UPCOMING EVENTS

Summer 2025
Justin will do a book event at Paradise Springs in Valyermo, CA, in summer 2025! Stay tuned for more details.

Fourth Friday of every month
Justin hosts the Pasadena Media show, "Pasadena Monthly with Justin Chapman." It airs at 5 p.m. PT on the fourth Friday of every month. Watch it on channel 32 on Charter Spectrum and channel 99 on AT&T U-verse (in LA County), on Pasadena Media's streaming app on Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, or Roku, or on YouTube.


PAST EVENTS

June 23, 2024
Justin Chapman won a 3rd place award in the Talk/Public Affairs (Broadcast) category of the LA Press Club's 66th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards, for his TV show, "Pasadena Monthly with Justin Chapman," which airs on Pasadena Media. He was also a finalist in the Anchor/Host (Broadcast) category.

April 19, 2024
Justin's TV show "Pasadena Monthly" won a 1st place award in the Talk Show (Professional Producer) category in the Alliance for Community Media West's WAVE (Western Access Video Excellence) Video Awards, and was a finalist in the Magazine Show (Professional Producer) category.

December 3, 2023
Justin was nominated for an LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment journalism award. At the awards ceremony at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown LA, Justin won a 3rd place award in the Book Critic category.

June 25, 2023
Justin was nominated for five LA Press Club journalism awards. At the awards ceremony at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in downtown LA, Justin won two 1st place awards, a 3rd place award, and two finalist spots.

April 1, 2023
Justin read his Alta Journal articles about Slowjamastan and Mad Mike Hughes at the Bombay Beach Lit Fest in the Temple for Scientific Method, which was part of the Bombay Beach Biennale.

December 4, 2022
Justin was nominated for two LA Press Club National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Awards. He won a 3rd place award for one of them in the Entertainment Features category. The ceremony was held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel.

Fall 2022
Justin was interviewed extensively for an LAist Studios podcast called "LA Made: Blood, Sweat & Rockets," about early JPL history, Jack Parsons, and Frank Malina. The first episode aired November 14, 2022.

October 17, 2022
Justin gave a talk on Jack Parsons—the rocketry pioneer and occultist whose work helped lead to the founding of JPL—at the Altadena Historical Society's quarterly meeting at the Altadena Community Center.

June 25, 2022
Justin won three prestigious LA Press Club journalism awards at the 64th annual Southern California Journalism Awards: a 1st place award in the Travel Reporting category for his Culture Honey Magazine story about Slab City and two 3rd place awards in the TV/Public Affairs category for hosting the Pasadena news talk show “NewsRap Local with Justin Chapman” on Pasadena Media, and in the Entertainment Features category for his story about Paradise Springs in LAist. The award ceremony was held at the Sheraton Universal Hotel.

May 12, 2022
Justin served as one of the local journalist panelists asking candidates questions in a Pasadena City Council candidates' forum co-hosted by the Pasadena Star-News, Pasadena Community Coalition, and "NewsRap Local with Justin Chapman." Watch the forum here.

October 16, 2021
Justin won two prestigious LA Press Club journalism awards for his article in Alta Journal about Mad Mike Hughes, the Flat Earther daredevil rocketeer. He came in 2nd in the Hard News category and 3rd in the Obituary/In Appreciation category. The award ceremony was held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.

October 1, 2021
Justin was a guest on “POP Talk” with Ellen Snortland and Hannah Petrie. They talked about why men aren’t as engaged on the issue of abortion as they should be, as Roe v. Wade is at more risk than ever. Watch the full conversation here.

September 19, 2021
Justin was a guest on an episode of "The Crown City Podcast." Listen to it here.

August 26, 2021
Justin delivered a presentation about Mad Mike Hughes—the flat earther daredevil rocketeer who launched himself in a rocket and crash landed and died last year—to the Adventurers Club of Los Angeles. Watch it live here.

May 21, 2021
Justin hosted a new episode of Pasadena Media's "NewsRap Local with Justin Chapman" show. Watch it here.

April 23, 2021
Justin is the host of a new Pasadena Media show, "NewsRap Local with Justin Chapman." The first episode aired today. Watch it here.

November 6, 2020
Justin was a guest on James Farr's show "Conversation.Live." They talked about the presidential and local election results.

October 16, 2020
Justin guest hosted Pasadena Media's "NewsRap" show, along with local journalist James Farr. They talked about national and local politics.

October 9, 2020
Justin guest hosted Pasadena Media's "NewsRap" show, along with local journalist James Farr. They talked about national and local politics.

August 11, 2020
Justin was a guest on Pasadena Media's "Arroyo Live" show, along with Pasadena Star-News editor Larry Wilson. They talked about how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting local politics, the mayoral race, journalism, schools, restaurants, etc.

July 7, 2020
Justin moderated a virtual Pacific Council on International Policy webcast featuring Jessica Yellin, former CNN Chief White House Correspondent, founder of #NewsNotNoise, and author of Savage News.

April 28, 2020
Justin was a guest on Pasadena Media's "Arroyo Live" show to talk about how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting journalism.

March 28, 2020
Justin was scheduled to read at the Bombay Beach Lit Fest, originally scheduled for March 28, 2020, but it was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

March 5, 2020
Justin provided an update on Mad Mike's rocket launch at the Adventurers Club of Los Angeles.

February 25, 2020
Justin and Mercedes appeared as guests on CBS's "Inside Edition" to talk about Mad Mike Hughes.

February 24, 2020
Justin appeared on "The Paul Castronovo Show" on iHeart Radio's BIG 105.9 in Miami to talk about Mad Mike Hughes.

February 7, 2020
Justin filled in as guest host on Pasadena Media's "NewsRap" show to talk impeachment acquittal fallout, the Democratic caucus chaos in Iowa, and local politics.

January 29, 2020
Justin appeared as a guest and served as audio tech on Pasadena Media's "Arroyo Profiles" show.

January 23, 2020
Justin organized and co-moderated a Pasadena mayoral and District City Council candidates' forum at Maranatha High School, hosted by the West Pasadena Residents' Association in cooperation with the Linda Vista-Annandale Association and the Madison Heights Neighborhood Association. Read parts one and two of Justin's write-up of the forum in Pasadena Now, and watch the forum via Pasadena Media.

November 22, 2019
Justin filled in as guest host on Pasadena Media's "NewsRap" show to talk impeachment, the Democratic debate, and local politics.

August-September 2019
Justin traveled to and wrote about Toronto, Huntsville, and Lake of Bays, Canada.

July 2019
Justin traveled to and wrote about Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, Mexico, a wine producing valley.

May 18, 2019
Justin moderated a panel of the Pasadena Weekly editorial staff in the Pasadena Playhouse Friendship Center as part of LitFest Pasadena 2019.

March 2019
Justin traveled with and wrote about a Pacific Council on International Policy delegation to El Paso, Texas, and Juárez, Mexico, to explore immigration policy at the border with government and NGO officials.

June 28, 2018
Justin read from and talked about his book Saturnalia at the Adventurers Club of Los Angeles.

June 6, 2018
Justin was interviewed by James Farr on his show The Conversation.Live.

May 20, 2018
Justin read from his book Saturnalia alongside other local authors at LitFest Pasadena 2018.

March 2018
Justin traveled to and wrote about Iceland as part of his Master's program in Public Diplomacy at USC. He and his fellow students met with government and NGO officials to discuss public diplomacy and place branding efforts.

September 2017
Justin traveled to and wrote about Albuquerque, Roswell, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.

July 2017
Justin traveled to and wrote about Slab City, Bombay Beach, and the Salton Sea.

May 2017
Justin traveled to and wrote about Washington, D.C.

March 2017
Justin traveled to and wrote about Koh Samui, Thailand.

February 2017
As managing editor of USC's Public Diplomacy Magazine, Justin was invited to Princeton University to guest edit the 2017 issue of the Journal of Public and International Affairs.

February 2017
Justin traveled to and wrote about Death Valley, California.

January 12, 2017
Justin moderated the Pasadena Weekly Editorial Staff Panel at the Pasadena Central Library.
"In this digital age when traditional, daily newspapers are losing revenue, cutting budgets, and decreasing staff, alternative newsweeklies are thriving. Join the editorial staff of the Pasadena Weekly newspaper as they discuss how these hyper-local papers have found a sustainable niche serving their communities; the process of putting out a paper each week; how they make editorial decisions; their individual books; Pasadena city politics; and more. Featuring Editor Kevin Uhrich, Deputy Editor André Coleman, Arts Editor Carl Kozlowski, Columnist Ellen Snortland, and Contributor Justin Chapman."

December 2016-January 2017
Justin traveled to and wrote about Naples, Florida.

December 4-11, 2016
Justin traveled to Berlin, Frankfurt, and Hamburg, Germany, for the "Think Transatlantic" Study Tour, an informational visit for young experts of U.S. think tanks sponsored by and at the invitation of Germany's federal Foreign Office. Meetings with government, media, economic, and think tank officials featured discussions on a range of transatlantic issues, including NATO, refugees, Russia, President-elect Donald Trump, and more.

October 21, 2016
Justin signed copies of Saturnalia at the 4th Annual Author Fair during ArtNight Pasadena at the Pasadena Central Library.

September 20, 2016
Justin did a meet-and-greet with author and political scientist Maria Armoudian at the Vortex.

July 2016
Justin traveled to and wrote about Toronto, Huntsville, and Lake of Bays, Canada.

June 2016
Justin traveled to and wrote about Las Vegas, Nevada.

March 2016
Justin traveled to and wrote about Washington, D.C., as part of his Master's program in Public Diplomacy at USC. He and his fellow students met with government and NGO officials to discuss public diplomacy.

March 17, 2016
Justin appeared on Crown City News' "Sunrise Morning Buzz" show to talk about the rise of Bernie Sanders. He also participated in a segment about the thinning of the GOP herd.

February 24, 2016
Justin gave a talk on his book Saturnalia at the Kiwanis Club of Pasadena.

February 2016
Justin traveled to and wrote about Boston and New Hampshire ahead of the presidential primary. On behalf of the USC Annenberg Center on Communication Leadership & Policy, he helped organize a panel discussion along with TIME Magazine featuring journalists and pundits such as MSNBC's Chuck Todd.

December 2015-January 2016
Justin traveled to and wrote about Guayaquil and Galápagos Islands, Ecuador, and Lima, Cusco, and Machu Picchu, Peru, as well as Naples, Florida.

November 16, 2015
Justin was interviewed at Poo Bah Records on the podcast "The Cocktail Hour with Tom Coston," founder of Light Bringer Project and head of Pasadena's Doo Dah Parade.

October 19, 2015
Justin was the guest speaker at a private dinner at Caltech's prestigious Athenaeum club.

October 9, 2015
Justin signed copies of Saturnalia at the 3rd Pasadena Author Fair, part of ArtNight Pasadena, at the Pasadena Central Library.

July 30, 2015
Justin was interviewed on the show "The Intangibles" about his interview with President Jimmy Carter and his book Saturnalia. The segment aired on November 10, 2015.

June 28, 2015
Justin was nominated as a finalist for a prestigious LA Press Club journalism award for his feature story in the Pasadena Weekly about Joan Williams finally riding in the Rose Parade this year after being denied nearly 60 years ago due to her race. The award ceremony was held at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel.

June 8, 2015
Justin read from and signed Saturnalia at the Half King Bar & Restaurant in New York City.

May 23, 2015
Justin read from and signed Saturnalia at the Hatchery Press, a creative space for writers and artists in Hancock Park. A Q&A followed the reading, along with a PowerPoint presentation with photos from Justin's trip through Africa.

May 9, 2015
Justin read from Saturnalia at El Portal in the Playhouse District at the 4th annual Pasadena LitFest.

April 19, 2015
Justin signed copies of Saturnalia at the 20th annual LA Times Festival of Books, in the Rare Bird Books booth, at the University of Southern California.

March 27, 2015
Justin was interviewed about Saturnalia on "Crown City News Sunrise," a morning talk show on Pasadena's local public access channel KPAS. He also participated in the show's "Morning Buzz" segment discussing the important national and international issues of the day.

February 21, 2015
Justin read from and signed Saturnalia at Pasadena's 2nd annual Author Fair at the Pasadena Central Library.

February 7, 2015
Justin had a booth with copies of Saturnalia at the Get Healthy Pasadena health fair at Pasadena City College.

January 27, 2015
Justin co-moderated a Pasadena mayoral candidates' forum at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, hosted by the West Pasadena Residents' Association.

January 13, 2015
Saturnalia Book Launch Event at Vroman's Bookstore.

January 12, 2015
Justin appeared on the radio show "LA Progressive Live!" hosted by Dick Price and Sharon Kyle. Read more.

January 2015
Justin traveled to and wrote about Las Vegas, Nevada.

December 2014
Justin traveled to and wrote about Naples, Florida.

August 2014
Justin traveled to and wrote about Toronto, Huntsville, and Lake of Bays, Canada.

July 2014
Justin traveled to and wrote about Reno, Nevada.

November 2013
Justin took a road trip through and wrote about Portland, Oregon; Seattle, Washington; and Vancouver and Victoria, Canada.

August 2013
Justin traveled to and wrote about New York and New Jersey, and Toronto, Huntsville, and Lake of Bays, Canada.

May 2013
Justin traveled to and wrote about Shanghai, Ningbo, and Beijing, China.

February 2013
Justin traveled to and wrote about Phoenix, Arizona.

December 2012-January 2013
Justin traveled to and wrote about Toronto, Huntsville, Lake of Bays, and Montreal, Canada, as well as New York City.

December 2012
Justin appeared on comic Carl Kozlowski's radio show "Kozversations."

March 21-June 14, 2012
Justin traveled from Cape Town, South Africa, up through eight countries (South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda) to Kampala, Uganda, by bus, train, and boat, by himself. In 2015, he published a book about his experiences titled Saturnalia: Traveling from Cape Town to Kampala in Search of an African Utopia.

May 2010
Justin traveled to and wrote about Chicago.

December 2009-January 2010
Justin traveled to and wrote about Mexico City, Queretaro, Monterrey, and Guadalajara, Mexico.

October 2008
Justin traveled to Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia for a One Common Unity retreat.

July 2007
Justin traveled to Washington, D.C., where he took a road trip through Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Connecticut on his way to Massachusetts, where he participated in a 10-day silent meditation retreat called Vipassanā.

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June 2007
Justin traveled to and wrote about Las Vegas, Nevada.

April 2007
Justin traveled to and wrote about England, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands with the group Contiki.

May 13, 2007
Justin appeared on Pasadena Media's "Crown City News" show.

March 2007
Justin traveled to and wrote about New Orleans.

November 2006
Justin traveled to and wrote about New York City.

October 2006
Justin traveled to and wrote about Chicago.

August 2006
Justin traveled to and wrote about Alaska, Canada, and Seattle. In Seattle, he interviewed Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh.

July 2006
Justin traveled to and wrote about Hawaii.

June-July 2006
Justin traveled to and wrote about England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Switzerland with the group Contiki.

January-February 2006
Justin traveled to Washington, D.C., where he interviewed Congressman Adam Schiff, toured the Capitol Building and the White House, and covered President George W. Bush's State of the Union Address.

November 2005
Justin traveled to and wrote about New York City.

October 2005
Justin traveled to New Orleans to write about the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

August 2005
Justin traveled to Thailand and Cambodia as part of the People to People International Student Ambassadors program, founded by President Eisenhower.

February 25, 2005
Justin read his poetry at the 2005 International Society of Poets' Spring Convention and Symposium at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and was awarded the "Poet of Merit Silver Bowl Award."

November 2004
Justin traveled to and wrote about New York City.

August 2004
Justin traveled to and wrote about Ireland.

August 2004
Justin traveled to and wrote about Jamaica.

June-July 2003
Justin traveled to Colorado and Wyoming for a Peace & Conflict Resolution Summit as part of the People to People Student Ambassadors program, founded by President Eisenhower.

August 2002
Justin traveled to and wrote about the Grand Canyon in Arizona and the Hoover Dam and Las Vegas in Nevada.

August 2000
Justin traveled to New Zealand and Australia as part of the People to People International Student Ambassadors program, founded by President Eisenhower.

September 30, 1995
Justin was nominated Best Young Actor in a TV Movie or Mini-series in the Hollywood Reporter's inaugural Young Star Awards for his lead role as Junior Healy in "Problem Child 3: Junior in Love."