A. Oishii Basu is an audio/print journalist based in the Champaign-Urbana area. She has seven years of experience covering the breadth of art & culture and all it has to offer, as an artist herself. Her stories include those of visual art, music,  and activism with particular interests in prison reporting, queer issues and Asian-diaspora issues. She is also a graphic designer and illustrator.

Passionate journalist with 7 years experience writing and editing for student and community news publications with a focus on arts, entertainment and Asian American stories. Additionally, has 6 years experience publishing and editing creative writing for academic publications and has an extensive life-long experience creating and publishing visual art.

EDUCATION
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — Class of 2026

Aug 2022 - May 2026 BS in Journalism, Specialization in Asian American Studies

SKILLS

Proficient in graphic design, video editing, audio editing, and digital illustration using Adobe suites like Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Lightroom and Audition. Familiar with WordPress.

PROFESSIONAL  AFFILIATIONS
Asian American Journalists Association — Member since 2023

EXPIERIENCE

Illinois Public Media, Champaign, Illinois — Senior Reporter

Aug 2024 - May 2026

• Creating radio stories and articles for an NPR affiliate every two weeks.
• Photographing each story.

Asian American Coalition to Combat Oppression Racism and Discrimination (ACCORD), Champaign, Illinois — Arts Director

Jan 2023 - PRESENT

• Community organization and planning for educational Asian-oriented social justice workshops.
• Filipino Americans Come Together Conference – Conducting a seminar on Black and Asian solidarity.
• Creating marketing materials and graphics for the organization.

WPGU 107.1 Student Radio, Champaign, Illinois — On-Air & Music Team Intern

Jan 2023 - May 2026

• Editing and uploading curated music for radio.
• Creating themed music hours as an on-air personality once a week.
• Finding local and relevant music to the area.

CU-CitizenAccess, Champaign, Illinois — Investigative Reporter

Aug 2025 - Dec 2025

• Researching a superfund site affecting a local neighborhood.
• Proficient in data research and health consumer terminology.
• Assembling a months-long investigative project.

UI7 Newsroom, Champaign, Illinois — Reporter, Producer

Aug 2025 - Dec 2025

• Filming , writing and editing video packages every two weeks.
• Producing a short newscast for the university TV station.

Asian American Cultural Center, Urbana, Illinois — Marketing Intern

Aug 2024 - May 2025

• Planning and running cultural programming for the center especially those involving art exhibits.
• Creating marketing material and graphics for the center’s events.
• Executing reception desk operations 5 hours a week.
• Taking the required global studies class exploring how vast the Asian diaspora is and how best we can accommodate them.

The Collective Magazine, Champaign, Illinois — Q&A Writer, Graphic Designer

Sept 2023 - Jan 2025

• Interviewing local artists about their work in the Urbana-Champaign area.
• Designing stickers, merchandise, and social media graphics to advertise the student magazine.
• Taking photos of events the magazine holds to fundraise.

Daily Illini Collegiate Newspaper, Champaign, Illinois — Senior Staff Writer

Sept 2022 - May 2024

• Over 30 bylines.
• Writing nonfiction pieces about the arts and culture in the Urbana-Champaign area.
• Writing column pieces on film and music.

Triangle Media Partners, Chapel Hill, North Carolina — Editorial Intern

May 2023 - Aug 2023

• Triangle Media Partners owns Chatham Magazine, Durham Magazine, Chapel Hill Magazine, and Heart of NC Weddings. I worked for all of their magazines.
• Writing blog posts relating to events in the Chapel Hill, Chatham County, and Durham County Area.
• Proofreading, fact checking, and editing articles for all Triangle Media magazines.
• Uploading WordPress blogs and events to Triangle Media Magazine websites.