the season premiere and finale.
If you have specific conditions, please address them with your pitch. I can tell you beforehand if there will be any problems in meeting your request. For instance, I cannot promise you that the column will run on a specific date, because that is out of my hands. I will generally know when TCA will release the column, but not when it will be picked up by each individual publication. Similarly, I cannot promise you that the photo you submit is the one that will run. Sometimes publications simply don't like them and will opt for their own. Again, that is out of TCA's jurisdiction.
Photo requirements
Please do not pitch me unless you can provide all of the following artwork elements prior to the interview:
(1) A promotional handout, high resolution jpeg (300 dpi or higher) of your client. No sunglasses, please. Please note that while I am required to submit a photo with my column, the publications may choose to go with a different photo. Regardless of what you send us, please make sure that you have the rights to release the photos to us to publish. I don’t have time to contact photographers for you, so I would appreciate it very much if you didn’t ask.
(2) Photo credit for the photographer and his/her affiliation (if there is one). Even if the credit is embedded on the image, you need to state what it is when you submit the photo.
(3) A written statement that the photo(s) you are providing is a promotional handout that may run online and in print with my column. An email from you, your client or the photographer is fine. This request is from our legal department, to make sure that what we are running isn’t infringing on the photographer’s copyright.
📌 Reminder: It is your responsibility as your client's representation to get the photos to me. Please do not ask me to contact other organizations. If you specifically do not have an appropriate photo of your artist to share, then I will have to take a pass for now. Thank you for understanding.
I don’t have a photo to send you. Is that a deal breaker?
📷Unfortunately, yes. I am required to provide my syndicate with a high resolution jpeg (between 1MB to 5 MB) with each column that I file. A promotional head shot is fine. Please note that while I am required to submit a photo with my column, the publications may choose to go with a different photo. e.g. This is the same article on Shay Mitchell. The Los Angeles Times ran one photo online, while the Chicago Tribune went with a different photo in print:
📷It is your responsibility as your client's representation to get the photos to me. Please do not ask me to contact other organizations. If you specifically do not have an appropriate photo of your artist to share, then I will have to take a pass for now.
📷Regardless of what you send us, please make sure that you have the rights to release the photos to us to publish. I don’t have time to contact photographers for you, so I would appreciate it very much if you didn’t ask.
📷We will also need the photographer's name, so that we may give him or her the proper photo credit. If it is a handout, please advise if the credit should be something like: Courtesy of XYZ Entertainment.
📷Please send a short email stating that the photo you have provided is a photo that we have permission to run with my column online and in print. This is to ensure that we are not violating any copyright laws. Thank you for your consideration.
Where will the article run?
I write for the Tribune Content Agency (TCA), one of the world’s largest wire services (e.g Reuters, the Associated Press etc.). Some of the 100+ outlets that run my column weekly online include the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Arizona Daily Star and Montana Standard. Web portals like MSN and Yahoo also carry my column. Meanwhile, newspapers like the Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, and Hartford Courant currently run my column exclusively in print only.
The majority of the outlets listed below currently subscribe to run my column online only. Note: this information may change in the future.
If you want your client to appear specifically in certain outlets, please pitch those publications directly.
For now, here's a partial list of previous and current subscribers:
Air Pulse
Albany Democrat Herald
American Canyon Eagle
ArcaMax
Arizona Daily Star
AuburnPub
Baltimore Sun
Banner Press
Beatrice Daily Sun
Billings Gazette
Bismarck Tribune
Bland County Messenger
Boston Herald
Bristol Herald Courier
Britt News Tribune
Bryan Eagle
Buffalo News
Burt County Plaindealer
Casper Star Tribune
Cavalier Insider
Chadron Record
Chicago Tribune
Citizen
Columbus Telegram
Corvallis Gazette-Times
Courier
Culpeper Star Exponent
Daily News
Daily Nonpareil
Daily Press
Daily Progress
Danville Register & Bee
Denver Post
Dispatch
Dispatch-Argus
Dothan Eagle
Elevate
Elko Daily Free Press
Enterprise Ledger
Eufaula Tribune
Floyd Press
Forest City Summit
Fremont Tribune
Gering Courier
Globe Gazette
Goochland Gazette
Grand Island Independent
Greene County Record
Greensboro News & Record
Hartford Courant
Hartsville Messenger
Hemingford Ledger
Herald & Review
Hickory Daily Record
Independent Record
Independent Tribune
Journal Gazette & Times-Courier
Kearney Hub
La Crosse Tribune
Lake Geneva Regional News
Lebanon Express
Lincoln Journal Star
Los Angeles Times
Lynchburg News & Advance
Madison.com
Madison County Eagle
Madison News
Magic Valley
Marion Star & Mullins Enterprise
Martinsville Bulletin
McDowell News
Mechanicsville-Ashland Local
Missoulian
Mitchell County Press News
Moline Dispatch
Montana Standard
Mooresville Tribune
Morganton News Herald
Morning Call
MSN
Muscatine Journal
Napa Valley Register
New York Daily News
News & Advance
News & Record
News Virginian
North Platte Telegraph
Northern Hills
NWI.com
Oklahoman
Omaha World-Herald
Opelika-Auburn News
Orlando Sentinel
Orange County Review
Owasso Reporter
Pantagraph
Post-Star
Powhatan Today
Press of Atlantic City
Press Reader
Quad-City Times
Rapid City Journal
Ravalli Republic
Richland News-Press
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Roanoke Times
Rock Island Argus
Rockingham Now
Rural Virginian
Sand Springs Leader
Sarpy County Times
SC NOW
Schuyler Sun
Scottsbluff Star-Herald
Sentinel
Skiatook Journal
Smyth County News & Messenger
South Florida Sun Sentinel
Southland
St. Helena Star
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Statesville Record & Landmark
Summit-Tribune
SWVA Today
Times
Times and Democrat
Times-Courier
Times-News
Toronto Star
Tribune Content Agency
Tucson.com
Tulsa World
Virginian-Pilot
Waco Tribune-Herald
Wagoner County American-Tribune
Washington County News
Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier
Weekly Calistogan
La Crosse Tribune
Winston-Salem Journal
WiscNews
Wisconsin State Journal
WN.com
Woodford County Journal
Wytheville Enterprise
Yahoo
York News-Times
I highly recommend setting notifications for your client on Talkwalker Alerts andGoogle Alerts.
Will this run in the Chicago Tribune?
This is the most-often asked question I receive. I work for the Tribune Content Agency, which is a wire service (like Reuters or Associated Press).
THE FACTS:
(1) I can promise that TCA will release my Go Away With ... column to the outlets that subscribe. Those individual publications will decide if they want to run it. (Most do.) The Chicago Tribune is one of our clients that used to run it online. They now choose to run it solely in print. They usually run it weekly, but sometimes skip a week or two. The operative word is usually.
(2) If the Chicago Tribune runs my work in print, it is usually 12 days after TCA releases it.
(3) Like every other outlet that runs my work, the Chicago Tribune does not notify TCA or me when they will run a column.
tl;dr The Chicago Tribune usually runs my column each Sunday in print, but not always. They currently choose not to run my column online. If you want to know why, please ask them and then let me know!
I hope this helps!
Will the column run both online and in print?
The Tribune Content Agency is a news wire service (like Reuters or the Associated Press) that releases my column every Tuesday to outlets that subscribe to it. The majority of publications run it online on that same day. Publications that choose to run it in print will usually do so 1½ weeks later in the Sunday newspaper. (Please note that this is what most, but not all, outlets do.)
tl;dr I highly recommend setting notifications for your client on Google Alerts and Talkwalker Alerts. That way, you can see some of the outlets that picked up the column to run online.
Can you send me a tearsheet or a PDF?
The Tribune Content Agency is a news wire service (like Reuters or the Associated Press) that releases my work to outlets. Publications do not provide me with tearsheets or PDFs.
How can I order tearsheets?
Newspapers do not send me any tearsheets, unfortunately. If you don't have a clipping service, you would have to contact the publication(s) to order them directly. For instance, the Chicago Tribune takes orders here.
FWIW: Your local library is a great resource to check if your client's article ran in print. My column usually runs in one of three sections: Arts & Entertainment, Travel or Lifestyle.
When will my client's column run?
Unless I gave you a specific date when we set up the interview, I do not know. Columns often get moved around, depending on what's more timely.
I highly recommend setting notifications for your client on Google Alerts and Talkwalker Alerts. That way, you can see some of the outlets that picked up the column online.
Do you have a specific condition? Read this now, not later!
If you have specific conditions, please address them with your pitch. I can tell you beforehand if there will be any problems in meeting your request. For instance, I cannot promise you that the column will run on a specific date in a particular outlet. I will generally know when TCA will release the column, but not when it will be picked up by each individual publication. Similarly, I cannot promise you that the photo you submit is the one that will run. Sometimes, publications will opt for their own. Again, that is out of TCA's jurisdiction.
Why haven't you responded to the pitches I've sent you?
I would love to respond to every single pitch I receive, but I simply do not have the time.
Also, I often have responded to the first pitch saying I'm taking a pass. But if you continue to send the same pitch every couple of weeks with no new elements added, those emails are automatically deleted.
Can you phone my client for the interview?
Yes. We can do the interview via phone, Kakao or Zoom. All interviews will be recorded for accuracy and transcription purposes.
Why are the social media links for my artist incorrect?
The links are correct on my website, as well as the website for the Tribune Content Agency.
As for the publications that subscribe to my column, this is what I have been told: If there is an underscore ("_") in the artist's username, it may go up incorrectly on some of the publications' sites. The individual sites then have to manually correct their errors.
i HAVE RECENTLY FALLEN IN LOVE WITH kOREAN AND CHINESE FILMS. tHE MAIN ACTORS ACT VERY WELL IF SOMETIMES THE STORY IS A BIT CORNY OR IF I MIGHT SAY IMMORAL AS WAS THE PLOT OF “WELL INTENDED LOVE” AND COULD DO WITH SOME IMPROVEMENT. HOW CAN ONE DECLARE SOMEONE WITH A SERIOUS ILLNESS IN ORDER TO MEET AND MARRY A WOMAN. THAT WAS WRONG. BUT FURTHER THE SERIES WAS GREAT AS WAS XU KAICHENG. i HAVE LIVED ALL OVER THE WORLD AND HAVE ALWAYS HAD A SOFT SPOT FOR THE FAREAST. i THINK YOU NEED SOMEONE TO ADVISE YOU ON ETHICS AND PLOTS. GIVE ME A CALL. I AM AVAILABLE HERE . I DON’T NEED A SALARY ONLY EXPENSES PAID. MARGARET MACDONALD