"We are delighted to announce that Kainaz Amaria is joining The Washington Post (WP) as the visual enterprise editor (VEE) for National, pioneering a new role aimed at expanding our visual journalism and conceiving of innovative storytelling approaches,” noted a May 4, 2022 post on the WP website.
While a lengthy description of her new job responsibilities at the newsroom in Washington and a recap of her journey as an engaging photo journalist were proffered on the website, Parsiana was particularly intrigued by the designation, "visual enterprise editor” that yielded no significant results on Google search. When Parsiana requested Amaria to educate us, she promptly responded by sending us another link when the WP invited candidates to apply for the VEE post "intended for a highly accomplished, collaborative visual journalist with a record of success working across disciplines to execute memorable multimedia journalism. Excellent editorial and visual judgment are essential; competitive zeal is the key, as is a high metabolism and a passion for breaking news...”
Kainaz Amaria (l) with husband Gene Demby: "will support each other"
Having served as the first-ever visuals editor of Vox, an online news service, Amaria was considered the ideal candidate. "She brings with her a decade of experience developing collaborative stories that have broken with convention, won awards, drawn huge audiences and influenced legislation. At Vox, she ran an interdisciplinary team responsible for graphics, interactives, photography, data and design for on-site and off-platform stories. Along with overseeing daily and short-term stories, she has been responsible for setting the visual team’s philosophy, workflows and aligning their visual journalism with the newsroom’s editorial goals. Fostering an environment where creative journalists thrive, she has spearheaded large collaborations, including live election results and projects such as the one on "super-trees.” Amaria has gained reputation for being "a sharp editor, a diplomatic team leader, a shrewd problem-solver and a journalist with a strong ethical compass,” confirmed the WP website.
Before Vox, Amaria was an editor with the National Public Radio (NPR)’s visual team taking on assignments like reporting on the US-Mexico border or assuming multiple roles as managing producer, photographer and videographer in NPR’s "Planet Money Makes a T-shirt,” that won the radio network numerous awards, including a News and Documentary Emmy.
With a BA in international relations and political science from Boston University and an MA in photography from the School of Visual Communication, Ohio University, Amaria gained experience working for St Petersburg Times in Florida, and was in Bombay on a Fulbright scholarship in 2010 when she worked on a short film on the Parsi Zoroastrian community. Starting her career as a newspaper photographer, she gradually shifted her focus from being an assignment photographer to someone who helped shape the way news stories are told. In 2020, she was honored with the John Long Ethics Award by the National Press Photographers Association. Through her efforts she has "upheld, shaped and promoted ethical behavior in all forms of visual journalism (see "Long Award for lenswoman,” Zoroastrians Abroad, Parsiana, September 7-20, 2020),” noted the citation.
Amaria and her husband, Gene Demby, a host of NPR’s Code Switch, a weekly podcast related to race and culture, welcomed their first child, son Asa Amaria Demby in November 2021. The proud mother informed Parsiana that Asa’s namesake, Asa Philip Randolph was an American labor unionist and civil rights activist. When Parsiana asked her how she would handle her new dual responsibilities, Amaria responded, "I’m very lucky to have a wonderful partner so I won’t be juggling alone. We will support each other as Asa continues to grow. It’s a very exciting time and I’m blessed to be surrounded by a wonderful family who is always cheering me on.” Born in Bombay and raised in California, Amaria loves to travel, enjoys her Indian street food as also pizza, and is fascinated by puns.