The Infinite Dial 2026 study from Edison Research is one of those annual milestones for public media. Leaders pore over it, trying to understand how listening is trending. This OIGO, I want to take a look at the new Infinite Dial in the scope of Latine audiences.

The insights in this summary are, of course, derived from the Infinite Dial 2026. If you are not as familiar, it is a study conducted by Edison Research, which has U.S. and international editions. This particular U.S. study surveyed 2,050 people aged 12 and older using a combination of probability-based and non-probability online sampling.

To provide a specific lens of diverse listeners for the benefit of public media leaders, I took this core data and cross-referenced it with 2025-2026 Nielsen Audio Today reports and Pew Research Center demographic profiles of U.S. Hispanics. These external sources provided the necessary context on Latinx age distribution (for reference, the median age of Latinos is just under 30). I also language fluidity (Spanglish trust signals) and how streaming over-indexes to overlay onto the broader Infinite Dial trends.

The nutgraf?

The data suggests that digital audio has shifted from a secondary marketing consideration to a fundamental part of the modern daily routine. For public media leaders, particularly those serving emerging Hispanic audiences, these trends provide a clear roadmap: the future is mobile-first, video-integrated and finding ways to utilize artificial intelligence.

Shifts to digital 🔋

Let’s look at the 2026 data. The item many are talking about is how online audio consumption has reached unprecedented heights. How big? Currently, 81 percent of Americans age 12 and older have listened to online audio in the last month. That seems pretty incredible, though it splinters the more you look. YouTube, Spotify/music streaming and smart speakers are among those platforms commanding the most attention.

Perhaps more significant for public media is the surge among older listeners. Monthly online audio listening for those aged 55 and older jumped from 52 percent to 70 percent in just two years. It’s by no means heavy listening on the level of traditional media, but this is a notable figure.

How does this data compare with what we know about Hispanic audiences?

Well, this trend is even more pronounced. External demographic data from 2026 suggests that Hispanic viewers spend 55.8 percent of their total TV time streaming, compared to 46 percent for the total U.S. population. When combined with the Infinite Dial’s findings that monthly podcast consumption has hit an all-time high, it is clear that “digital” is becoming a default.

Other takeaways 🎛️

Based on the 2026 Infinite Dial study and current Hispanic demographic trends, three key issues also emerge:

YouTube as an alternate FM. The Infinite Dial study cast with Nielsen findings confirms that YouTube defies simple categorization. While 91 percent of Americans have used the platform, a staggering 78 percent use it weekly. For Latine audiences, YouTube is the top platform for monthly podcast listeners.

YouTube though, you say? Public media leaders should note that the boundary between “listening” and “watching” has dissolved. 57 percent of Americans now report they have both listened to and watched a podcast. As you are seeing from CNN, video and audio are expanding the audience together rather than competing; a viewer gets the podcast vibe, and the listener gets a sound from it all. Thus, a “video-optional” strategy for news and talk programming is no longer sufficient.

To reach Hispanic Gen Z and Millennial audiences, public media should treat YouTube as a primary delivery hub.

Radio still strong, but pick a horse on social. While broadcast radio remains a dominant reach vehicle for Latine adults, touching about 93 percent of the demographic monthly, the Infinite Dial points out that social media platforms are highly fragmented. TikTok is the #1 platform for those aged 12-34. Meanwhile, Facebook remains the leader for those 55 and older.

An opportunity with platforms? Demographic data shows that using Spanish or Spanglish functions as a credibility cue. Public media leaders could use personalities who can teach and guide listeners. Such might resonate with a community that views hosts as extensions of their own community.

AI’s emergence. One of the most surprising 2026 data points is the speed of AI adoption. 93 percent of Americans are familiar with at least one generative AI brand, and 57 percent use at least one. This adoption has moved faster than any technology previously measured by the Infinite Dial.

AI users are significantly more engaged with media than non-users; 87 percent of AI users listened to online audio in the last week. For public media, this presents an opportunity to remove technical friction. Whether through smart speaker integrations or AI-driven translation for bilingual audiences, early adoption of these tools can accelerate engagement with high-value digital listeners.

Our today is mobile 🔔

The through-line connecting all of these data points is deceptively simple: Hispanic audience trends are going to help public media to be ahead of all trends.

What is interesting is that the communities that have historically been underserved by legacy media are now, by the numbers, among its most digitally engaged and platform-fluent users. That is not irony — it is an invitation. Examples of this signal are everywhere. The convergence of mobile-first consumption habits, YouTube’s redefinition of what “listening” even means, and AI’s accelerating hold on engagement creates a window for public media to act with fresh ideas and action. Public media leaders who internalize these trends as structural rather than cyclical will be better positioned to build the kind of trust that algorithms cannot manufacture: the sense that a media institution genuinely reflects the world its audience actually inhabits.

The data gives us the map. The harder work is institutional will. 🟢

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Released. Nashville-based journalist Estefany Rodríguez is speaking up after her release from ICE custody. 👀 MS NOW interviewed her.

• Spanish-language news influencer. The New Yorker profiles Carlos Eduardo Espina, who has built a massive TikTok following with news and analysis in Spanish. 🗣️

• Grants. The Latino Community Foundation has announced $250,000 in grants for six organizations seeking to protect communities amid ICE enforcement. 🎇 Business Wire has the press release.

• Tejano election. One of the more interesting races happening right now is a South Texas Congressional seat, which has seen Tejano music superstar Bobby Pulido running for political office for the first time. 🏜️ A shot at him by a rival candidate (“this election isn’t about who you want performing at your niece’s quinceañera”) has fueled his recent performances at quinceañeras. The Texas Tribune has more.

• Conecta Arizona turns six. KJZZ has a great story on the nonprofit’s work to serve Spanish-language audiences. 🤲

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El radar: try this 📡

• Track Chavez fallout. Impressive local coverage by Minnesota Public Radio is one of many stories to take inspiration from, as far as telling local perspectives about the issues raised in the scandal. ✍️

• Watch how states are treating college admissions for immigrants. The Kentucky Lantern is investigating how civil rights groups are challenging the state’s approaches around tuition. 🏘️ As how immigrants are treated rises as an election issue, your audience might be interested in how the administration is arguing such cases.

• Ask how immigration enforcement is reshaping electoral races. WAMU offers a look at a heavily Latine district in the area and how the White House’s actions are shifting voter attitudes. 🤖 One to watch this fall.

• Follow student protests against cuts. KCUR features interviews with students who disagree with university decisions to cut services for diverse campus constituencies. 💢 As the DEI rollback continues, this will be a local story for many organizations.

• Follow moving trends. Documented has a thoughtful piece on how housing costs in New York City are prompting more Latinos to move to the suburbs. 🚉 Affordability is a major election issue, and this will be a story in your community.

The next OIGO arrives April 24. Pew Research has issued a report on the rise of religious broadcasters, a sector of noncommercial broadcasting public media does not talk often about. ⛪ I will explore the data and tell you some things you should know as it relates to diverse audience engagement and ways you can innovate.

You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.

Some interviews start with a list of questions. This one started over Thai food.

Sitting down to lunch with Blanca Torres of KQED, I was immediately struck by her candor. Torres speaks with a mix of clarity, urgency and warmth about the work of journalism, particularly the responsibility to broaden whose voices are heard. As a Latina working in public media, she doesn’t shy away from that responsibility. She embraces it.

What you will discover in this conversation is a journalist animated by the mission of public media and unwilling to accept its limitations. Torres brings a thoughtful and empathetic perspective to the work, paired with an insistence that the stories we tell must reflect the full complexity of American life.

Public media often presents itself as a civic space, one where communities can hear themselves reflected in the news. But building that kind of journalism requires more than good intentions. It demands people willing to challenge traditional assumptions about who counts as experts, whose stories get told, and how audiences are reached.

Blanca Torres works on Forum, a live, daily, call-in show, and is the editor of K Onda KQED, a newsletter focused on the Bay Area’s Latino community. Before joining KQED in 2020, she spent 16 years as a reporter and columnist for newspapers including the San Francisco Business Times, The Seattle Times and the Baltimore Sun. She is a lifetime member and former board member for the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc. A native of the Pacific Northwest, Blanca earned her bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville and a master’s in fine arts in creative writing at Mills College.

At KQED, Torres produces conversations that range from politics and economics to culture and literature. At the same time, she has built a reputation for expanding the range of Latino voices in public media, from booking experts and artists on Forum to writing features highlighting important stories to launching K Onda KQED.

In this conversation, Torres discusses her path from newspapers to public radio, the work of diversifying voices in journalism, and the importance of staying curious throughout a reporting career. 👇🏽

What first drew you to public media?

I started listening to public radio when I was in college at Vanderbilt University. I had a part-time job doing publicity for one of the departments, and my supervisor always had a public radio station playing in the background.

I didn’t grow up with public radio. In my house there was always a radio on, but it was usually Spanish-language music stations. So public radio felt new to me.

One of my strongest memories of it happened during my junior year in college, when the September 11 attacks happened. I woke up early to move my car and heard the news on NPR. Hearing that kind of breaking news live on the radio made it feel incredibly immediate. It was one of those moments where you realize something truly serious is happening in the world. That experience stuck with me.

What led you to make the shift to public radio?

Most of my career was in local newspapers covering business, particularly real estate and economic development. I loved being a reporter in the Bay Area because it’s such a dynamic and diverse place to tell stories.

Even though my beat might have been real estate, I was always looking for ways to tell broader stories about diversity, careers, the economy or community change. There’s always a bigger human story behind the business news.

I was working at the San Francisco Business Times when a former manager reached out to encourage me to apply for a producer position at Forum. I had been listening to the show for years, but honestly, if I had seen the job posting on my own, I might not have applied. I had always pictured myself staying in newspapers.

But once I looked more closely, I realized the role offered something exciting: the chance to cover almost anything. Forum might feature a policy expert one day and an author the next. Since I have a master’s in creative writing from Mills College and love books, the idea of interviewing writers was appealing.

The biggest adjustment was realizing I wouldn’t have a byline anymore. As a producer, you’re behind the scenes. I had to ask myself whether I would be okay with that. Six years later, I think the answer is yes.

You joined KQED in 2020. What was it like starting just before the pandemic?

It was a strange time to start a new job in news. I was in the office for about six weeks before everything shut down.

But in journalism, when big news happens, that’s where you want to be. It pushes you to learn quickly and adapt. And the show itself keeps evolving. Hosts change, teams shift, the news cycle changes. Even though the basic task is the same—producing an hour of radio—it never feels repetitive. The topics are always different, and we’re constantly responding to what’s happening in the world.

You’ve worked intentionally to bring more Latino voices onto the air. What has that process been like?

When I joined in 2020, there was a broader reckoning in journalism about race and representation. Suddenly many news organizations were acknowledging that they hadn’t covered communities of color well. I remember thinking, “people have been saying this for decades.” But at least it was finally being recognized.

Public media today is very different from the public media I heard in college. Back then, it often felt like mostly white voices discussing stories that reflected their experiences. The reporting was excellent, but it didn’t always reflect the communities around us. In a region like the Bay Area, that’s a missed opportunity.

On Forum, we bring in experts to explain complicated topics. But when people imagine an “expert,” they still often picture a white man. That’s who tends to get book deals, academic positions, TV appearances and publicists. So part of our job is to look harder, to find experts who have the credentials, but haven’t been given those platforms. That includes finding people with lived experience, not just traditional authority.

How do you approach Latino communities without reducing stories to a single theme?

Too often, Latino stories in the media are framed almost entirely around immigration. That’s an important topic—my own parents are immigrants. But Latino culture in the United States is far broader than that. Many of us are second-generation Americans. Our culture is part of American culture. So I try to approach stories from that perspective.

For example, in one week I produced two Forum shows where every guest happened to be Latino. One was a policy conversation analyzing the death of Mexican drug kingpin and the broader dynamics of the drug trade. The guests were two Mexican academics who offered nuanced analysis I hadn’t heard elsewhere. Later that week, we did a show about a play at Berkeley Repertory Theatre starring actors Jimmy Smits and Wanda De Jesus.

Those conversations show the range of stories: policy analysis, culture, theater. All with Latino voices.

If I don’t pitch those stories, they probably won’t happen. That’s not because I’m special. It’s just because everyone brings their own perspective into the newsroom. If I’m going to be in the room, I want to bring something that other people aren’t bringing. And I think that should be true of any journalist.

Your reporting also covers culture and entrepreneurship. How do you find those stories?

Curiosity is the starting point.

Sometimes a story begins with something small. I once received a pitch about a Latina nail artist in San Francisco who creates elaborate, high-end nail designs. At first it seemed like a simple feature. But as I reported it, I realized there was a much bigger story about the nail industry and how women of color, particularly Black and Latina women, have shaped trends in nail art.

I interviewed an academic who studies the cultural history of nail design, and the story became much richer than I initially expected. It ended up performing extremely well online. That’s a reminder that interesting stories are everywhere if you take the time to dig deeper.

You also write K Onda KQED. How do you balance that with producing Forum?

Fortunately, KQED gives me dedicated time each month to work on the newsletter. That’s essential. Projects focused on reaching specific communities, whether it’s a newsletter or a diversity initiative, can’t just be “extra work.” If organizations don’t provide time and resources, people burn out.

A big part of the newsletter is community outreach. Digital tools are important, but personal connections matter too. Attending events, meeting people, building relationships. That’s especially important when reaching audiences that haven’t traditionally engaged with public media.

What advice would you give newsrooms considering a similar newsletter?

First, be clear about who your audience is. “Latinos” is an enormous category. It includes many nationalities, languages and experiences. You can’t serve everyone at once. When we developed the newsletter, research suggested a particular audience: Latino parents who wanted to pass culture on to their kids. That helped shape our tone and coverage.

The other key is voice. I try to write the newsletter in a conversational way, almost like I’m talking to friends and sharing things I’ve found interesting.

How should organizations think about metrics and audience goals?

Metrics matter, but they need to be used thoughtfully.

At KQED, we have an audience team that helps track things like open rates and subscriptions. I had to learn skills I’d never used before, like writing strong subject lines that make people want to open an email.

The bigger lesson is to focus on what actually moves the needle. If your time is limited, invest it in the pieces that matter most. And be open to feedback, even negative feedback. That’s something newspapers taught me early on. You develop a thick skin, and you learn from criticism.

What advice would you give journalists considering a move into public media?

Be open. Journalism jobs are shrinking, and the field is changing quickly. If you’re willing to learn new formats, you’ll have more opportunities.

For me, moving into public media allowed me to apply the reporting skills I had already built, but in a new medium. Writing broadcast scripts is different from writing for the web. Producing a newsletter involves marketing and audience strategy. But if you love storytelling, there are many ways to do it.

Looking back, what would you tell your younger self entering journalism?

Lean into who you are. When I was starting out, journalism emphasized a very narrow idea of objectivity. We were taught to tell stories the way they had always been told. Over time, we’ve realized those traditions had blind spots.

If you come from a background that has been underrepresented in the media, your perspective is a strength. You may see stories or ask questions others wouldn’t think of. The challenge is being willing to push against the status quo. But if journalists don’t challenge old assumptions, who will? 🟢

Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Chavez. The New York Times’ investigation into allegations of sexual abuse by Cesar Chavez is reverberating all over. 🔴 The paper has since published six takeaways from the reporting, including the scandal being buried for years by the UFW and others.

  • Politico has an interview with biographer, Miriam Pawel. Telling line: “[The] power of what he did and why he succeeded was because of the inspiration and bringing all these people together, and yet the downside of that was that people then looked away from a lot of different kinds of abuse.”

• Diverse podcast audiences. Good data on Latine podcast listening, and a related conversation about audio business ownership. 🔥

• Streaming undercounts. Mike Shields has an examination of whether Latinx audiences are undercounted by Nielsen when it comes to terrestrial and streaming. 🧮

• Influencer shift. New research indicates younger audiences (of which a good percentage are Latino) are increasingly seeking news on social media rather than outlets directly. ✅ TV News Check has details.

• Midterm talk. An Univision exec spoke at SXSW about Hispanic voting in November. 🐘 Axios shares comments that include Democrats revising their pitch.

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El radar: try this 📡

• Track long Covid in Latinx communities. Spokane Public Radio has an investigation of how the ailment is affecting farmworkers. 🫚 However, one can localize this issue anywhere.

• Track Hispanics and faith trends. KJZZ hosted a recent conversation about the growth of Latino membership in the Mormon Church. ✨ This comes after years of tensions within the religion.

• Watch top local hiring. Chalkbeat has a roundup of reactions to the fact no Latinos are being considered for a top role in running Chicago’s public school system. 👀 Even as DEI has become a third rail in many businesses, parents and teachers still note representation in education.

• Continue tracking deportation downstream impact. WBEZ reports on how the city’s Latinx business districts are faring, post-ICE incursions. 💢

• Follow the entrepreneurship heat. 🌶️ WHYY covered a local lobbying effort by Hispanic small-business leaders. Sharing their interests and needs with public radio’s audience seems to be a great connector.

• See how campus Latine groups are preserving history. The Harvard Crimson spotlights a local story that may be in your area. 📦 When student groups are moved from their offices, what happens to their records and history?

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The next OIGO arrives April 10. I’ll be cross-referencing the latest Infinite Dial study against demographic data to offer you insights about Latino audiences your organization can put to work now.

Join me in SLO. The deadline to sign up for the Maynard Institute’s Propel Initiative Regional Training Series at California Polytechnic State University is April 13. I am among the faculty. Sign up here.

SF panel. Next month, I’ll be part of a great panel in San Francisco on AI in journalism. Register here.

🍵 You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.

A new national report from iHeartMedia and Collage Group should be on your reading list.

For public media organizations that have long discussed reaching new audiences, an increasing amount of data makes clear that the audiences in question are not emerging someday. They are already here, influential and shaping American culture in real time.

Titled New American Consumer: Bicultural Latinos, the study focuses on Latinos who identify as equally American and Hispanic. The study notes this is a population that now represents nearly 40 percent of all U.S. Latinos. The notion of biculturalism is thus is a cultural, economic and strategic driver to watch.

Takeaways 📝

Identity: The first major takeaway is that bicultural Latinos are not navigating between two identities as many narratives assume. Instead, the research indicates respondents feel they are creating a new one.

• About two thirds say they feel equally Hispanic and American, and an overwhelming majority report growing pride in their heritage, with 78 percent saying they feel more connected to it than they did just a year ago.

This is not assimilation in the traditional sense, nor is it preservation of a static past. It is active cultural production.

Spanish: Language, meanwhile, emerges as far more nuanced than conventional wisdom suggests.

• Nearly 90 percent of bicultural Latinos consume audio content in English, yet one in three prefers Spanish for music or radio. Many want sponsor language to match the language of the content they are consuming, while a substantial portion prefers English regardless.

Public media has sometimes treated language as a proxy for identity. The research argues that such an approach is insufficient. Bilingual or English dominant programming can still fail if it does not reflect cultural realities, while Spanish language content can resonate deeply when it captures shared experiences rather than relying on surface markers.

Money: The economic dimension is equally striking. Latino purchasing power has reached $4.1 trillion and is growing more than twice as fast as that of non Latinos. If a public media organization is navigating underwriting challenges and long term sustainability questions, this is more than an interesting statistic. It signals where future membership, philanthropy and sponsorship potential will increasingly reside.

Radio: Audio, encouragingly, remains central. Broadcast radio reaches 90 percent of Latino adults monthly, and bicultural Latino listening habits span both English and Spanish content. Many listen with family members, share recommendations and treat audio as a communal experience rather than an individual one. Music listening is nearly universal, podcast engagement is strong and live audio events like sports also play a significant role.

For public radio organizations concerned about aging audiences, this should be a moment of cautious optimism. Audio is not fading in Latino communities. It is evolving as a cultural ritual that connects generations. The opportunity lies in programming that acknowledges that shared listening dynamic rather than assuming solitary consumption.

Assessment 📋

Trust is available, but not automatic. It must be earned through visible commitment.

Respondents’ perspectives should challenge lingering assumptions about audience segmentation. Too often, institutions treat Latino audiences as either Spanish dominant or English dominant, immigrant or second generation, niche or general market. Bicultural audiences do not fit those boxes. They expect content that reflects their lived experience as fully American and fully rooted in heritage at the same time. That means coverage, storytelling and staffing strategies that move toward cultural fluency.

Cultural competence is a core strategy for future relevance. This includes hiring practices, source diversity, community partnerships, programming decisions and marketing approaches. It also requires recognizing that bicultural audiences are co-creators of the cultural landscape.

One of the most powerful lines in the report suggests that culture is the strategy, while language is the tactic. Public media institutions would benefit from internalizing that distinction. Translation alone will not build loyalty. Representation requires authority to build trust. Our hope remains in sustained engagement. 🟢

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• New playbook. The Covering Immigration tool offers a range of resources and intel for public media organizations looking to up their immigration coverage game. ✍️

• Fresh support. The Latino Media Consortium has launched the Assessment & Capacity Building Program and Dashboard, a new initiative developed in partnership with New Media Venture’s Latine Voices for Democracy Accelerator, to expand operational support for independent Latino-serving media across the United States. 💻 Details.

• Detention. A coalition of groups are calling for the release of journalist Estefany Rodriguez from ICE custody. ⛓️‍ Free Press has more.

• Radio to TikTok. iHeart has announced Venezuelan artist Lele Pons is among the personalities to lead its new TikTok Radio channel, where creators will share and discuss music, trends and more, starting at SXSW. 📱 RadioInk has more.

• News creator economies. Poynter sits down with former journalist Chris Vazquez, who has transitioned to the news creator space, about his approach to this work. 📌

• New network. Comercio TV, a new Spanish-language financial news channel, has launched on cable and streaming networks. 📺 Cablefax offers the story.

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El radar: try this 📡

• Check the community pulse. WFYI covered a local forum on bipartisan solutions to issues in Indiana. 🏢 Immigration was front of mind.

• See who is connecting Latinx residents to winter sports. New Hampshire Public Radio has a fresh piece about regional groups seeking to encourage involvement in skiing and other winter athletics by Hispanic residents. 🎿

• Share family stories. Avanza has introduced Latino Legacy, a new series that presents “the stories, history and cultural contributions of Latinos in Utah and beyond.” 🔊

• Investigate crackdowns aimed at criticism. The Denton Record-Chronicle, via KERA, takes a deep dive into allegations a local art exhibit on a university campus was closed due to criticism of ICE. 💡 I’d be surprised if similar contentions were not happening elsewhere.

• Follow up on local Venezuelan communities. In the period since the arrest of Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelans in the United States are considering a range of needs. 💭 KQED highlights its local Venezuelan residents to talk about culture and the news cycle affecting their homeland.

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The next OIGO arrives Mar. 27. Next OIGO, it will be an honor to present my KQED colleague, Blanca Torres. She’s a fantastic journalist and authors K Onda KQED, a station newsletter aimed at Latine audiences. You’re certain to learn a lot from her.

My interview after receiving the Public Media for All award is live here.

I am honored to be leading AI and also broadcast training at the Maynard Institute’s Propel Initiative Regional Training Series with California Polytechnic State University on April 24-25. Registration is open. Sign up here.

🫖 You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.

WBUR’s Chief Content Officer, Victor Hernandez is one of those people who brings newsroom experience and strategic vision, but is equally focused on a real commitment to community engagement. He has spent around three decades in journalism, which has included local TV stations to CNN, and now to public media leadership roles in Seattle and now Boston. Hernandez has witnessed firsthand how media evolves and, sometimes, falters.

He’s got quite a story to tell this OIGO.

Today, with waning public trust in journalism and shifting audience behavior, what you will learn is that Hernandez is tackling how public media redefines how the industry connects with the communities it serves. Like many in public broadcasting, he is expressly not about chasing clicks or gaming algorithms. Instead, you will get a glimpse at how Hernandez maps out building relationships, honoring our mission, and transforming the people who engage with public media into lifelong listeners and advocates.

Hernandez talks about his career as a series of “happy accidents.” You’ll learn why in a sec. In this wide-ranging conversation, he’ll also open up about the moments that shaped his career and the hard lessons he learned along the way. He will also give you a glimpse into the strategies WBUR is using to deepen trust, improve representation, and strengthen public media for the long haul. 👇

Why do you describe your career as a series of “happy accidents”?

Not so much because it was random, but because early choices, especially internships, opened doors I didn’t expect.

I started in print journalism, thinking I’d follow in my mom’s footsteps. But a summer TV internship, originally just to escape the Fresno heat, turned into a part‑time job in a newsroom. That experience changed everything. It pulled me into broadcast journalism and set me on a path that eventually led to national work at CNN.

Later, a recruiter called about CNN after a convention I didn’t even attend. That’s the kind of unexpected moment that, looking back, feels accidental, but incredibly influential. The lesson I share with young journalists: internships matter, and being present, even if you don’t know why at the time, pays off.

What core principles did you take from your time at CNN into public media?

Journalism fundamentals such as ethics, integrity, a commitment to telling important stories are constants no matter the newsroom size. Whether you’re in a small town or a global network, you’re accountable to the public. The scale, like the resources or audience size, may change, but the essence of what makes journalism meaningful stays the same.

One of the biggest takeaways from my time in broadcast news was how deeply those principles matter in every decision. That’s a lesson I carry into every strategy conversation now: integrity isn’t negotiable.

What inspired your move from commercial media to public media?

After almost 20 years in commercial news and some time at a tech startup, I realized I missed being in the newsroom trenches, leading people and ideas every day. The opportunity at Cascade Public Media came at the right time. It was a chance to bring together legacy broadcast and digital newsrooms, innovate and help shape the future of local public media. Being in a tech‑rich environment like Seattle was very exciting.

So, that was another “happy accident” in timing, but a deeply intentional next step in my career.

What’s changed at WBUR since you arrived?

There’s so much change! In journalism broadly and at WBUR specifically. One key shift has been a deeper focus on relationships rather than transactions. In commercial media, success is often measured by reach and volume. In public media, we want to reach audiences, but we’re equally committed to building transformational connections. People should feel: “I can count on this station. They know me, and they care about this community.”

That means listening deeply, engaging directly with audiences, and reinforcing trust every day.

With public trust in media declining, how can public media help bridge those divides?

It starts with connection. Pew Research found that over 80 percent of Americans have never met a journalist. That distance erodes trust. So we go into the community. We meet people where they are. In person, at events, conversations, listening sessions. We show up not as distant observers, but as neighbors.

It also means understanding discoverability. People don’t wait for headlines anymore. The algorithms shape what they see. So part of our work is making sure valuable journalism finds people, not just hoping they stumble upon it.

How do you think about representation and inclusion?

Representation can’t be superficial or performative. After 2020, many organizations made quick gestures that didn’t last. True change requires building deeper pathways: mentorship programs, training, partnerships with journalism education and ongoing investment in underserved communities. It’s not a quarterly target. For me and us, it’s a long‑term commitment.

When I joined WBUR, about three percent of our live listeners were Hispanic or Latino, while that demographic makes up roughly 12 percent of Boston’s population. Through intentional work like better coverage and community engagement, we grew that audience to nearly nine percent. That’s real progress, but still short of where we want to be. It underscores that this work is slow, intentional, and ongoing.

What achievements are you most proud of at WBUR?

We’ve launched a lot — but one highlight is the WBUR Ideas Festival. In its first year, nearly 10,000 people participated across 200 sessions. It became a new space for community engagement, conversation, and connection — and it has helped fill gaps left by federal funding cuts. We’re planning to build on that in 2026.

I’m also proud of the pace of innovation here. We’re constantly experimenting, collaborating, learning from other stations, and sharing what works. Public media thrives when we work together.

What advice do you have for early‑career journalists?

My top piece of advice: do informational interviews. They’re low‑pressure but incredibly helpful ways to learn about roles, skills needed and what success looks like. They build relationships long before a job opens, and they give you insight into areas you might need to grow into.

And remember: imposter syndrome is real for everyone, even senior leaders. But people don’t put you in rooms because they feel sorry for you. You earned your place. Speak up, contribute your perspective, and keep learning.

What does it take to succeed in media today?

I learned as much from bad bosses as good ones. Use those experiences to define how you want to lead differently. And above all, enjoy the work.

Newsrooms are intense, messy and chaotic. If you love that, you’ll find joy in the challenge. As someone once said to me: If we wanted easy, we would’ve gone to med school. We’re in this because we believe in the mission, and that’s what will sustain us. 🟢

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• New leadership. Luis Estrada, formerly of KPBS, has been chosen to lead community radio station KVMR. 📻 Current has the news.

• Watching Latinx voter viewpoints. Arizona PBS dives into a new Pew Research Center study. With midterms this fall, Hispanic perspectives on President Trump are souring. 📉 The BBC is among many tracking this story as well.

• Funding for ICE counter-organizing. The Latino Community Foundation has announced the creation of the Community Protection Fund, “a bold investment in grassroots responses to the escalating threat of chaotic, violent immigration enforcement.” 🌩️ I’m guessing many organizations may apply.

• New media. Arkansas GRITA is a new volunteer-based organization seeking to fill information gaps related to immigration in the state. 💻 The Arkansas Times has the full story.

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El radar: try this 📡

• See if universities are consolidating student services, including those for Latinos. Wisconsin Public Radio investigates a new initiative by its university to merge its Black, Latino, veteran and other student groups like a single unit. Reactions of students and faculty are featured. 📣

• Investigate the aftermath of ICE. The Chicago Sun Times comes back to communities impacted by November’s flood of ICE agents and national showdown that ensued. 💥 Residents told the nonprofit affiliated with Chicago Public Media about their feelings since.

• Keep tracking Latinx perspectives on the environment. This one from KNPR offers a fresh view on an issue Hispanic communities oftentimes express care about. 🌳 Well worth diving in.

• Spotlight areas of community growth. KMOV highlights gains in St. Louis among Latine populations. 📊 It’s not breaking news, per se, but such is also one of those core stories public media audiences like: reports that help them understand changes in their community and their neighbors.

• Check in on local construction jobs. USA Today has a release that seems generic, but contains an important undercurrent. 🏗️ With immigration enforcement presumed to affect some sectors of industry, what is happening among blue-collar labor forces? It seems like a valuable story for all communities.

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The next OIGO arrives Mar. 13. We’re headed back to the spreadsheets and talking about what you need to know about bicultural Latinos — listening habits, consumer trends and more for public media to keep an eye on. New data is in, and you will be in the know.

🥤 You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.

Originally from Nassau, Bahamas, Washington brings both a personal connection to migration and a passion to tell community-centered stories. Her documentary, which highlights recent waves of immigration to the region, began in the wake of national conversations about inclusion and belonging. The result is a powerful, intimate look at individuals and families carving out new lives in a place with a long and complex history of immigration.

Kara Washington earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications from King’s College in Wilkes-Barre. In addition, she is an award-winning marketing professional with five American Advertising Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania Awards, three Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Awards and a Mid-Atlantic Emmy nomination to her credit. With five years of experience in marketing campaigns, Washington specializes in video editing and graphic design, bringing creative vision and strategic execution to projects. Making NEPA Home is her directorial debut. She has also produced a Heritage Awareness digital series, showcasing cultural preservation efforts and is a producer of WVIA Pop Shop, a pop culture podcast that explores films through an engaging lens.

I spoke to Washington about her journey, the collaborative process behind the film, and what she hopes audiences will carry with them after watching. 👇🏼

Tell me a little bit about the area. What made it feel like the right place to ground this story?

Northeastern Pennsylvania has a deep history rooted in immigration. It started with the coal mining industry, and it’s grown from there. This region has always been shaped by waves of new families and different cultures making a home here.

At WVIA, we’ve told a lot of historical stories about this area, and it just made sense to build Making NEPA Home here. The community has always been diverse, and that history was already telling us that these are stories worth sharing.

You’re not a lifelong filmmaker—you’ve worn a lot of hats at WVIA. What compelled you to create this documentary?

It came from two places. Personally, I’m originally from Nassau in the Bahamas. My dad is American, so I was born a U.S. citizen—I’ve never had to worry about paperwork or visas—but I do know what it feels like to leave the only home you’ve known and start fresh in a new place.

Professionally, at WVIA, we’d been having internal conversations about how we reflect our community—how we hold up a mirror. If people are talking about something, we want to be part of that dialogue. So it felt really natural to build something that reflected both where I come from and the conversations we were already having as a station.

WVIA is a relatively small station. Do you think that gave you more room to take on something like this?

Absolutely. We’re a small team, and yeah, that sometimes means you’re doing a little bit of everything, but it also means you can bring ideas to the table and actually see them happen. We have radio, TV, digital—we touch all of it. And our CEO, Carla McCabe, is really open to creative ideas. If you have something you’re passionate about, and the team is behind it, you’re empowered to make it happen. That’s how this project came to be.

What sparked the original idea?

After the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, we started having conversations about hate and extremism, and we produced a program called Holocaust Warnings, which looked at antisemitism and how history can help us understand what’s happening now.

That opened the door to deeper conversations, and we wanted to expand that lens—look at more communities, more experiences. That’s how Making NEPA Home started. We’d done a lot on historical immigration, especially around coal mining. This time, we wanted to focus on more recent immigrant and refugee experiences.

How did you connect with the people featured in the film?

We relied heavily on local organizations like United Neighborhood Centers of NEPA and Catholic Social Services. They work directly with refugees and immigrants. We didn’t go in with a checklist of who we wanted to feature. It really came down to who felt comfortable sharing their story on camera.

We were very transparent from the beginning. We let people know where the film would be shown, how it would be used. It was important to us that people felt fully informed and in control of their own stories.

You’ve done other storytelling work that connects with the community. What led up to this?

A few years ago, I produced a digital heritage awareness series where we spoke with people throughout the region to celebrate cultural history—Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. We just wanted to make it clear: WVIA is here, and we care about the full picture of who lives here.

Doing that kind of outreach helped us build trust. It helped people see that we’re not just showing up with a camera. We sre really trying to listen. All of that led up to Making NEPA Home.

You captured such a range of personalities and experiences. What was it like working with these families?

Honestly, it was a blessing. With documentary filmmaking, you don’t know where things will go. You can plan all you want, but you have to stay open to what unfolds.

I knew I couldn’t just show up with a camera and expect people to open up. So I spent time getting to know them first. Hearing their stories, learning what felt important to them. I wanted them to guide the narrative.

It wasn’t just about the big moments. It was the everyday stuff, like going to work, attending church, hanging out with friends. Those small, human moments remind you: these are our neighbors. They’re not just subjects in a documentary.

You were filming during a time of big national conversations about immigration. Did that affect the documentary?

It did. We feature a Ukrainian couple in the film, and Taras, the husband, had been a soldier in the war with Russia. His story—and his decision to leave—was deeply tied to what was unfolding globally.

We also saw how policy shifts affected local support systems. Catholic Social Services had a refugee program that was impacted by changes in federal immigration policy. So all of that—war, policy, politics—it shaped what people wanted to talk about, and what they were living through as we filmed.

What kind of response have you received that really stuck with you?

People are seeing themselves in these stories. That’s the feedback that means the most. Someone said, “That man looks like my uncle,” or “She reminds me of my sister.” That tells me we did what we set out to do. These aren’t just stories. They’re people. They live here. They matter.

What do you hope people take away from the film?

Empathy, above all. These stories often get reduced to headlines or statistics. But when you see someone smile, or hear them speak in their own language, or watch them celebrate a tradition—that makes it real.

I hope people feel inspired by the resilience in these stories. And I hope it sparks more conversations about how we can support each other, about what it means to welcome someone new, whether that’s through schools, services or just everyday kindness.

This documentary doesn’t have all the answers. But I hope it helps people see how much stronger and more vibrant a community can be when we embrace all the stories within it. 🟢

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Newsroom mobilization to cover ICE actions. When ICE escalation shook Minneapolis, the Star Tribune had to spring into action. 🎬 Here is a great look by the Associated Press at how the newspaper tried to represent its community.

• Mentorship models. Amanda Zamora has launched a newsletter, and Altavoz Lab’s program for early- and mid-career leaders is the focus for the first one. 🗞️ Read it at Agencia Media.

• Immigrant media interest. Nieman Lab puts focus on growing audience interest in news organizations that cover immigrant communities. ✍🏽 ICE enforcement is a driver of this attention.

• Black and Latine college enrollment to watch. The New York Times reports on how the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision on college admissions could be reshaping university applications from Latinx and Black students. 🎓

• Passing. Ruben Garcia, Texas Public Radio leader and an on-air voice at the organization, died following a sudden brain aneurysm. 🙏 He was 66. Texas Public Radio shares the news.

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El radar: try this 📡

• See how immigration enforcement is impacting local creative economies. Iowa Public Radio reported on how worries over visas and travel are affecting international artists coming to the Midwest. ✈️ This story can likely be explored in your area.

• Shine a light on Hispanic arts. Wisconsin Public Radio has a fabulous YouTube on how a local program provides scholarships for students hoping to study music and cultural celebration. 🎼 This one will brighten your morning.

• Note uninsured children. KERA shares the news about the number of people without insurance in Texas. Latino kids are among those without healthcare coverage. Some of the local impacts are examined, too.

• Keep talking about local implications of national events. You may be inspired by this roundtable at WTTW on the national immigration news, and its impact on area residents. 🗨️

• Underscore the fight against misinformation targeting Puerto Ricans. I prefer Bad Bunny from his "Chambea" era, but many more people followed his Super Bowl performance and its significance. 🏈 CBS Milwaukee highlighted groups seeking to educate about Puerto Ricans amid opinions mischaracterizing the country and culture. I expect such campaigns might also be happening near you.

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The next OIGO arrives Feb. 27. Next newsletter, you will get to know WBUR leader Victor Hernandez. He’s one of the most high-profile Latinos in public media and shapes content at a major-market broadcaster. We explore his journey and thoughts about representation and the future of the industry.

🍵 You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.

Public media has been here before. Moments of reckoning followed by moments of recalibration. This cycle didn’t begin with the latest round of layoffs. It simply became harder to overlook.

I know because I helped build one of those efforts.

Earlier this month, I was honored with the Public Media for All award, a gesture that meant a great deal to me even as it stirred memories of how challenging this work can be in practice. Recognition is gratifying, but it doesn’t erase the complexity of what it takes to move institutions forward.

Not so long ago, I helped lead a DEI Council that advocated for the creation of a Chief DEI Officer role. We organized. We aligned. We made the case. We succeeded. The learnings from our effort, in small part, informed my co-authored Brevity & Wit resource guide to DEI Councils.

And yet, years later, I can say this with clarity. The work remained unfinished.

There are many reasons, but how our systems often struggle to translate intention into durability is a fundamental challenge.

A difficult but necessary lesson 🔧

Last year, Current covered the reorganization at KQED, including the departure of Chief DEI Officer Eric Abrams, a respected colleague and friend. I supported the role. I supported Eric.

Creating the position felt like a meaningful step forward. But the role alone was never meant to carry the full weight of transformation.

That distinction matters.

A familiar pattern 🔁

Across all industry sectors, organizations responded to the national reckoning after George Floyd’s murder with new roles, new language and new commitments.

In many cases, those efforts were sincere. They were also unevenly integrated.

As political and economic conditions shifted, some of those roles proved difficult to sustain. Yet periods of constraint test institutions.

Trust, belonging, community relevance and internal cohesion are central to resilience. We all see that. We also appreciate that staff engagement and inclusion are necessary. We miss that longevity requires mapping.

Public media is not exempt from these dynamics. We navigate them alongside everyone else.

When needs outpace structure 👟

Culture work rarely falters because of individual failure. More often, it reflects limits in organizational design.

Public media frequently talks about DEI being embedded. Less frequently do we define how authority, accountability and decision rights follow that language.

In practice, this can look like:

• Culture leaders positioned adjacent to, rather than inside, core strategy.

• Committees taking broad responsibility without clear outcomes or conclusions.

• DEI skillsets are seen as additive to operational expertise.

When financial pressures emerge, roles without clear lines of authority or integration are more vulnerable. Committees without deliverables erode faith. It is not because leaders doubt the importance of culture, but because the work and performance of it has not been structurally tied to business-critical functions.

What I would approach differently now 🤔

With the benefit of hindsight, I would have asked for more specificity.

• Clearer connections between the function and multiple divisions.

• Documented decision pathways that flowed through the role.

• Authority that was written into structure, not assumed over time.

I also would have paid closer attention to the limits of council-based models without intervention points or sunset clauses.

I assumed some of this would evolve naturally. That was an incomplete assumption.

So what does integration actually require? 👀

If culture work is to endure across economic cycles, it must be treated like other core functions. That starts with accountability.

• Culture outcomes owned within leadership portfolios.

• Committees evaluated on outcomes, not just participation or input.

• Values translated into measurable goals and shared methodology.

Governance matters here too. Boards cannot delegate culture entirely to leadership. Decisions about strategy, risk and workforce shape institutional culture. So, oversight must reflect that reality.

A clarifying moment ⏱️

This is a difficult period for public media. It is also an instructive one. We can continue rebuilding familiar structures, or we can redesign them with greater intention.

Many culture leaders navigating this moment bring deep expertise in organizational change, community trust and engagement. That knowledge remains essential to public media’s future. Expertise, however, is not enough. Systems have to invite it in.

The culture of public media relies on how we are willing to align our structures with those commitments. 🟢

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Serving communities. “Our job is to build those bridges and give voice to those neighborhood stories, supermarkets and Latino businesses that go unnoticed,” says Enlace Latino NC’s Paola Jaramillo to the Reynolds Journalism Institute.

• YouTube pivot. An Oregon Public Broadcasting story shares the efforts of a former Univision broadcaster Antonio Sánchez to reach Hispanic Oregonians, not on legacy television, but YouTube. 📺

• TV representation. A new University of Southern California study notes only six percent of on-screen roles are held by Latine actors. Yahoo! Entertainment presents some of the findings. 🎭

• Watching the polls. Newsweek notes a new Emerson College survey that indicates growing support for the president among Latinos. 📈

Leave a comment

El radar: try this 📡

• Power of Latinx business. Marketplace reflects on the importance of Hispanic businesses to the U.S. economy. 💰 Such a story feels ripe for regional viewpoints and storytelling.

• See what new places ICE conversations are happening. This Washington Post analysis of how outrage over the Alex Pretti killing has gone beyond traditional political spaces. ✊ It may be worth localizing.

• Explain irritants used by ICE. Many cities are seeing protests over immigration enforcement excesses. Nieman Lab offers a look at less-than-lethal weapons ICE officers are employing. 🧪 Experts in your region might also be able to address audience questions.

• Investigate Latinx pollution worries. Texas Public Radio examines how Hispanic Texans are feeling about air pollution in the state. ♻️ Latinos tend to poll more concerned than many demographics about the environment, and this may be a good time to check on locals’ opinions.

• Black velvet resurgence. Not going to lie… my tios had garish art on black velvet! Dogs playing pool like this. 🎨 WLNS has a fun piece on the origins of black velvet art in Michigan’s Latine community. In the heavy news cycle, this one may brighten your audiences’ day.

• Track Latinx moving trends. Los Angeles-based nonprofit newsroom Parriva has been tracking where Latino/a families are moving when they leave California. 🧳 Are they moving to your state, or away?

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The next OIGO arrives Feb. 13. WVIA’s Kara Washington sits with you to discuss the station’s efforts to represent the lives of immigrants in its community. Kara’s documentary Making NEPA Home is streaming now. 💻

🍵 You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.

Few leaders embody the arc of modern public media quite like Lisa Rodriguez.

Born in Santiago, Chile, and raised in the Kansas City area, Rodriguez brings a personal understanding of the region’s diversity and its stories. KCUR’s director of journalism has shaped the station’s coverage and culture from almost every chair. She started as an intern, moved into producing for local program Up To Date in 2015, and quickly earned a reputation for sharp reporting at City Hall and as an afternoon newscaster. By 2020, she was leading the newsroom as news director, guiding reporters, editors, producers and interns through daily coverage and the long-term projects that define KCUR’s service to Kansas City.

Her leadership was tested early. Just months into the role, reporter Aviva Okeson-Haberman was killed. Rodriguez managed the public-facing demands of that moment, while supporting a grieving staff. She later led the effort to rename the station’s internship program in Okeson-Haberman’s honor, keeping her legacy central to the newsroom’s commitment to mentoring the next generation of journalists.

Alongside these responsibilities, Rodriguez strengthened collaborations across the region. Her peers took notice. In 2023, the Public Media Journalists Association recognized her as Editor of the Year.

Lisa Rodriguez’s role today is one charged with ensuring KCUR and its affiliates continue delivering trusted coverage that reflects and responds to the communities they serve. This OIGO, she talks about her path, her vision for KCUR and what it means to lead a newsroom at a time when local journalism matters immensely. 👇🏻

Let’s start at the beginning. What led you to this place in public media?

Yeah, we can start all the way back. I was born in Santiago, Chile. My dad’s Chilean, my mom’s an American who used to work for the Foreign Service. We lived in Chile for a bit, then moved to Germany, and eventually landed in Kansas City, which is closer to where my mom grew up.

I went to school in the suburbs here and spent a lot of time going back and forth to Chile. From a pretty young age, like 12 or so, I had two visions for my life: I was either going to be on Broadway, or I was going to be an international correspondent for CNN. So, either journalism or theater. But either way, something big.

I went the journalism route. I attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas and was focused on TV broadcast. I had great internships, both local and national, but by junior or senior year, I was starting to feel like… I don’t know, maybe this isn’t it.

So I spent my last year of college in Buenos Aires, and kind of let go of that whole big dream for a bit. I just lived life, fell in love, was a student. And when I came back to Kansas City, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do, but I had an open mind.

And then, actually, it was a guy I was dating who turned on NPR for the first time for me. My family didn’t grow up listening to it. And I was like “oh.” This is what I was missing. This kind of storytelling, where you really hear people sharing their own stories, and it’s not about a news anchor delivering it all to you.

I started interning at KCUR in 2014, unpaid. I took any job they had—talk show producer, weekend reporter, whatever. Eventually I became the afternoon newscaster when that position opened up, suddenly and tragically. Then I started covering City Hall, and then the pandemic hit and everything changed. We were dealing with crisis, turnover and also with big questions about who we are and who we serve.

That’s when I decided to apply to be news director. And now I’m the director of journalism. So… it’s been a ride.

What’s exciting you right now, and what’s keeping you up at night?

What’s exciting is that these moments of instability—when everything’s kind of in flux—are the best times to try something new. And public radio doesn’t always do that well. We’re so good at talking about change. We talk about it to death. Then we talk ourselves out of it, and eventually back into it again.

But a time like this gives you cover to just go for it. It gives you permission to break out of those ruts. And you can build a lot of energy and unity when you’re doing something bold together. You have to do it with care for the people in the room.

The terrifying part? There’s a real risk of failure. And the farther I go in leadership, the fewer people I have above me who can guide me. The support is still there, but it’s on me now. I have to lead.

And then, you know—on a personal level, I had a baby two years ago, and I’m pregnant again. So there’s also that voice in the back of my head asking, “Can I really do all of this?” I think I can. But yeah, it’s a lot of new all at once.

Is there something about Kansas City that surprised you, even after living here most of your life?

Something really shifted here around 2015, mostly tied to sports, of course. That was when the Royals won the World Series for the first time in 30 years. And since then, Kansas City has just really started to like itself. Like, in a big way. You see people all over wearing Kansas City hats and shirts. There are stores just for KC-branded swag. It’s this intense municipal pride, which is kind of funny because for so long, we were the underdog in sports, in economic development, in national attention.

We still have a long way to go. The city’s still built for cars. Our transit system doesn’t match where we want to be. But there’s more energy now. Our dining scene is amazing. I’ll say it, but I think we have better coffee than Chicago. So, yeah, the pride is sometimes overblown, but it’s also made the city more fun. And yeah, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift didn’t hurt.

Has that vibe shift changed how you think about local coverage?

Definitely. It’s about finding the right balance. It means holding the city accountable and also celebrating it. There are other outlets that lean hard into cheerleading, and people love that content. But our audience wants both. They love Kansas City, and they want it to be better.

That’s why something like A People’s History of Kansas City works so well. It taps into that curiosity and pride. People want to know these stories they never learned in school. And they’re asking, “Why didn’t anyone ever tell me this before?”

When you’re not sure what the right move is, what helps you decide?

A few things. At work, it’s surrounding myself with people I trust, people who aren’t afraid to disagree with me. I’ll often say, “Okay, here’s what I’m thinking. What do you think?” And then the next day I’ve changed my mind, and we talk through it again.

That process of inviting people in early gets me to a better decision, and also helps build buy-in. People feel like they’re already part of the solution.

Outside of work? Honestly, having a toddler is the most grounding thing in the world.

Say more!

Every morning, I have these very simple tasks I need to complete. Get her dressed, fed, out the door. Then I switch to work mode, which is go-go-go. But by the end of the day, when I come home, I have to shut that off. Because there’s this tiny person who needs me to set up a tea party or find her doll. There’s no room for spiraling about work when you’re hiding under a blanket pretending to be in a tent.

And by the time she’s in bed, what’s really important has sort of risen to the top. Most things? They can wait.

Where does your confidence come from?

I’m my father’s daughter. You should meet my dad. He’s this flashy, charismatic Chilean guy. About 5’4” but somehow always the biggest person in the room. There’s definitely an element of performance in how I move through the world, and I got that from him. Theater helped, too. That stage presence never really goes away.

But I also think confidence comes from staying busy and having balance. When things are too quiet, that’s when self-doubt creeps in. I try to keep the different parts of my life like work, family and community full. That helps.

You’ve been at KCUR a bit. What have you learned about yourself?

I’ve learned that building real relationships is huge. The trust I’ve built here comes from knowing people, how they work, what their dog’s name is. That’s helped me move into leadership. I’ve built social capital. It gives me some grace when I try new things, because people know me. They know I care.

And I’ve been lucky. Opportunities have come up at just the right time.

If I had to name one regret or insecurity, it’s that I haven’t worked in other newsrooms. KCUR is where I’ve grown up, both personally and professionally. So sometimes I wonder what lessons I might’ve learned from being in a totally different environment.

That said, this place is why I am where I am. It’s why I’ve been able to take these steps and bring others along with me.

What are you most energized about in the new year?

We’re in the middle of a major shift—splitting from the university, moving buildings, redefining our structure and funding. It’s a chance to build a public media model that’s sustainable and accountable to the community, not tied to a university or federal funding.

It’s a big challenge, but also a huge opportunity. And there’s a clock on it because, you know, I’ve got this baby coming. So I’ve got to get far enough down the road before then. But I’m really hopeful about where we can go. 🟢

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Community profile. Discover Our Coast has a feature on a Latin music DJ programming on community radio station KMUN. 🎼

• Smartphone access. Pew Research has data on internet and broadband penetration among Hispanic adults, who have high rates of smartphone reliance.

• System collapse. Editor & Publisher has a look on the worries facing PBS. 📺

• Journalists and Venezuela. The National Press Club is criticizing the detainment of reporters following the arrest of Nicolas Maduro. 🚨 Venezuela has long had one of the lowest ratings for press freedom.

• Turning Point USA coverage. Nieman Lab profiles conservative influencer Savanah Hernandez, whose online reporting sparked a recent ICE action in New York City. 🚓 “The goal of my journalism is to enact positive change,” she says.

• New program. Documented has started an initiative to help organizations to better report on immigrant communities. 📝 Nieman Lab has details.

Leave a comment

El radar: try this 📡

• Explore why Latinx families don’t send kids to kindergarten. LAist has a CalMatters piece on the 32 states that don’t require five-year-olds to go to school, in spite of clear advantages for children’s futures. 🍎 Hispanics are the least likely to enroll kids in kindergarten.

• Ask about access for Spanish-dominant drivers. The Spokesman-Review has a thoughtful piece on a Washington State nonprofit that has created a bilingual driving school to help Spanish-speaking speakers attain driver education and greater autonomy. 🚙 Barriers exist especially in smaller communities.

• See how immigration enforcement is impacting local childcare. KJZZ covered the effect of ICE actions on the workforce at Arizona nursery schools, preschool programs and other childcare centers. 👶

• Pulse check with locals from Venezuela. KCCI and KQED talked with residents with ties to the embattled South American nation. 📰 How they are feeling about the country’s future is central to the discussion.

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The next OIGO arrives Jan. 30. I was honored with the Public Media for All award for my contributions to the industry. This occasion offers a chance to look forward. 🧭 I want to explore the hurdles we can’t seem to clear, and ask what it will take to sustain diverse culture in public media. I’d love your thoughts.

🍵 You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.

It could be the best year, or the worst.

Among Latine communities, 2025 was a year of fear, resilience and a high-stakes fight for visibility. As public media strives to cover diverse neighborhoods nationwide, 2026 is looking like something different.

The new year may be when public media will have to track slower, deeper shifts beneath the headlines. Midterm elections will grab oxygen. Yet the industry cannot afford to miss the stories reshaping Latino/a/e/x residents.

What stories will lead 2026? Here are a few issues that should be on your radar. There is also a bigger narrative in play: how the country’s diversity landscape is being redefined, often quietly, at the local level.

The financial and political pressures facing public media are real. So are the openings for more grounded, people-centered reporting that cuts through national noise and reflects local reality.

Immigration’s long tail 🧭

In 2026, public media will need to treat immigration as a daily life story, not just a policy story.

Everyone seems to expect the White House’s immigration actions to continue. Thus enforcement and legal uncertainty will not suddenly vanish. What will change is the space to look beyond crisis coverage and into the less-seen rhythms of daily life.

Watch for colleagues’ stories that follow:

• How families rebuild routines under persistent enforcement pressure

• What schools, churches and local agencies do to stabilize anxious communities

• How neighborhoods adapt culturally when fear becomes normalized

Coverage that follows people over time, not just lawmakers, will matter more than it might have in years past. Such will especially be the case in cities where immigration is treated as background noise, not breaking news.

Latino/a/e/x economic futures 💸

The economy is going to be a major issue in the midterms. Even now, prosperity is in the current of conversation. Local public media leaders will have to explain 2025’s economic aftershocks and what they mean on specific blocks, bus lines and workplaces.

Even if policy shock softens, the impact of Trump admin moves and the action (or inaction) of Congress will still be big stories, especially come summer and fall. As Pew Research points out, Latino/a households already have strong opinions about how President Trump and politicians are affecting their pocketbooks. Great public media outlets will highlight how these constituencies sit at the intersection of:

• Rising rents and unstable housing

• Childcare shortages that limit workforce participation

• Persistent wage gaps

• Job markets reshaped by automation and AI

What should public media watch for regarding the economy? Expect more coverage from commercial media (and be ready to jump in and lead that coverage) of topics like:

• Small-business closures and reopenings

• New labor organizing and worker centers

• Growing dependence on gig work

• AI-driven workplace changes that hit Hispanic workers first

As Kyla Scanlon points out, there’s a trust gap emerging, where economic stress mixed with information overload erodes institutional trust.

Stories about economic mobility, skills training and community financial innovation will surface as powerful threads. To me, the more public media journalists stay close to households, not just data, the more ahead we’ll be.

Cultural identity in flux 🎭

After a year when many cultural events shrank or went dark because of safety concerns, 2026 could become a stress test for renewal. The story to watch: How communities are rebuilding public celebrations and rebuilding public confidence.

Public media will have rich opportunities to cover how:

• Festivals reimagine security and belonging

• Museums rethink exhibits and outreach

• Schools navigate which performances feel “safe” to put on

• Civic celebrations renegotiate who feels visible and invited

At the same time, journalists can track a deeper set of questions: Does Latine cultural life feel protected or precarious in local communities? Who gets to decide?

No matter how your organization treats matters of race and diversity, the identity shift is going to be a critical story.

Representation in media 📺

The Latino content disparity did not resolve in 2025. 2026 is a chance to measure where progress is real and where it is just branding.

Key questions for public media:

• Which stations are investing in bilingual or bicultural programming?

• Which podcasts or digital desks are emerging as trusted spaces?

• How are Latino/a/e/x journalists navigating new hiring rules and shrinking newsrooms?

Public media can keep reporting on the gap between audience demographics and newsroom composition. We’ll also hear more about the individuals trying to close that distance from inside the system.

Related, as DEI structures keep shifting, public media’s role will grow in terms of documenting institutional impacts. These stories are not just about policy reversals. They are about real-world consequences. It will be important for public media to cover stories for millions of people who may never use the term “DEI,” but live with the outcomes.

Community innovation 🌱

With federal and state support in flux, Latino/a-led organizations are stepping into new leadership roles. In 2026, expect more opportunities to tell stories about:

• Grassroots disability advocates

• Language justice coalitions

• Youth mental health innovators

• Neighborhood-based health and mutual aid networks

Public media can track how local problem-solving evolves when communities cannot rely on traditional systems. Public media can explain who is building the new safety nets. Public media can also explore who gets left out.

The civic information gap 📡

Midterms will amplify how misinformation remains central in 2026. Latinx audiences will still be navigating parallel information ecosystems that often contradict one another. To help, public media can cover:

• How trust is built or broken in local news environments

• How Spanish-language and bilingual outlets respond to fast-moving narratives

• What audiences say they actually need from institutions that claim to serve them

The key is listening first, then designing coverage.

Why these stories matter

Taken together, these threads point to a pivotal year for public media. It will be the first without federal funding, and one where attention on industry challenges may wane.

How can public media hold the spotlight? I wish I could tell you everything. But I do know one thing: public media will benefit by showing that Latino/a/e/x communities are not just subjects of coverage, but central to understanding how the country is changing.

The stories of 2026 will ask public media to listen more deeply; to question assumptions more openly; and to tell narratives that reflect complexity. 🟢

Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Year’s best. Alt.Latino has issued its list of the great Latin songs of 2025. 🎵

• Radio Mambi out. The longtime Miami broadcast voice of Cuban exiles is going off the air. 🔒 This comes a few years after the station was acquired by a group that sought to make it more moderate. WLRN has the story.

• Seeking asylum. If you’re following the immigration news cycle, Beyond the Border was a well-reported piece on those awaiting hearings in Mexico, after the United States cut off application pathways. 🏛️

• Journalists of color, post-DEI. Media layoffs affecting Black and brown staff, but not white employees is the focus of a Guardian investigation. ✍️ “I’m not accusing any one person of looking at my department and deciding to lay off all the people of color,” a source said, “but I am saying that it’s not a coincidence that the layoffs that they chose to do fell along racial lines.”

• Just announced. New Media Ventures has launched a cohort for Latine Voices for Democracy, aimed at building capacity among Latino publishers. 👾

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• Share stories of tamales and the holidays. Tamale sales seem to sprout during the holiday season and always bring out great memories for residents. 😺 KQED has a story about a local entrepreneur and what the tradition means to customers.

  • Related: Spokane Public Radio on La Posada.

• See how churches are engaging around social services. Colorado Public Radio examines how faith organizations rooted in Latino and other communities are plugged in these days to health care access. ⚕️ Considering churches’ place of trust, they’ve emerged as a valuable stakeholder.

• Ask how Hispanic voters are feeling as midterms approach. WLRN is among many organizations doing valuable work tracking the topics on the minds of their area’s Latino/a/e/x voters. 🏗️ There’s a ton of voter sentiment tracking, but local stories really help bring the big picture home to audiences.

• Keep tabs on how communities are navigating. A new story at Wyoming Public Radio/Mountain West News Bureau looks at the news cycle and its effect on the town of Rock Springs. 🗻 It’s an smart angle to a story that deserves constant attention.

  • Related: KHOL recently featured a local therapist examining the impacts of the current policy cycle on Latine communities. 😶‍🌫️ And Current reports on how some stations are serving in a know-your-rights capacity.

The next OIGO arrives Jan. 16. It’s time for a holiday break, but I’ll have LinkedIn newsletters flowing as stories break. Subscribe to OIGO RMX here.

You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter. 🤎

If you work anywhere near public media, you felt it: 2025 was a year when Latino communities and diversity issues weren’t just part of the national conversation, they shaped it.

Across newsrooms, podcasts and local stations, journalists followed stories of fear, resilience, identity and belonging. It was not easy, but was important as it was valued. What emerged was a vivid portrait of communities navigating extraordinary pressure while still insisting on visibility, values and voice.

Immigration and civil rights on edge

Much of the year’s reporting circled back to one defining emotion for many Latinos: uncertainty. With stepped-up immigration enforcement during President Trump’s second term, countless families were living on edge.

Roughly half of Latino Americans said they feared deportation for themselves or loved ones. Reporters documented increased ICE activity in neighborhoods, school drop-offs and workplaces; and the day-to-day anxiety that followed.

Public media tied these fears to the wider fight over Constitutional rights and to sweeping proposals like the rollback of birthright citizenship. Stations have done a great job at bringing policy, history and lived experience into the same frame.

Economic and community strain

The economy was another throughline. Inflation, housing shortages, childcare costs and unstable jobs hit Latino communities with particular force.

Public radio journalists captured families squeezed by rising expenses and the long tail of the pandemic. The most compelling pieces zoomed in on how economic strain shaped every corner of life, from health decisions to school choices to small-business stability.

These stories underscored a truth stations heard again and again: many Latino audiences are navigating crisis inside a crisis.

Visibility and the media gap

Even cultural moments weren’t immune.

In several cities, Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations were canceled or pared down because communities didn’t feel safe gathering publicly. At the same time, public media and the media world looked inward.

The industry revisited its longstanding Latino content crisis, where representation still trails far behind demographics. Despite Latinos making up nearly 20 percent of the country, public media and national entertainment platforms continue to offer only a sliver of Latino voices, perspectives and leadership roles. The movement to change it continues, including important launches of broadcast media, but the disconnect was impossible to ignore in 2025.

Post-DEI: a turning point with consequences

This was also the year DEI retreated, in public media and elsewhere.

Organizations dismantled investments and commitments with startling speed, and similar pressures reached public media internally. I try to be optimistic about public media, but am often told otherwise.

Externally, public media covered how new compliance rules around hiring and language reshaped newsroom culture and editorial decisions. Journalists and community partners described an environment where important stories risked going untold, and where inclusion efforts now carried new political and legal scrutiny.

Lastly, the loss of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and its service to communities will be felt for generations.

Community, narratives and quiet power

Still, 2025 wasn’t only about loss or risk. Public media highlighted innovative, community-driven responses in education and language.

Latino-led work stepped into the vacuum left by shifting conversations, offering new solutions and new civic imagination. And lastly, efforts to connect stations to ideas offer newsrooms fresh ways to listen, collaborate and build trust.

Bye 2025

Taken together, 2025’s coverage painted a difficult but honest picture: Latino communities are facing profound challenges, but we’re also pushing forward with creativity and determination.

Public media saw not just the pressure, but the potential.

And if this year taught anything, it’s that serving Latino audiences well is fundamental to the future of public media itself. 🟢

Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Voting education in Spanish. We Are Más received a Shorty Impact Award for its multilingual voter education campaign for Broward County. ✌️

• WBEZ shakeup. Executive Editor Gilbert Bailon has been laid off from the Chicago public broadcaster amid a restructure. 💔 Journal-isms offers details on changes at the organization.

• Peer support. Latinx staff often point out the need for peer support. 😺 Open News surfaced a great study by PEN America on a variety of models, common themes for successful support and ways you could apply a system for yourself or your organization.

• Kerger speaks. PBS CEO Paula Kerger joined Semafor’s video podcast to talk about the challenges facing public media and our future. 🎙️

• Culture nod. Public Media for All has extended the nominations deadline for its annual award. 🏆

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El radar: try this 📡

• Discuss the effect of immigration enforcement on church attendance. Blue Ridge Public Radio has a thoughtful story on how faith leaders are responding to fear among parishioners, and how they’re advocating for safety to local decisionmakers. 🙏

  • Related: WUNC explores the matter of immigration enforcement too.

• Ask about teacher hiring. KCUR offered a report on how area schools are hiring Latino/a teachers as they try to engage students and connect with families. 👩‍🏫 The results are encouraging so far.

• Cover stomach cancer and Hispanics. Texas Public Radio has a piece on a health subject you don’t hear much about. 🩺 Latinos are among the ethnic groups with a higher incidence of this form of cancer than others.

• Make Latine information needs a story. American Press Institute highlights the efforts of Planeta Venus, a Kansas nonprofit, that includes residents sharing how the community gets its news. 🧑‍💻 More than a focus group, these videos are content themselves.

  • Related: Journalism + Design Lab published a community news framework that outlines how people contribute to local information ecosystems. 🪧 Instead of reporting, they’re creating connections.

Leave a comment

The next OIGO arrives Dec. 19. The final OIGO of 2025 will track the stories public media will likely be following next year. I’d love your thoughts about that.

If you are able, you are encouraged to support your local public media organization. If you’re at a station, our programming team has developed quite a monthlong campaign in coordination with other departments; I’d love to share our work to inspire you.

You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter. 💵

Johanna Bejarano is a bilingual media and communication professional whose work spans over 15 years across Latin America and the U.S., marked by a deep commitment to public service journalism and community storytelling. Originally from Colombia, her journalism roots lie in vibrant regional newsrooms and classrooms, where she worked as both a reporter and instructor guiding future journalists. Today, she’s a multiplatform content producer at Northwest Public Broadcasting, focused on telling nuanced, community-centered stories across radio, video, and digital platforms.

Bejarano’s reporting in Central Washington spotlights voices often underrepresented in public media, especially those of Hispanic communities. Her coverage explores issues like immigration, labor, voting rights and the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women. She also produces and hosts Resumen Semanal de Noticias, a Spanish-language news show that brings timely, accessible journalism to audiences across the region.

With academic credentials and a background in digital journalism research, Johanna Bejarano bridges theory and practice in her work. She brings both a global and deeply local lens to storytelling, and her journalism is driven by trust-building, authenticity and a desire to reflect the full complexity of community life.

In this conversation with OIGO, Bejarano shares what led her to public broadcasting in Central Washington, how she navigates community-centered journalism across cultures and platforms, and why collaborative, bilingual storytelling is essential for public media today.

How did you get into public broadcasting in this community?

I’m originally from Colombia. I immigrated to the United States in 2014 because my mom had been living here and many people in my family were already here. But when we migrate, we basically need to start over. So all the experience we have in our country doesn’t necessarily transfer.

In Colombia, I worked for regional newspapers, and I also worked for over nine years as a professor in journalism, guiding students in deep reporting.

When I came here, I started looking for opportunities where I could apply my bilingual skills. So I applied to different places, one of them being this position as a bilingual multiplatform reporter in Washington State.

It was really interesting because, in our minds, the largest Latino populations are in Florida, California, Texas and New York, but I never thought about Central Washington State. So I began investigating a lot about the Yakima Valley and the Bracero program and the Mexican communities here. Many places have large Hispanic populations. I was so happy to come here and serve these communities with my reporting.

I had always worked as a reporter for newspapers, magazines, digital media, but I had never done public radio or radio before. So that also made it exciting to try something different. I worried a bit about having a heavy accent, but it has been challenging and also rewarding in many ways — being able to tell stories I think are important for many people here. Not just for the Latino/Hispanic community, but also for people who are non‑Latino and want to understand who we are and what happens every day for us.

What has been the most interesting facet of being in this community and presenting the community story?

One of the beautiful things I’ve experienced is that there are so many stories to cover and so many dynamics within our own communities. When I first came, I was a Colombian, with my partner, another Colombian. I didn’t know many people. I knew Mexican people and some Salvadorans. Now I see people from other places arriving — Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Cuba are among the backgrounds.

Getting all this knowledge and finding both similarities as well as things that make us different and powerful as a diverse group is so interesting. This is a community that cares, that helps, and tries to provide the cultural enrichment it has to share with others, Latinos and non‑Latinos.

I’ve also seen different attitudes of support from people who are not part of these specific communities, but want to learn and understand the challenges or barriers that these communities experience. That’s very interesting.

Another thing is that in Central Washington, the Latino community is different from what you might see on the western part of the state. So I try to show cultural expressions. For example, there is a Peruvian community on the west side, there are Colombians or other groups here, and it shows that even though we’re all in the same state, we’re multi‑faceted, different “colors,” mixing and trying to show themselves.

From your observation with the community and your sources, what motivates people to move to Central Washington? How does that shape your stories?

In part, it’s because of the labor market. I’ve heard from people who come here because they know there is work in agriculture or warehouses and that they can get good pay. Some friends they may have came before them and told them that. Also, they find that this state has other kinds of opportunities for them. The quality of life and the attractiveness of the region are also part of it.

I would also say — and this is anecdotal from what I’ve heard — that some people come here because they feel they will not face discrimination like they might in other states. That’s a reality I’ve heard about.

As far as my work, I try to show that we are really diverse. Because sometimes, you know, we love Mexican culture, but everyone thinks that because we speak Spanish, we are all Mexican. That’s not the case. We may love mariachi, but there’s also salsa, there are Peruvian rhythms and many aspects that don’t necessarily fit one view of Latino culture. For example, I learned about a project at Washington State University (WSU) where an Argentinian professor is collecting stories about Latinas in Benton County. Many have Mexican heritage, but not all. So I try to find ways to show the aspects that involve this community and teach people that there are nuances among us, and that it’s important to recognize and be proud of those.

What story stands out for you as something you’re really proud of?

I cover Hispanic/Latino issues mainly, but also other groups. One I’ll never forget was a story about a woman was deported, and years later she was able to come back and see her kids again because she got her residency. That was very emotional.

I also did a multiplatform project with Palabra journalist Lygia Navarro about long COVID and how it’s affecting the community here. I feel very proud of that one because we covered something that nobody was talking about locally, especially when the Yakima Valley was hit hard by COVID.

Another I’m proud of is the series called Harvest at the Crossroads, a bilingual, multiplatform project about the impact of immigration in an area with lots of agriculture, local and guest workers. Some are on H‑2A visas, some are local workers, some families of workers or deported workers. We also looked at the industry: how the harvest itself was affected. This series shows the importance of collaboration because we had to pool resources, reporters, an editor at the local Spanish‑language newspaper and team members at NWPB, working with a grant from the Poynter Institute.

Tell me more about how your collaboration practically worked. Did you meet regularly? How did you decide the approach and how it came together?

For those specific cases, yes. Another reporter approached me and we started looking for ideas. Then together we shaped the whole thing: “What stories will we do? Who will interview? Which sources? How will we compile the work?” Some collaborations were external with other groups and some internal with social media and website teams to figure out how to show the work best, such as with landing pages, bilingual content and so on.

Sometimes you have dreams, but those dreams may not be technically or realistically possible. So I try to plan in advance: what I want to discuss, what we can do. We have a lot of conversation. When there is heavy reporting, we say: “Okay, we need to stop and just organize what we actually have.” But also everyone on the team needs to go toward the same goal: showing a strong piece with all the information, fact‑checked.

How did you decide what was realistic vs unrealistic in terms of doing this coverage?

Good question. In my mind everything is realistic. I’ll give an example: I did a series of stories I really loved about mariachi for Hispanic Heritage Month — one about the mariachi culture in Washington State, one about mariachi education, one about the visit of Lupita Infante to Washington State. Three features for radio; three web versions in English; three web versions in Spanish; a landing page with all that. That on paper might seem unrealistic given time and resources. But if you organize the structure — story goes here, interview these people, web version, Spanish version, etc. — you can do it, if you have the time. If you’re also producing your weekly/daily spot for the regular newscast at the same time, then maybe it’s not feasible.

In the Harvest at the Crossroads case: it was a series of four stories, bilingual, radio/web/social media. We realized early on it was a lot. We collaborated: local Spanish‑language newspaper, other reporters at NWPB, editors. The key I found: you must have the structure in your head. If you can’t imagine what goes where, it won’t work. So I try to imagine: “Topic to radio story one, radio story two; web story one in English, web story one in Spanish; social post this; schedule release this week, next week, etc.” Also talk with the team: “Do we have time? Are we doing this too soon? Can we finish this?” Planning and being realistic helps.

What advice would you give to a public media organization or someone working at a station who wants to report in the community?

The most important part is knowing the community. Approaching the community with real intentions of getting to know them and establishing a long‑term relationship. Because what I’ve seen: organizations sometimes schedule a meeting, go there to “connect,” but then they leave. They might listen, but they don’t really listen or follow up. Or they aren’t prepared. For example: if you go to a community meeting for folks who don’t have cable‑TV, or they don’t have reliable internet or cell service, and you ask, “Are you listening to our station?” That means you didn’t really investigate beforehand. You need to know how people get information.

Another thing: have advisory or focus groups periodically meet to ask: “What do you really want?” Then build the content around what audiences say, not just what your resources or time allow.

For reporters: attend community celebrations and events; if community members play soccer, go play soccer with them. These are places where you make connections and understand lives, not just show up for interviews. Especially in our communities: we talk, we socialize, we are involved in events. So showing up matters.

One more practical tip: We started a weekly news piece on YouTube in Spanish (we’re in the second year). That shows that if media are interested in serving Hispanic and Latino communities, they should have a strategy, not just scattered efforts. Everything should be connected: the YouTube channel, a newsletter, WhatsApp group, social media, website… all integrated. And you need a team and budget for that. It’s not just a side project. 🟢

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• SLC coverage. KSL spotlights the work of new public media station Avanza to serve bilingual Utahns. 📻

• More on Latinx voting. Worth following as we head to midterms, Semafor digs into the data you’re hearing about — Latinos’ wavering support for the GOP — with additional context around Democrats’ gains (or lack thereof) among our constituency. ✍🏻

• Pioneer passes. ABC news reporter Jim Avila, one of the most visible Hispanic journalists on network TV for many years, has died. 🙏 The New York Times offered an obituary.

• New media venture. Puerto Rican hitmaker Ozuna has announced the launch of a new platform, called Mucho, devoted to “celebrating and amplifying the voice of young US Latinos through music, sports, fashion, and pop culture.” Music Ally says streaming TV is the first initiative.

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• See how restaurants are tackling tariffs. Connecticut Public has a great angle on a story you’ve heard lots about: how are Latino establishments dealing with tariffs? 💰 I’m unsure public media is covering this much, but it is a big deal to local small business.

• Find what Latine population growth means locally. Plenty of outlets are covering the remarkable growth of Hispanic populations nationwide, but how does that shape communities? 📈 Colorado Public Radio investigated the trends with a focus on its state.

• Highlight Latinx civil rights history locally. Texas Public Radio has a thoughtful story on a new exhibit chronicling the fight to end Mexican American segregation in Texas schools. 🏫 It revolves around a 1968 case in which Black and Mexican American families sued a school district to ensure school desegregation.

• Share veteran stories. KCUR has a thoughtful story about Mexican American veterans and their contributions to the military. 🫡 This matter bears mentioning far beyond Veterans Day locally.

• Pay attention to eating disorders and Hispanics. An important story via De Los talks about binge eating disorder and the number of Latinos affected, but how few have formal diagnoses. 🍔

Give a gift subscription

The next OIGO arrives Dec. 5. I’ll be in Austin in late January as part of a Google News Initiative cohort. If you are in my home state and want to get coffee, I’d love to say hola. Please reach out.

In the weeks ahead, I’ll share word on social media about a limited-run documentary narrative podcast I’m producing for release in 2026. The series traces the true story of a controversial new religious movement group and how it evolved into something entirely unexpected. This is my first big step into podcasts, and I’d welcome your guidance or insights as I shape this passion project.

And because I believe deeply in the mission of public media, if you’re at a station and see opportunity in partnering as a host, I’d love to hear from you. (Disclosure: I’m not seeking money.)

You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter. 🤎

Your responses to the last OIGO made one thing clear: we’re all feeling this moment deeply; and searching urgently for practical, grounded, and local ways to respond.

This is an extraordinarily difficult time for Latino communities, and for public media. A recent NPR investigation on the masking of agents and cars shows but one facet of the problem. ICE enforcement dominates headlines, stoking fear of racial profiling and family separation. People are living with daily anxiety. As the New York Times editorial board wrote, the brutality toward undocumented immigrants and the unfairness toward American citizens caught in its wake is an affront to decency.

Audiences are yearning for something increasingly rare: a shared reality built on safety and respect.

Polarization defines public life, misinformation is multiplying, and social media is fraying community ties. Meanwhile, media itself faces devastating pressures: newsrooms are shrinking, public broadcasters are cutting back, and the training grounds for young journalists are vanishing. Still, the work of public media has never been more consequential, or more tested.

After the last OIGO, KCSB’s Jennifer Kiser told me something that’s stayed with me: Our journalism is essential, but so is trust between people. It’s true. Information alone isn’t enough in this moment. Public media can do more than report the news; we can help rebuild the sense of community that holds neighbors together.

Why showing up matters

When people fear being targeted, or their neighbors being taken away, institutions like ours must be steady sources of reassurance and truth. Public media’s responsibility isn’t just to inform. It’s to help re-weave the civic fabric that’s coming apart.

The next election cycle won’t just test our institutions. It will test our capacity for empathy. What communities are asking of their stations, especially those under duress, is simple and profound: Show us you care enough to listen. Help others to see our experience. Stand with us.

The question is: will we meet that call?

The Neighbor Test

Here’s a simple, powerful measure for public media in the political moment ahead.

Would your coverage and tone make your neighbors—including Latino neighbors and new immigrants—feel proud to call your station theirs? If not, what needs to change?

Passing the Neighbor Test isn’t just about accuracy. It’s about empathy. It’s journalism that sounds like it was made by people who live here too.

It moves beyond “Who’s winning?” to ask “Who’s being heard, and who’s afraid?”

It means sharing not only what divides us but what genuinely binds us: our parks, the panadería on the corner, the quiet collective sigh when hard news hits.

Trust is built in these small, human moments. When a reporter pronounces a town’s name correctly, when a story reflects dignity instead of caricature, when neighbors hear each other through the static of national politics.

The question now isn’t “Why should we do this?” but “How?”

The answer lies in shifting our mindset from content creation to community building.

Ways to reach, serve and connect

These ideas are offered in that same spirit, to give you tangible ways to build connection on-air, online and in your neighborhoods.

So, I share critical shifts inspired by peers and partners that can help your efforts, no matter how big or small.

Breaking down proximity

The coverage that builds deep trust today isn’t obsessed with the spectacle of politics, but rooted in the impact of policy. Families want to know how decisions shape their lives: their status, their schools, their ability to care for a parent or seek citizenship. They want people they like and believe in to help them understand.

The strongest stories now start on the ground, long before they ever become a segment. At KQED, we’ve begun presenting reporters not just as experts but as neighbors. That’s the spirit behind Trusted Voice Content, reminding audiences that we feel these stories too, and that the best information often comes from those living the experience.

Presenting immigration coverage, and journalism on any topic, can be done in ways that make both the stories and the journalists behind them more relatable, fostering genuine human connection.

From neutrality to neighborliness

These moments always stir the old debate about objectivity. But serving everyone doesn’t mean standing apart. It means standing with.

Organizations like Avanza model this beautifully. They meet people in churches, libraries, and centros comunitarios—spaces where journalism becomes a shared act of curiosity. These aren’t just events. They’re acts of belonging. Such endeavors are reminders that public media’s work is rooted in the public itself.

Broadcast to bridgework

The most sustainable path forward is not to report to people, but to build with them. That means re-imagining public media as civic bridgework connecting journalists, residents and institutions.

At WVIA, a bilingual advisory board* led by Vicki Austin has helped the organization serve a growing audience more authentically. When the team discussed its community survey, the advisory board offered a perspective, suggesting two queries:

“How has WVIA helped you feel connected?”
“How has WVIA created a sense of belonging for you?”

Those questions echo the craving for human connection as well as the Neighbor Test by measuring impact not by reach, but by relationship. And progress is happening. One board member even said they felt proud to live where their station listened. That’s the future worth striving for.

Closer, not louder

Meeting a moment defined by fear, division, and anxiety doesn’t require us to reinvent our mission. It calls us back to its essence: service and empathy.

We don’t need to shout to be heard. We need to listen to be trusted.

Public media’s job now is to make that trust visible through our presence, our partnerships and our tone. The work ahead is about rebuilding human connection and showing that public media staff have the capacity for care that audiences are desperate to see.

The coming months may be volatile, but they can also be transformative. While the country wrestles with division, public media can quietly restore belonging… one story, one act of listening, one neighbor at a time. 🟢

[* = I’m fortunate enough to participate remotely on WVIA’s bilingual advisory board.]

Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• New immigration resource. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists has released the 2025 edition of the Cultural Competence Handbook, a guide for covering immigration and identity. 📖 Nieman Lab shares the details.

• New Latino data. Pew Research Center has released new findings on the growth of the Latine population in the United States. 🗂️ A rapidly growing group, it’s also very young and mostly U.S.-born.

• Voter shifts. Post-Election Day journalism features a lot of analysis of the Hispanic vote. ✍🏽 Vox and Newsweek are among those interviewing election strategists about data to watch in the midterms.

• “Meaning accrues in duration.” Speaking of demographics, and relevant to public media, Ken Burns argues on Mixed Signals that Gen Z doesn’t fear longform content and documentaries as much as we think. 🎞️

• Community reporting and AI. I also write about AI and am tracking how tools are being used for service to Spanish-speaking communities. ⌨️ If you’re exploring too, the American Journalism Project just released a new resource.

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El radar: try this 📡

• See how the time is sparking Latinx political engagement. The U.S. immigration situation is prompting much reflection and action. WUNC and Virginia Public Media both look at one outcome: the growing number of Latino/a residents running for public office. ☑️ With midterms next year, this may be a story to watch.

• And infrastructure. Nebraska Public Media highlights the expansion of an Omaha Latino center to serve increasing local needs. 🏢 Is this happening near you too?

• Track in-person voting effects. Also related, Election Day is done for now, but CalMatters (via LAist) recently offered an investigation of how ICE enforcement actions could scare Latinos away from future polls. 👀

• Examine ways local Hispanic businesses are attracting customers right now. The Oregon Capital Chronicle (via OPB) asked area business owners serving the community how they’re attracting customers who may be afraid of ICE enforcement. ⛶ Sources also talked about ways they’re trying to make customers feel safe enough to shop.

• Document clashes between ICE protesters and agents. From Beyond the Border, San Diego residents who followed an ICE officer and the police stop that followed; and an Oaklandside story on an individual shot after reportedly accelerating a rental truck at officers are but two of what are many stories around the country. 🚓

• Note support for Latine survivors. For Domestic Violence Awareness Month, WORT sat down with a local nonprofit supporting Hispanic survivors in navigating the justice system and connecting them to services. 📞

• Highlight the healing potential of art. Arizona PBS looked at a local nonprofit’s efforts at using art to prompt dialogue among Latine residents. 🖼️

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The next OIGO arrives Nov. 21. Northwest Public Broadcasting’s Johanna Bejarano sits down with you to discuss her work in sharing the stories of Washington State’s Latino population as well as her journey as a journalist.

I want to hear from you. It’s been a un momentito since I said this, but if you are working on a public media initiative you’re proud of and would like me to share it in OIGO, message me. 📨 I am keenly interested in your efforts that serve audiences newer to public broadcasting, bilingual content and engagement and ways to connect public media to local communities. Don’t be shy or defer. Let us all see your work and to shine a light on what you’re doing.

Welcome to everyone who subscribed after the generous recommendation of Yoni Greenbaum at Backstory & Strategy as well as by Tom Roe at Turn on the News. 📥 I appreciate your presence.

You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter. 🤎

The United States is in the midst of an immigration enforcement disaster unlike anything in recent memory. Mass raids, record deportations, asylum denials, street violence, threats of National Guard deployment in response to protests and a tangle of shifting federal and state policies have created chaos and fear for millions of people. The stories behind those headlines are often complex and deeply human, but too often they go untold or are filtered through national political frames that flatten their nuance.

For public media, this is not a moment to freeze or to retreat. It is an opportunity to step out and make the most of this time.

Public media was founded on the promise of civic service. To inform, educate and involve the public is what we’re here to do. But when it comes to immigration, that service cannot stop at policy explainers or reactive news. Public media organizations are being tested on whether we can meet communities where they are, earn their trust, and report with them, not just about them.

The immigration enforcement crisis underscores that now, more than ever, public media has a moment to do new and attention-grabbing work. Whether stations invest in community-rooted reporting that makes accountability clear to audiences or produce journalism that is accessible, multilingual and grounded in lived experience, public media has both the mission and the momentum to do more. I believe in us.

“Good talk, Ernesto,” you may say. “But how?”

This OIGO is about those shining examples to learn from. The good news is that organizations like Altavoz Lab, the Latino Media Consortium and LatidoBeat are already proving what’s possible. Prepare to be inspired by examples of what happens when journalists are empowered to report from within their communities, not from outside them. This work provides a blueprint for what public media could be doing consistently.

Strengthening local journalism at the roots

In moments of fear and uncertainty, people turn less to national pundits, but to the people who’ve earned their confidence.

Altavoz Lab’s example is simple but transformative: mentor and support local reporters. It puts effort into support systems that produce accountability and service journalism for communities that have been historically overlooked or misrepresented. The organization’s fellowship program is intended to lift up place-based journalists who are of those places, trusted by their audiences, and able to ask questions that outsiders don’t even know to ask.

Since its founding in 2022, Altavoz has supported journalists in California, Illinois, Florida, New York and Puerto Rico. If you’re watching the news feed, you know these regions are on the frontlines of the immigration debate. Fellows have produced stories that connect immigration policy to the daily realities of housing, labor and healthcare, and their work might give you ideas you can try in your organization. To me, the best part of these stories is that they tend to do more than report problems. Observe the ways stories are crafted to spark engagement.

Maybe your organization already has or would like to create a fellowship program. You may find Altavoz’s model of mentorship and local capacity-building offers lessons to fuel your aspirations. Stations could also be developing partnerships with organizations like Altavoz to bring these fellows’ voices onto air and into digital storytelling. In this way, you could involve those getting the training and support, while amplifying trusted messengers who can make policy coverage relatable and actionable for audiences most affected by it.

Tag team?

Longtime OIGO readers (thank you btw!) know I’ve played this drum sequence often, but teaming up with others beats going it alone. And a new collaborative offers public media new possibilities.

The LatidoBeat coalition features legacy outlets like La Opinión (Los Angeles), El Diario (New York), La Raza (Chicago) and La Prensa de Houston. Newspapers, as a friend says, are the oldest flyers, but there’s something exciting here. LatidoBeat is demonstrating how legacy Spanish-language media can unite to explicitly amplify local Latino voices.

What’s interesting? Well, these publications have been community anchors for decades, documenting immigration’s everyday realities long before national outlets took notice. Collaboration allows organizations to share resources and, in this instance, connect with audiences across geographies.

Imagine the power if your organization (some share these same markets) partnered with LatidoBeat outlets or even Spanish-language newspapers to co-produce local immigration coverage, share investigative leads, or host bilingual community forums. This is a messy moment, but the necessity of working together has never been more urgent.

And let’s not forget infrastructure

This last example isn’t like the others in that it’s not a model to adapt. Instead, its grounding public media can consider as stations talk through the why of these moments as leaders like you work to cover communities.

An old media trope is that Latine audiences are underrepresented because they are “hard to reach.” In truth, Hispanics are underserved because the mainstream media ecosystem was not designed necessarily to serve these communities. Public media can be part of changing this perception.

Shifting perception means co-investing in community growth. I know money is a big issue right now for public media. However, co-investment can mean many things. Recognition of community needs is a crucial step.

The Latino Media Consortium emerged in 2024 to address one of American journalism’s most glaring inequities: the near-total lack of sustainable investment in Latino media. Over 500 Latinx-owned media operators serve more than 60 million Latinos nationwide, and the majority function on tiny budgets, without newsroom staff or digital capacity. Compare that to the roughly 1,200 daily English-language newspapers that remain, and the imbalance becomes undeniable.

I am optimistic that public media, with its newfound attention, can help address gaps. Locally, it simply takes making the call.

Values and policy

The immigration enforcement crisis is a test of public media’s values. Three easier reaches where public media can start include:

1. Investing in collaborations with initiatives doing important work.

2. Regranting or co-funding local reporters who serve immigrant and Latino communities.

3. Expanding multilingual coverage across platforms.

Immigration is a defining American story. It that shapes labor markets, elections, education and identity. Covering it well is central to public media’s mission.

The difficult part? At a time when the very idea of belonging is under attack, public media can choose to grab attention and create opportunities by stepping forward. The work of Altavoz Lab, the Latino Media Consortium, and LatidoBeat are a few instances to build on efforts aimed at journalism rooted in community, trust and democracy.

This is journalism public media can deliver. 🟢

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Treinta Y Un Minutos. The Chilean act, which includes puppets, just had a Tiny Desk Concert that went viral. 😁 NPR has a fun feature on how the puppets became a huge hit.

• New leadership. Oregon’s Radio Poder has announced the selection of Vicky Falcón Vázquez to run the station. 🔘 More via the Salem Reporter.

• Election coalition to watch. Activist voter education group Mi Familia Vota is pairing up with Martin Luther King III to mobilize Black and Latino voters in 10 states. 🗳️ Axios has more.

• SCOTUS decision and Hispanic Americans. The Brookings Institution has a new thought paper on the latest Supreme Court moves related to ICE enforcement. 🚓 Racial profiling and trust in institutions are among the major concerns.

• Pitching for support. Press Forward has a new guide for organizations looking to craft their messages as they seek to fund initiatives and operations. 💵

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• Get outside. MPR News has a nice piece on Huellas Latinas, a Minnesota nonprofit intended to help Latine residents get more into the outdoors and enjoy nature. 🌻

• See how faith leaders are stepping in. Wisconsin Public Radio has a thoughtful story on how church leaders are speaking up about the impact of ICE enforcement actions on members and community trust. ⛪ Likely an important story to localize.

• Find local Latinx landmarks. How many historical sites in your state preserve area Latino history and culture? 🔭 Texas Public Radio included an examination of just that question recently, and the locales that may be endangered.

• Reflect on body image. KXAN has a report on Latino Texans who struggle with body image issues. It’s a compelling story that is very much a mainstream conversation your organization could benefit in being part of.

• Explore solutions to Latine unhoused residents. WCNC aired a report on the unique issues, including language and cultural barriers. 😔 Given the challenging economy, this may be a story to track locally, and visit with area nonprofits.

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The next OIGO arrives Nov. 7. I’ll be part of a Bay Area Storytellers of Color panel Oct. 30 on the future of public media. 📻 In addition, KQED Signal Society members can sign up for my talk and Q&A on AI and public media applications happening Nov. 7. No virtual option for either… sorry!

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The Moment is both a media experiment and a personal journey. For Jorge Ramos, it’s a return to reporting and his first foray into podcasting after decades as one of the most respected voices in Spanish-language television. For Paola Ramos, an acclaimed writer and journalist, it’s a chance to unite long-form storytelling with the political insight and cultural fluency she’s known for. As father and daughter, this project is deeply personal for both hosts.

In their words, the show is meant to be a “living room” for conversations with guests ranging from politicians to poets, activists to comedians. From actor John Leguizamo to ACLU leader Anthony Romero to author Isabel Allende, the Ramoses create a distinctly Latino space for unpacking the world with nuance as well as a bit of edge.

As you can guess, the news nerd in me was so honored to talk with Jorge and Paola about the show, how Latino audiences are leading the media shift, and why these dialogues are needed today. They reflect on what it means to reinvent media in a changing Latino landscape, and take seriously their responsibility of giving voice to underrepresented communities. Americans have complicated feelings about immigration, for example, and the Ramoses are intent on exploring the textures. Also, moving beyond TV for both of them toward long‑form, conversational storytelling embodies many of the shifts public media is facing. They also describe phenomena that Latine creators and journalists OIGO has featured have reflected on: how younger Latinos are straddling languages, cultures and media habits; and the search for media that is more personal and more inclusive.

Moreover, the Ramoses speak to something we’re experiencing, when traditional media like noncommercial broadcasting is coming to terms with no longer being enough, and then how we build authenticity and trust with people in our communities. Jorge, with decades of authority, and Paola, as a bridge to bicultural audiences, share their hopes and challenges in this engrossing conversation.

This is a new space you’re entering, something so different from traditional media. How do you view this shift, especially in terms of how Latino audiences are adapting?

Jorge Ramos: We realized that Latinos aren’t just adapting to new media. They’re leading that change.

Over the past 5–7 years, we’ve seen audiences leave legacy media—TV, radio, newspapers—and turn toward social media and mobile devices. People sleep by their phones, not waiting for a nightly newscast. There’s also a generational component: Paola’s generation grew up fluent in digital culture.

On a personal level, this project means something more: Paola lives in New York, I live in Miami, and for many years she lived in Madrid. This gives us a chance to finally collaborate and make up some lost time.

Paola Ramos: When you look at Latino demographics today, it’s very different than when I was younger or when my dad’s audience was younger. The fastest‑growing group of Latinos is U.S.-born, younger than 50, speaking more English than Spanish. Many of them feel a bit distant from the immigrant narrative we’ve long associated with Latino narratives.

What’s compelling to me is exploring whether we can meld worlds: the Spanish‑dominant, immigrant-rooted tradition and the more English-speaking, bicultural present.

How have your respective circles responded to this experiment? What have you heard?

PR: So far, feedback has been very positive. People often tell me they’re craving trusted voices in this chaotic media landscape. My dad brings long-established credibility, and I hope we bring freshness together.

People also seem to enjoy that our conversations are more expansive: 45 minutes instead of five or ten minutes. Listeners are saying they appreciate nuance, banter, debate, intergenerational friction. The intergenerational dynamic of father and daughter resonates with many people.

JR: I agree. We share opinions on many things, but we also differ in how we see other topics. People seem to find it very refreshing.

Over my decades in TV, I used to hear people say, “I watch your newscast,” then later, “My father watched it,” Then it was, “My grandmother watched it.” Now I hear from younger people saying they listen to my daughter’s and my joint work. That feels like a successful reinvention.

As you pointed out, given demographic shifts—more English‑dominant Latinos, more diverse identities—how do you see yourselves serving as voices or connectors for that audience?

PR: It often comes down to belonging. People are looking for a place to belong amid changing political and cultural norms. We try to do that by inviting them into conversation, by offering pride in having immigrant roots while also embracing diversity. One advantage younger Latinos hold is not having to choose one identity. They can be both.

Representation matters. Latinos are nearly 20  percent of the U.S. population, but we don’t see that reflected proportionally in media, politics, leadership. We hope this platform gives voice to people who’ve lacked one.

JR: Even after 40 years in the U.S., I still feel like an immigrant. My goal is to help give voice to those who come after me. This is a difficult moment for many Latino and immigrant communities. We want to be a space where issues affecting the Latino/Hispanic community can be openly discussed, seen and heard.

There are many Latinos who want to create media, to become voices for their communities. What advice would you offer them?

JR: Use social media. It’s the easiest time ever to amplify a message. You don’t need big infrastructure or permission. You can film something with your phone, share it, and find your audience. Most importantly: find who you are, use your voice, don’t try to impersonate someone else. Be authentic.

PR: And I’d add: look at what people like Bad Bunny represent. He embodies authenticity. He blends Spanish, English, Spanglish. He shows that you can carry multiple identities.

In a saturated media environment, authenticity goes a long way. Within established media structures, don’t wait for permission. You deserve to create content that matters to your community. 🟢

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• El Tiny. Alt.Latino announced that it will do another Tiny Desk Concerts collaboration for Hispanic Heritage Month. 🎷

• Disinformation. The International Center for Journalists posts new research indicating the importance of ethnic media in stopping the spread of false information in communities. 👀

• Miami stall. The Latino Media Network made a splash a few years ago when it purchased broadcast licenses. WLRN looks at what now appears to be a faltering transformation. 😣

• Wow. President Trump, who has had run-ins with Univision in the past, took to Truth Social to support Univision in its campaign to be included again in the core YouTube TV package. 📺 I noted the dispute in a past OIGO.

• Book bans. NPR spotlights new PEN America warnings about libraries removing more and more books, including those with Hispanic characters and stories. 📚

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• Highlight ofrendas. The WBEZ-owned Chicago Sun Times has a good story about the upcoming Dia de los Muertos recognition locally. 💀 Altars to remember the dead are a tradition during this period, and Chicago stories abound in this piece.

• Go deep on local Latine event history. OPB has a fantastic episode of The Evergreen on the region’s annual Fiesta Mexicana. 🎊 While there’s a lot of framing around current events (something many outlets are doing), the history of the event as it relates to Oregon is quite engrossing, and could be a good idea to borrow.

• Ask how Hispanic neighborhoods see National Guard deployments. President Trump’s sweeping efforts around crime have been at the center of national debates. 🪧 WPLN covers the views of Latinx residents in Memphis, one of the many cities under the crime microscope.

• Investigate Latino business response to current events. LAist unearthed the decision of a restaurant owner to paint over a mural honoring Latine baseball icons after the team didn’t take a stronger position on ICE. 🌶️ Though it’s an unusual story, I expect local Hispanic entrepreneurs could be making similar moves.

• Share conservation views. KUNR has a brief but impactful audio segment on initiatives to engage Latinx residents around conservation in the state. 🏞️

• Report on Latinos and local blood supplies. I was intrigued by this Arizona TV story on how Hispanic donors are key to bolstering the nation’s blood supply. 🩸 Given the importance for surgeries, such is a story that has resonance everywhere.

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This newsletter marks OIGO’s fourth birthday! Huge thanks to all of you for your time, attention and kind words. 🥹 Extra special thanks to those who have contributed and gotten paid subscriptions to help. You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.

The next OIGO arrives Oct. 24. 📬 If you’re in the Bay, I’ll be part of an Oct. 30 Bay Area Storytellers of Color panel on public media’s future. Drop in and say hi.

Let me offer you something instructive out of the the 2025 Public Media Content Conference, which recently took place in Salt Lake City.

When Edgar Zúñiga joined Avanza in July 2024, the new bilingual public radio station was barely more than a legal ID. It aired Spanish-language music and news syndicated from California, with no name, no staff and little local content. But a year later, Avanza 88.3 is carving out a unique space in Utah. It’s one centered on cultural identity, trust and joyful connection with the Latine community.

“I think we really know who we are,” Zúñiga told attendees. “That helps. We have a solid identity, and that’s really important when you’re trying to build community.”

A local voice for Utah

Avanza serves a diverse Latino audience that often doesn’t hear itself reflected in existing Spanish-language media. Commercial Spanish-language radio in Utah is abundant, with four stations and affiliates of Telemundo and Univision. But much of it is heavily focused on music or national stories, often with a distinctly Mexican-American or California-centric lens.

For many Latinos in Utah, especially those born or raised in the U.S., those stations don’t fully reflect their bicultural or bilingual reality. Avanza aims to fill that gap. Its programming includes a mix of English, Spanish and Spanglish content, tailored to both recent immigrants and established residents.

“If we’re talking about immigration or accessing social services, that’s in Spanish,” Zúñiga explained to the programming leaders in the room. “If it’s about navigating two cultures, that might be in English or Spanglish. It’s about meeting people where they are.”

The station’s local programming is still modest: one weekly public affairs show, short two- and five-minute segments, and music programming sourced from partners. But Zúñiga says they’ve seen “superfans” emerge despite their limited hours. Avanza’s social media videos have already topped 10,000 views.

Volunteers and AI

With a small team and limited resources, Avanza has turned to creative strategies to expand its content, starting with translation. Many of the stories they publish originally come from sister station KUER, especially those with relevance to Latinx communities.

Zúñiga initially translated those articles himself, but as the workload grew, Avanza began using Microsoft Copilot for first drafts. Every AI-translated article is reviewed and corrected by a human editor. “It’s way faster to edit an AI translation than to start from scratch,” he said. “But you absolutely have to humanize it.”

Why? Because language is culture. “There are 15 ways to say ‘straw’ in Spanish,” Zúñiga mused. A word that’s neutral in one country can be offensive in another. So Avanza tries to use “neutral Latin American Spanish” and, when needed, defaults to the Mexican variant most familiar to local audiences.

They’re also transparent about using AI. “We tell our readers when we use it,” he mentioned. Avanza builds their editing feedback into future prompts, making the system smarter over time.

This hybrid approach of AI for speed, human editors for nuance has opened up more space for community volunteers to contribute, whether in translation, writing or simply connecting the newsroom with local organizations.

Growing the audience

Although still in early days, Avanza is already seeing encouraging signs. Its listenership has grown since launch, newsletter open rates are over 70 percent, and sponsors have come on board, with some partners stepping in even before the station had branding. Local car dealerships, museums and even PBS Utah and KUER sponsors have signed on, along with new interest from Latino-owned businesses.

But Avanza isn’t rushing into traditional pledge drives yet. Instead, it’s focusing on building relationships first. “The community we’re reaching may not be familiar with public radio or what it means to be a member,” Zúñiga said. “We’re taking time to educate and connect before we ask for support.”

The team has prioritized outreach through local events and community tabling, consistently gathering new signups and hearing from listeners who stumbled upon the station and felt seen. “Some say, ‘I was in the car and found you—and I love it.’ That’s humbling.”

Shifting landscapes

Avanza’s mission feels increasingly urgent as federal agencies roll back multicultural communications initiatives. Zúñiga believes public media has a responsibility to step up. Moreover, he sees Avanza filling a gap that commercial stations can’t. Many are under-resourced, focusing on crime, weather or traffic. “They don’t have the bandwidth to dive into the intricacies of what’s happening locally.”

Avanza’s approach of layering translated news with original content, community voices and celebration is a model for others. “Just having Spanish-language content on your website or social media makes a difference,” he said. “Even if you don’t have Latino staff right now, start with volunteers. Be honest and humble about where you’re at. Communities will feel that.”

For Zúñiga, Avanza is personal. He grew up in Utah without seeing himself reflected in media. That sense of community is what fuels his optimism. “Avanza’s future is tied to the joy of the local Latino community. And we’re not outsiders. We’re part of it.” 🟢

Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• 200 shows. Vientos del Sur, a weekly two-hour radio program on North Carolina community radio station WCOM, hits a milestone. 📻 The Daily Tar Heel has the story behind the music/talk show.

• Latine audience growth. The latest research into the new Nielsen three-minute qualifier demonstrates marked growth in Hispanic and Black listeners. 🎤 Westwood One lays out the numbers.

• Community licensee on the list. California’s Press Democrat spotlights three radio stations seeking to serve Latinx listeners amid the current immigration crackdown. 🎛️ KBBF is among the broadcasters profiled.

• Latino voter attitudes. California’s Latino Community Foundation just issued a survey of 1,200 Hispanic voters about the issues they are most concerned about. 📊 Rising costs and redistricting are among the big conversations.

• Ways to cover Hispanic-serving institutions. Journalists Resource has posted a primer on these colleges and universities, many of which have faced criticism from leaders in Washington. 😐

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El radar: try this 📡

• Share the work of consulates locally. KCUR interviewed the region’s Mexican consul general about how the consulate addresses the questions of residents.

• Ask about local recruiting of vets for ICE enforcement. KPBS has a thoughtful podcast about how San Diego ICE recruiters are reaching out to military veterans in hopes of shoring up the number of staff available to participate in the wave of immigration arrests. 🚨

• Try a 360 approach to Hispanic Heritage Month content. I’ve mentioned KEXP’s Aqui y Ahora before, and the station did not disappoint with its all-day content for 2025, plus other engagement opportunities. 🪇 There are many good ideas for public media to adopt here.

• Talk with Latino Trump voters. KJZZ has an uncommonly good chat with a reporter from the Bulwark who’s been talking with Hispanics who voted for Donald Trump and their attitudes nine months into the new administration. 👂 Some telling insights.

• Cover Latine groups’ litigation against the White House. The Public’s Radio explores a trio of Rhode Island arts organizations’ win against the administration related to grants. 🤑 How that holds remains to be seen — the ruling is that a part of the policy violates the First Amendment — but the efforts by these nonprofits are surely newsworthy.

• Look in on nail salons. I love this KQED story on a nail salon that provides services rooted in Latinx heritage. 💅 I suspect local salons near you may offer similar packages that differentiate them from competitors.

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The next OIGO arrives Oct. 10. I don’t want to spoil that newsletter’s guests in case they don’t come through, but suffice to say Oct. 10 is expected to include some heavy hitters. 💥

Next week, I’m releasing a resource guide aimed at helping producers get programming on public radio. 🎚️ I have details here.

Thank you to everyone who reached out with kudos. 💜 Inside Radio named KQED, the station I oversee programming at, as the top news/talk station in the country.

You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.

Julian Berger is a bilingual journalist and storyteller based in Charlotte, North Carolina. He currently covers race and equity for WFAE, reporting on Latino and immigrant communities. Before joining public radio, he worked behind the scenes at NBC News NOW, CNN and NewsNation, helping shape national news coverage through scriptwriting, video editing and production support. Julian also serves as secretary of the Charlotte chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. A proud Puerto Rican born in New York, he uses his work to elevate the voices and issues often left out of mainstream coverage.

National media has often struggled to authentically represent local experiences while maintaining broad appeal. Berger's pivot to public radio represents more than career repositioning; it demonstrates how public media structures can provide space for nuanced, community-embedded journalism that some outlets often cannot support.

You may also appreciate how Berger's approach to covering Charlotte's Latino community presents a sophisticated understanding of cross-cultural dynamics. Rather than simply reporting to the community, he positions himself as a cultural translator, educating non-Spanish speaking audiences about the complexity and economic contributions of populations in loyal listeners’ own town. His maintaining constant communication with sources, attending community events beyond professional obligations, and challenging misconceptions creates a multi-dimensional engagement model. He’s addressing trust deficits while expanding the cultural literacy of audiences. I hope you’ll be heartened as much as I was in speaking with him.

What brought you to public radio?

I'm Puerto Rican and one of the big reasons why I got into journalism was because I didn't see enough of our stories being told in the news. So I went to New York, to NBC, and I was pitching so many Latino stories, so many stories that I thought were amazing and they would get rejected. The common theme was my stories tended to be localand the stories had to do with Latinos, with Hispanics, with immigrants.

A career opening came up with WFAE. It was a race and equity reporter position covering Latinos and the immigrant community.

I was raised in Charlotte. I moved here when I was 6. I lived here until I moved to New York when I was 22. So Charlotte's where I'm from. I know Charlotte really well. It was nice to be able to come back and report on a city that I grew up in that I knew and also report on my community, on the Latino community and the immigrant community.

That's a little bit about how I came to public radio and to WFAE, and it's funny because I never thought of myself as a public radio nerd until now. I'm really into NPR, I'm really into the work that we do at WFAE.

What lessons did you take from that work on the network level that you feel were most helpful to this transition for you?

I think it really helped me a lot to fine-tune everything and make sure everything was perfect. And now that I'm here at the local level, that's one thing I focus on a lot. I'm a perfectionist. I always make sure my script is perfect before I send it to my editor. I always make sure my audio sounds super clean. Before I publish my web story, I triple, quadruple read it, making sure there are no errors. I think that's something from the network level that I definitely brought with me that really helps me.

Is there framing or approaches to story building that you found helpful?

One of the things that I learned was just really knowing the community that you're reporting on—and not just because you want to report on them and then leave, but you really want to be embedded in the community. That's something at the network level and at the national level that I kind of felt like we were lacking. We were based in New York but for example, one of the stories that I did made me go to Miami. I was in Miami for a day or two and then I would leave and that was it. I never really spoke to the people that I was reporting on ever again.

I wanted to be embedded in the community and know the people that I'm reporting on. I wanted it to be a two-way street where the people I'm reporting on, where we're having constant communication; we're speaking; they're able to contact me, I'm able to contact them.

Here in Charlotte, all during the week I'm interviewing people, but then on the weekends I'll see them at festivals or concerts or different events. So it's not just the work that we're doing, but it's creating a community. And that's what I enjoy about being back here at the local level.

What is something most people around the country would be surprised by if they heard about the Latino community in Charlotte?

When I first moved to Charlotte, everybody thought that Latinos here in Charlotte were undocumented. So, as I said, I'm Puerto Rican, and we were asked numerous times, "Do you have your green card? Are you a legal citizen? Are you undocumented?" Just like everywhere else in the country, the Latinos in Charlotte, we're not just Mexican, we're not just Central American. There's such a huge diverse population of Latinos here in Charlotte. We're getting a big wave now of Colombians, of Venezuelans, of so many other countries of origin that are coming into Charlotte. We have a big younger generation that's coming in through our school system and that makes up the biggest chunk. We're a mixture of so many different groups.

How has Charlotte changed in terms of industries that are there, reasons that people move there from now compared to your earliest days?

We've always been a big banking hub. We have Wells Fargo, we have Bank of America. Aside from that, I've just seen the amount of immigrant-owned businesses that have come up here in Charlotte. And I think that's one big thing to be proud of.

When I first moved here to Charlotte, there were a lot of immigrant businesses, but the number of immigrant businesses here has quadrupled. It's really amazing to see how an immigrant, regardless of your documentation status, regardless of what country you come from, you can make a business here and that it can prosper and do really amazing things.

You've done so much reporting for WFAE, from business, to education, to schools, to cultural events, entrepreneurship. How do you approach your sources and how do you look at your reporting based in this community?

In the position I'm in, we have so many Spanish language newspapers that tend to cover the Latino, the immigrant community. They're the ones doing the work for our own community. But the way I see my role is educating others who don't speak Spanish, who are white, who are Black, who are South Asian, who are not a part of our community. So I'm trying to inform them about our community and what's going on, especially now with the mass deportation promises that are happening, and how much of a big impact that's having on education, on the economy. I tend to look at my reporting in that way of trying to inform people who are not in most cases a part of our community.

We have a big chunk of Latinos that do listen to WFAE, but a majority are white, and are not Spanish speaking. So I'm giving another lens into our community. I get that a lot. A lot of people will be like, "Wow, I didn't know that about the Latino community. I didn't know that about the immigrant community. Thank you for shining a light on it." That's one of the biggest things in my role now.

Given that, as you pointed out, you're not in a news desert. You've got a lot of organizations available that present stories to the community in their own languages. Do you feel like what you're doing is really public media's potential strategic advantage?

I feel that my job is to inform the people who don't speak Spanish, the people who are not Hispanic or Latino, who are not immigrants, who may have these misconceptions about our own community. I hope that my reporting challenges those misconceptions that they have and they can actually be like, "Wow, an undocumented person is not a criminal. They're contributing economically to our community. They have all these small businesses that are excellent, that are providing so many services to our community." So that's my mentality that I come into this role with. Just offering a voice of the Latino immigrant community who in most cases probably don't speak English and are not able to challenge these misconceptions.

What advice would you give to public media organizations around the country looking to cover communities better?

The biggest thing is trust. There's been a lot of mistrust between the communities and media. So really trying to gain that trust. One of the biggest things in my role is just having constant communication with my sources, with the community that I'm reporting on. The first thing that I did when I came into this role is I emailed all Latino stakeholders in Charlotte. I sent individual emails. "Hey, my name's Julian Berger." If I had met them before, I'd be like, "Hey, remember, we met on this day. Now I'm back." And "I'm reporting in Charlotte. I would love to sit down, get a coffee with you or do a virtual Zoom just to talk. Here's my information, my email, my cell phone number. Reach out whenever you want to." A lot of people have done that and we're in constant communication now.

It's so beneficial because that's how you learn. It's beneficial in the long run for your reporting.

Aside from my job, I want to be a part of the community, a good person, and want to have connections with these people, aside from filing my stories and all of that. In public media, we want to make sure that we're going the extra mile and that our reporting is informed. Also, we're very careful with what we say and that we shine a light on the sources that we're covering, that we're speaking to. Sometimes that means holding them accountable, and people appreciate that back and forth that you have with them. 🟢

Disclosure: This interview was conducted before WFAE’s staff reductions. Julian Berger is still with WFAE.

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Alt.Latino aniversario. NPR has a nice piece about the 15th anniversary of its Latine music podcast Alt.Latino. 🍾

• More aniversarios. WMNF highlighted the work of DJ Franco Silva, whose program Latino 54 celebrates 30 years on the airwaves. 🎉

• LatidoBeat. A Local Media Association effort funded by the Google News Initiative is aimed at being a new platform for Spanish-language publishers. 👀 It kicks off with sign-ons from La Opinión from Los Angeles), New York City’s El Diario, La Raza of Chicago, La Prensa de Houston, La Prensa de Orlando, El Comercio de Colorado and Charlotte’s La Noticia.

• New programming. Community radio station WTBR’s Spanish-language program was profiled by local media. 📻

• Chisme. Axios details the fight between TelevisaUnivision and Google over what the broadcaster calls a “Hispanic tax.” 🥊 At issue is the removal of Univision from the core YouTube TV package, and shifting it to a Spanish-language add-on for an extra $15 per month.

• American attitudes. Pew Research Center has fresh data on U.S. views of undocumented immigration. 📈

• Post DEI. Nieman Lab has a wide-ranging analysis of newsrooms’ diversity efforts today.

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El radar: try this 📡

• Tap into local Hispanic businesses. With Hispanic Heritage Month almost here, many stations may be turning content plans to covering this cultural and political moment. 🔍 WOSU spends time with local industry and talks with them about how the headlines are affecting business.

• Talk about immigration worries in context. WUNC has a good local story on how residents are appraising the climate and how it affects Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. 😔

• Offer a look a Latinos in country. WPLN covered the start of the Country Latin Association, an industry group to network and promote Latine country performers. 🎵 Regional Mexican and other styles have long been influenced by country aesthetics, and this is likely more prevalent than we recognize.

• Inquire about local coffee parties. A recent NPR pieces has been carried by many stations, for good reason. 🎁 Freddy Monares’ story spotlights alcohol-free gatherings in Seattle’s Latine neighborhoods and it offers a shot of joy and curiosity. Well worth telling this one everywhere.

• Shed light on area salsa fans. Did you hear The World’s story on how salsa has found a home in New York City? It’s a warm tale, and one that any station could localize. 🎸

• Use food as a welcome and a prompt. KQED featured this story as well as an in-person event spotlighting the mastery of and love for empanadas. 🍽️ Who doesn’t love empanadas?! Everyone adores them, which makes it a lively engagement.

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The next OIGO arrives Sept. 26. A report back on the 2025 Public Media Content Conference awaits you, featuring an update from the launch of Avanza. Station leader Edgar Zuniga has impressive insights and some inspiring work they’re doing in the community and online.

I release a resource guide next month for producers interested in getting on public radio. 🎙️ Carriage one of the most common questions I get, and this is a big moment for those wanting to join broadcast schedules. Read the details and share your thoughts.

Correction: I’d previously credited pieces by Lionel Ramos to KGOU, but it’s actually KOSU. Lo siento.

Before mid-July, I had a completely different OIGO planned (that profile’s coming soon, I promise!). Then our industry melted down, with Congress taking public media funding off the table and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting announcing its January closure.

This edition felt like an important moment to reflect on public broadcasting, especially when it comes to diverse storytelling and representation.

I believe ardently in public media and our mission to serve communities and change lives. I also believe we can still meet that challenge. Noncommercial broadcasting existed before the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. Thousands of broadcasters, from low-power FMs to public, educational and government TV, have served their communities for years without grants. This crash is such a setback, and we must continue on behalf of the communities that rely on public media to be there.

Among the countless pieces on public media funding, Jerry Del Colliano has one of the best. That’s because it’s unsparing (coming in hot with “stop the whining and dig in”) as it is specific on what the future is likely to hold. Among his comments:

• The need for promotion to focus on positive impact, since the fundraising over defunding will only have short-term benefits.

• NPR, PRX, WNYC and APM affiliation will decline as stations look to cut costs.

• Future partnerships with local commercial broadcasters, which have long been in their cost-cutting era, around sales, content and more could be in the offing.

• Stations may unload repeaters and full signals in a savings play. Owners, presumably colleges, may sell licenses to religious broadcasters or other nonprofits as they deal with their own finances.

Yes, there’s uncertainty, but I remain genuinely optimistic about the future of diverse storytelling in public media. A constellation of public media organizations have made many efforts over the last decade to tell richer, more inclusive stories about the cities they’re located in. I expect connecting with new audiences is no longer a niche notion, but a business decision public media is taking more seriously.

Here are a few areas I’m most optimistic when it comes to seeing diverse engagement and content developments in our post-funding landscape:

1. Collaboration shines bright. Del Colliano says partnerships with podcast networks and other media are likely. Initiatives like the recently concluded America Amplified launched dozens of endeavors with stations, and proved how fruitful diverse collaborations could be for all parties. You can also get inspired by Rocky Mountain PBS, KSUT and Native Lens working together. In the long term, these alliances may be our strength, helping us truly serve diverse communities. We need many more such partnerships.

2. Digital expansion is essential. Diverse audiences are already online, and eager for content that speaks directly to them. KERA’s bilingual podcast efforts are one inspiration. To add, building digital offerings that amplify existing broadcast work is a lighter lift than original digital programming from scratch. See what KQED is doing with its existing radio program for ideas. As an addendum, we may want to prioritize mobile and low-bandwidth solutions to effectively serve rural communities and those without home access. New Hampshire Public Radio’s email is one example.

3. Pooling resources counts more than ever. Initiatives like the Press Forward grant awarded to Rocky Mountain Community Radio show the power of collaboration. Ampers in Minnesota is another instance of how statewide sharing elevates everyone. Uniting around content and infrastructure not only helps with costs, but deepens our service to diverse communities.

4. "How can we" conversations will turn on the light. Some of our most contentious debates focus on diverse content and metrics. It’s time we moved beyond the false either/or choices. More organizations (such as what we’re seeing in Utah) are trying to embrace new ideas, listen to new voices, and prioritize reaching diverse and underserved audiences more effectively. Additionally, I’m reminded of my OIGO conversation with Claudio Cabrera around shifting how we think as media leaders so we best serve audiences.

5. Innovative membership models are overdue. Our traditional membership approaches have been good, but do need reinvention. Breakthrough campaigns like that of public media veteran Teresa Frontado and the sustained success of the 51st should educate us about ways we could evolve. Elsewhere, Jerrod Knight envisions a new world where stations free up resources for local work through fresh national models. Now is not just the moment to experiment, but to fully commit.

6. Creative solutions are emerging. Dick Tofel has persuasively argued that public broadcasting must break free from traditional, top-down structures, often led by those who created the current situation, to truly do bold work. Nonprofit news outlets like Cicero Independiente are among a class of news organizations that are remaking their models in immersive ways. The movement to empower local, independent voices is quietly growing and promises exciting possibilities.

7. Public safety as a renewed mission. During the recent rescission debates, our role in emergency alerts and civic information didn’t land as powerfully as we hoped. Still, we have a fresh opportunity to partner with local governments and community organizations on multilingual disaster response. Take what community licensee KWMR has long been doing in its community, working with city and county officials to inform residents about fires and other calamities in the region. How the station has embedded itself in essential civic functions may spark your own efforts.

Obviously, some of the projects were made possible through CPB. Others came about by other means. We’re just now in our “by other means” era.

Lastly, a comment about despair, and blame.

It's easy and tempting to use White House actions as a chance to dunk on public media’s past failures or missed opportunities. Yet that's not what this moment is about. And we should seriously question the motives of those framing this wholesale abandonment of a public good as a referendum on educational broadcasting.

Yes, there are plenty of reasons to be critical of public media. Accountability is healthy, even necessary. For example, public media leaders who fled this year from DEI, naively hoping to preserve funding yet only to discover there was no shelter, deserve your distrust. But let's also be clear: cuts to public media have been a very long game. In fact, these reductions have been pursued for generations, driven by both good- and bad-faith arguments. One need only revisit Mr. Rogers' defense of public broadcasting back in 1969 for perspective.

Moreover, public media funding clawbacks aren’t happening in isolation. Since January, Medicaid, Veterans Affairs, health research, education grants and even the Voice of America have all faced harsh reductions. Many of these are for higher stakes and far greater amounts. What is happening to precious American institutions is a broader conversation fit for a dozen newsletters, at least. The content disputes must be understood in this framework.

It’s also necessary to say that these matters are more than grants, but presence. One of the saddest parts of CPB’s end what will be the loss of truly committed advocates for public broadcasting. Jacquie Gales Webb, Kathy Merritt and Joy Lin and many others are true professionals and friends to so many in this industry. Losing their voices on the national stage is crushing, because educational radio and television have long relied on leaders to convey our stories.

It’s undeniable that local public broadcasting may contract sharply. We talk lots about how cuts will especially impact rural, Tribal and culturally diverse communities. But this calamity is going to affect everyone. I choose to see this challenge as our opportunity. With other strong hearts and minds, I believe we together can reimagine public media as community-rooted, digitally nimble and mission-resilient. That transformation isn’t just about survival. It’s about continuing to tell the stories that connect and define us. I believe the seeds for serving diverse communities will continue to flower, if we let them. 🟢

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• New platform. Latino USA has joined iHeartMedia’s My Cultura Network, a cohort of 60 Latino-led podcasts. The program will continue to be served out to public radio stations. 📱 Radio Online has more.

• Losses. Radio Bilingüe is among organizations estimating the financial effect of the end of CPB support. Leaders tell the Fresno Bee that about $300,000 of its $4 million budget come from this funding. 📉

• Polling. LAist investigates the decline of Latinx support for Democrats, and some contentions that flaws in pollsters’ methodology may have prevented politicians from understanding the scope of the issue. 📁

• Big boost. The Latino Media Consortium, which supports Latine-owned and -run media organizations, has received a major investment from Press Forward. 🌼 In a press release, LMC says the $750,000 grant will support infrastructure.

  • Voces, which places Latinx students in Idaho newsrooms, has also received a Press Forward grant.

• New collaboration. Listening Post Collective, Documented, Conecta Arizona, Sahan Journal and El Tímpano have launched the Immigrant News Coalition. More via Documented. 🖊️

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El radar: try this 📡

• Ask how women in communities are affected by ICE enforcement. 🚓 Colorado Public Radio has a great story on how residents are using social media and word of mouth to address the needs of residents in the face of immigration raids.

• Educate about diabetes. KGOU reported on how local Hispanic groups are trying to teach residents about diabetes prevention and how to care for loved ones with diabetes. 🚑 Other public media organizations have spotlighted this story in their own communities for good reason.

  • Related: WHYY has a delightful story on local efforts to align good nutrition with cultural traditions.

• Share the love for Latin jazz. Connecticut Public offers a reflection on a local Latin jazz festival and the story of the late musician, Ramon Santiago, who brought it to life. 🎷

• Look at multicultural creators. Previous OIGOs have touched on how the bi- and multiracial experience is reshaping Latinidad. WUSF explores this matter in the context of a creator from a mixed household, related to cooking. 🍅 This is likely emerging near you too.

• Highlight local Latine artists. MPR News profiled a local performer that is using comics to create conversations about Hispanic mental health. 🎹

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The next OIGO arrives Sept. 12. Welcome to all the new subscribers who recently joined. 🙏 The originally scheduled profile of WFAE’s Julian Berger kicks off our fall biweekly OIGOs.

In October, I expect to release a resource guide for independent producers and podcasters interested in developing content for public radio. It’s one of the most common questions I get, and I hope this product of dozens of pitch meetings will be helpful. ✨ Do you have ideas that should be in it? Let me know.

I am headed to the Public Media Content Conference in just over a week in Salt Lake City. There’s some conversation that this could be the final conference, so I hope you can make it. 🎲 If you’re in the area, reach out and let’s meet up.

You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.

If you work in public media, you’ve probably heard of the Researching Unmet Needs study. The sweeping national survey, released earlier in the year, is a deep dive into what the public says are unmet media needs.

If you’re with a member organization of the Public Media Content Collective (I serve on the board), Station Resource Group (led by the sharp Bill Davis) or Greater Public (the ever-inspiring Joyce MacDonald), you’ve got access to these results. I’ve pored over this data countless times. What stands out are the persistent gaps and the enormous opportunities for public radio to better serve local audiences.

This OIGO, I want to zoom in on what RUN tells us about Latinx audiences nationwide. You can parse the data demographically, and break it down by region. Most public media organizations can’t bankroll local research at this scale, so RUN is an incredible tool to help you think big about your service and act locally.

I can’t urge you enough to revisit or review the full report, if you never have or hadn’t in a minute. Here’s the overview. What pops out as you are seeking insights about Hispanic audiences nationwide?

Localism

Here’s the contradiction that hits hardest: Latino respondents say hyperlocal storytelling is a top priority, yet they also report being chronically underserved in exactly this area. That complaint isn’t a one-off. It points to deeper structural problems in how we do media. At the same time, live, local news and culture is shrinking even as competition for audience attention heats up across new platforms.

Some regions have it even tougher. In the Pacific, West North Central and South Atlantic, the gap between what audiences want and what they get is especially wide. This is more than dollars. It’s about vision, and whether your newsroom sees localism as a differentiator.

Journalism as infrastructure

When you drill into Hispanic participation in RUN, you see something just as powerful. Latine audiences want news that acts as a kind of community infrastructure. They’re looking for content that brings hope, builds belonging, and empowers civic engagement.

This is a big shift from the old model. People want journalism that sparks connection and agency. Such challenges some long-held editorial assumptions. We’re now seeing that our audiences aren’t just looking for a news dump. They want experiences that strengthen their communities. Solution-focused storytelling isn’t just a trend; it’s becoming a necessity.

Of course, there are local flavors to this, but RUN finds some clear, national threads. Latinx audiences across the board are hungry for more in-depth reporting on science, and education. These subjects pop up as less covered everywhere, but especially in the Mountain and East North Central regions. Highlighting these well takes cultural competence and resources, but knowing the need is half the battle.

Immigration, in particular, is both a policy debate and a lived, everyday reality for many. Latino/a respondents say they want stories that recognize these are more than breaking news coverage, but ongoing, human-centered coverage.

If you think this means people want more context, you’re right. Latino respondents are clear: they value journalism that “gets beneath the surface” and tackles issues no one else is covering. This depth gives public radio a real advantage over algorithm-driven models.

Trust is another big theme. Latino audiences are searching for reliable sources and media they see as anchors in a noisy, fragmented information world.

The bad news

There’s a caution though. While Latine respondents believe in the power of local journalism, only 21 percent say they’re aware of public radio, and just 10 percent can name their local station. That’s a jaw-dropping divide and a major opportunity. Where else can you find millions of people whose values align with public radio, but who aren’t yet tuned in? Yet the ones who do engage with public radio report overwhelmingly positive experiences. The barrier isn’t quality. It’s visibility. This is your call to lean into outreach and marketing.

Stuff you may already know

Digital/social platforms: Hispanic audiences show high engagement with YouTube, podcasts and social media. Edison and other researchers have flagged this, and RUN backs it up. The research indicates that media habits are sophisticated, and are deeply rooted in place. For public radio, the challenge (and the sweet spot) is making local content easy to discover and share on the platforms where Latinx audiences are already active.

Music engagement: One more thing you may have heard about previously: music. Latino audiences are famously passionate about music, with streaming dominating, but radio still being strong in the Mountain, West North Central and Southern regions. Genre preferences vary by geography. Hip-hop gets more love out West, for example, while country has broad appeal everywhere. This diversity is an opening to experiment beyond old demographic clichés.

The beauty of RUN is how it lets you slice and dice the data in many ways. If you can access the study, dig in, because you’ll find actionable insights about Latinx audiences in your service area.

The big takeaway? Latino audiences aren’t asking public radio to abandon its core mission. They’re asking us to live up to it more fully. Focus on local relevance, depth and democratic engagement. Success means building content that truly serves and reflects all of our communities. 🟢

Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Noticias nuevas. Oregon Public Broadcasting has introduced its new Spanish-language section to the public. Feedback to the team is appreciated! 🖥️

• Recognition. The Hispanic Heritage Foundation has named NPR’s Felix Contreras (OIGO profile) as a recipient of the 2025 Hispanic Heritage Award for journalism. 🏆 De Los reports.

• Also… Elizabeth Román has been named executive editor at New England Public Media. NEPM offers a formal press release. 🌻

• Washington State stories. Washington State University highlights the work of Monica Carillo-Casas in producing stories for Spokane Public Radio and the Spokesman Review in English and Spanish. 📰

• Felicidades. KWMR celebrated the two-year anniversary of its Spanish-language program Encuentro Latino with this nice performance posted on Threads. 📯

• NALIP creators. The Latine producers’ organization has announced its new cohort of creators chosen for its accelerator program. 🎥 Señal News notes this group is focused on film and television.

• DEI exit. Current reports that KQED’s Chief DEI Officer is out amid reorganization and cuts impacting the San Francisco broadcaster. 😔

• Spanish podcasts via AI. iHeartMedia is now experimenting with translating select English-language podcasts using AI tools, not staffing. 😑 Spanish is among the languages the company will serve new versions.

• False claims and immigration protests. NewsGuard has just released its survey of what Americans believe about false claims that circulate in media. 😈 24 percent of respondents said the claim that bricks were left to arm demonstrators in Los Angeles is true, while 43 percent were unsure.

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El radar: try this 📡

• See how cities are responding to ICE cooperation. A story from WLRN states Key West’s city leaders voted to cancel agreements for local police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. 🚨 Business outcry appears to be a driver. This may be a story to watch locally.

• Track immigration enforcement and mental health. A WHYY investigation sought to trace how the vigorous immigration crackdown is affecting Delaware residents’ well-being. 🩺 A valuable story to tell.

• Explore the world of photographers capturing Latino community moments. CapRadio profiles a pair of photographers whose specialty is shooting the quinceañera, a rite of passage for Latina girls. 📸 It represents a telling of the Hispanic entrepreneurship story we often hear about, but in a fresh manner.

• Or those representing culture in the arts. Enjoy a splendid story from KERA about a local artist using fabrics and sewing to share stories of Latin America. 🪡

• Share how nonprofits are supporting Spanish-speaking men and mental health. KUNR reports on Consejo de Líderes: Hombres Unidos, a local support group conducted in Spanish for men to discuss their lives and how to cope with struggles through the day. 🗣️ It’s a thoughtful look at a range of complicated subjects.

• Get reactions from leaders at Hispanic serving schools. EdSource captures feedback from administrators at campuses where the majority of students are Latino/a. 🎓 A new lawsuit challenges funding for these institutions, alleging discrimination.

• Ask what a local Latine version of The Bear looks like. Making Contact, the syndicated community radio program wrapping up production this fall, did an episode on the hit show The Bear, and, most curiously, what a Latinx version of that might look like. 🥘 It’s a fun exercise that may get you scanning your town for inspiration.

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The next OIGO arrives Aug. 15. I often cite Charlotte’s WFAE for its reporting on the region’s Hispanic communities. Next newsletter, I’ll connect you to the reporter leading so much of that effort. Julian Berger is WFAE’s leader covering race and equity, and often helps the organization’s base get to know their neighbors a little bit better. You are in for a treat.

I have a reader survey now open. How can OIGO better serve you? It’s short. Thank you for your insights.

2025 OIGO Reader Survey

I hope to see you next month at the 2025 Public Media Content Conference. I’ll be in two sessions at this event.

🥤 You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.

If you work in public media, you know how challenging work supporting staff and communities of color has become lately. The spirit of pre-compliance I wrote about in January now runs strong. Many organizations have quietly backed away from explicit diversity goals. It can feel dispiriting as it is revealing. But standing alongside CEO Ethan Raup, KEXP’s racial equity working group leads and the brilliant staff felt different. It was a vivid reminder that transformative change doesn’t simply occur; it's actively built and fiercely protected.

Inspired by KEXP’s successful gathering, I’ve distilled some critical insights for those thinking about your organizations and what they need to thrive. Some of this is further informed by co-authoring a resource guide on effective DEI Councils. The rest is direct from my time in the Pacific Northwest.

If you're navigating the complexities of initiatives in today’s uncertain landscape, here's exactly what you need to know. 👇

Build trust through consistency

It’s tempting to seek daring moves from day one, but real culture change thrives with a steady hand. KEXP, I learned, has worked on this for years with incremental progress and massive tenacity. They showed me that it’s all in how you show up, host that meeting, share that story… over and over. As time goes on, people stop wondering if you mean it and start believing you mean it.

In addition, even the best organizations run into questions, guarded attitudes, resistance and inertia at times. This work requires deep patience, seeing conversation as a chance to win others, and hearing pushback as people being willing to be vulnerable enough to express something to you so you can help them. It can be hard, and demands so much of us, even if we know it’s worth it.

What I saw at KEXP reminded me of the power of consistency. You don’t have to have major victories or big initiatives to show off initially, but you do need to stay the course even when it’s slow or difficult.

Be specific

KEXP offered a staff survey before my arrival and found some guidance from staff on potential first initiatives for its formative Human Care Council. Vibes are great, but data is better. When you mix survey results, listening groups and one-on-one stories, you can pinpoint exactly what a team needs.

Effective staff action happens when we’re able to define why we are here and what we aspire to do. There’s room to be vague, but people want something tangible: what you’ll specifically do to make my work experience better or elevate me. Finding out the needs of workers involves gathering evidence to establish what will make an actual difference. Quantitative and qualitative data can help you with the imperative and advantages of culture work.

Get support from above

Adopting postures as those critiquing from afar is a losing strategy. As Paige Robnett and I wrote, shifting the culture anywhere requires sign-on. When your CEO or GM is your biggest champion, the rest follows. Leaders who consistently tell staff the importance of this work prompt staff to notice.

However, building genuine buy-in takes time and involves establishing rapport, understanding priorities, and demonstrating how such efforts can advance organizational cohesion. I also can’t undersell to you the importance of seeing something from another person’s shoes; understanding leadership’s perspective will better help you to advance your culture. Leaders who feel empathy for staff’s concerns also tend to be more receptive, in my view.

KEXP and many organizations further wrestle with questions of power, who has it, and how groups engage. What’s also true is most staff generally don’t want to be another supervisor to answer to. However, leaders need to actively address how staff’s concerns and ideas are heard and acted on, and communicate that clearly.

Shoot for one thing, not everything

I was impressed by the KEXP team’s desire to make just a few items as priorities and core objectives. It is very tempting to have a meeting, throw up a bunch of Post-Its of what everyone feels a group could work on, and succeeding at none of them because a.) it’s too much; b.) even the best people aren’t experts in the areas they’d like to address and thus struggle; and c.) everyone’s got other roles and has to get the daily task list done, along with a daunting list from those aforementioned notes.

Paige Robnett and I wrote about the pitfalls of mission creep in the abovementioned resource guide. Focus fuels real momentum. It also gets people energized for the task ahead.

Be strategic about the framework and the people

A committee needs more than goodwill. It needs roles, documentation and a balance of skills and perspectives. At times, people seek to join committees because they believe in the idea, but are not clear on what executing initiatives and being part of formulating solutions entails. It’s also easy to do culture work on an ad hoc basis. Yet organizations need to be strategic about structure and diversity of experience.

In Seattle, one thing staff consistently talked about in our conversations about the Council-in-formation was the fact that there was a structure, which made the work more accountable and systematized. Standards such as committee documentation and assessing members’ time and skills indeed can be the difference between a committee without positional power and one poised to move items forward.

Lastly, the D-word (and R)

All of these great factors being present does not ameliorate external pressures public media confronts with the rescission, and which many other organizations are experiencing, around DEI and beyond.

If you’re in a state where legislation limits workplace efforts, you know what I mean. These laws impose restrictions on mandated training, criteria for vendor selection based on ownership demographics, and committees that explicitly reference Latinos and historically marginalized groups. But creative staff-led efforts can still foster belonging while staying compliant. With clear guardrails, smart structures and empathy, you can keep building community, even when the political climate makes it feel impossible.

Let’s make those bright spots like KEXP’s shine everywhere. As cultural advocates, it is imperative that we continue to support employees who seek community amidst this turmoil. Through a series of innovative structural adjustments, it is possible to build support while lessening risk.

As I write this, KEXP is hosting an on-air fundraiser to educate about the issues facing public media. You can give here. 🟢

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• New series on abortion access. NPR and Latino USA have released a short-run series on abortion access with a lot of focus on Latin America. The Network is online now. 🎙️

• Health newsletter learnings. The Pivot Fund profiles Conversaciones de Salud, a monthly, bilingual newsletter focused on health and wellness issues for the community in Minnesota. 🏥

• Hispanic Radio Conference. The major event for these broadcasters has wrapped up in Houston. 🤠 The Radio and Television Business Report has a complete summary of insights from the gathering.

• New podcast on Latine men. For iHeartMedia, Lex Borrero is hosting a new podcast aimed at addressing the personal and professional hurdles faced by Latinx men. You vs. You will have a monthly Spanish-language edition too. 🎧 More from Radio Online.

• Hispanic-serving college challenge. U.S. News and World Report has a writeup on a lawsuit by the state of Tennessee, which charges that Department of Education grants going to schools where Latinos are 25 percent or more of enrollment is a discriminatory practice. 👀

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El radar: try this 📡

• Examine suicide and bullying of Latinx kids. WFAE covered a local mural devoted to 11-year-old and 13-year-old Latinas who took their own lives after being bullied. 🚔 It is a difficult story, but bears more attention on the perils facing Latine students in today’s climate.

• See how Latine communities feel about upcoming elections. WDET went into the heart of Detroit’s Hispanic community to ask about the issues voters were considering when casting ballots for the city’s next mayor. 🏙️ Such journalism could inform your endeavors.

• Cover the growth of Spanish-language courses. OPB just reported on a new childhood education class at Lane Community College, which is being conducted in Spanish. 🎓 The course is aimed at supporting Spanish speakers who traditionally have not had enough access to education.

• Focus on gentrification. Arizona PBS recently featured a conversation on a documentary on how gentrification has impacted Chicago’s Latinx neighborhoods. 🚸

• Spotlight Latinos’ contributions during World War II. Texas Public Radio did a fascinating piece on a traveling oral history project that collects the memories of veterans. 🪖

• Keep covering the protests. Demonstrations against ICE by local Hispanic communities and allies offer public media many opportunities to tell stories. ✊ CapRadio and KQED are just two examples of newsrooms sharing in words and images about the local situation.

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The next OIGO arrives July 11. I’ll just be returning from SRCCON that week, where you can see me talk about AI policy for newsrooms. You’re welcome to join me and catch up in Minneapolis. See the full conference agenda here.

As I close this newsletter, I must recognize the departure of Holly Kernan, my boss at KQED, who departs to helm Nashville Public Radio. 💔 Holly didn't just champion Latino content and engagement at KQED, but transformed it. Her vision and leadership sparked groundbreaking initiatives that reshaped how we connect with our diverse communities. She is also one of my greatest advocates, and encouraged the creation of OIGO. The whole team and I will miss Holly. The Bay Area's loss is Nashville's extraordinary gain.

🥤 You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.

I’ve struck up more than a few conversations in lavanderías. They’re common in San Francisco, where many older buildings lack washing machines and we’ve all got time on our hands. And, whenever I mention I work in public media, people’s faces light up. For some, public radio or television was how they learned English, because our slower-paced cadence made the language easier to follow. Others recall how their kids watched PBS shows on tablets while they folded clothes here not so many years ago.

It’s a regular reminder: while we often describe public media in sweeping terms like democracy, facts and community, its impact is deeply personal. For many Latinos, including me, public media has been transformative, a quiet but constant presence shaping our lives.

So when I see new attacks on PBS and NPR—some warranted, given their blind spots, others purely political—I think less about the headlines and more about those conversations over the din of dryers. Those are the people who will feel the cuts the most.

I take particular exception to the targeting of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. In my previous work, I saw firsthand how CPB has long played a pivotal role in supporting initiatives that connect with all Americans. CPB’s funding programs, support of station projects and content development across local organizations, PBS, NPR and affiliated organizations has made the nation stronger. Moreover, CPB’s investments have significantly enriched public media’s ability to reflect the diversity and experiences of Latino communities nationwide. I feel we should discuss this more.

How much does CPB do for Hispanic communities? More than most people realize.

Take Latino Public Broadcasting, for example. LPB is a key CPB partner that’s been instrumental in advancing knowledge about the Latino experience in communities nationwide. In 2022, CPB provided LPB with funding to support the creation and national distribution of new programming. Through its Public Media Content Fund, LPB backs independent filmmakers producing powerful documentaries and series about Latino arts, politics and identity.

In 2025, LPB announced a slate of new productions—long-form documentaries and shorts—that explore the depth and diversity of Latinx experiences across the country. These aren’t just stories; they’re reflections of community and culture, offered on platforms like PBS and WORLD Channel, where more Americans can engage with them.

CPB has also enabled PBS to consistently highlight Latino history and culture. Programs like Latino Americans offer a sweeping but accessible look at over 500 years of Latino life in the U.S.—from contributions to hardships. Each year during Hispanic Heritage Month, PBS features specials like Great Performances: Roots of Latin Jazz, showcasing the cultural influence of Latin music across generations. Such programs not only educate audiences, but also foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the many cultures that comprise the American experience.

On the NPR side, CPB’s funding helped launch Code Switch in 2016, a podcast that dives into the complexities of culture, including nuanced reporting on Latino issues. Other programming offerings like Alt.Latino give deep dives into Latin music, art and history, helping NPR better represent and serve audiences. NPR’s ongoing coverage of immigration, education and the Latine electorate further illustrates its commitment to reflecting this critical segment of the country.

And perhaps most critically, CPB’s impact can be seen at the local station level, where funding supports grassroots efforts to reach Latino audiences. In Utah, KUER and PBS Utah launched KUUB, a new bilingual station (OIGO profile) aimed at serving the region’s growing Spanish-speaking population. In Texas, KETR teamed up with Radio Bilingüe to deliver Spanish-language public radio via its HD3 channel. These local investments ensure public media remains relevant and responsive where people actually live.

This last newsletter of the spring could be a novela if I listed everything CPB has done to connect America and help the country understand its changing stories. However, neither of us probably has that much time.

It will be a long three weeks before summer OIGO returns. At the moment, I’ll say CPB and the difference it makes deserves all our attention.

Much public media messaging is around the $1.60 public broadcasting costs every American. Yet this isn’t a numbers debate to critics so much as a moral one. It needs to be said out loud that public media’s future shouldn’t be decided in the abstract, by pundits or appointees far removed from its everyday impact. It should be judged by the conversations it sparks in laundromats, the comfort it brings to people learning, the cultural appreciation it fosters through music and storytelling, how it helps kids, and the news and information that keeps communities together.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting isn’t just a budget line. It’s a bridge. And for millions of Hispanic Americans across the country, it’s a lifeline. If we lose that, we lose something irreplaceable. 🟢

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Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Share your organization’s DEI changes. The New York Times is looking to talk to people whose workplaces have altered their diversity, equity and inclusion policies and efforts. 🛑

• Felicidades. K Onda KQED, Blanca Torres’ newsletter on Bay Area Latine life, turns one year old. 🚀

• Hispanic economic effects. Latinx buying power, and especially its ascendancy in states that rely on such economic drivers, is being impacted by political headways, according to researchers. 💸

• New data on perceptions of discrimination. Pew Research Center just offered new polling on who Americans feel faces the most discrimination, with undocumented immigrants landing atop the list. In addition, 72 percent of Americans say Latino/as face discrimination. 📈

• El Salvador and journalists. The Washington Post investigates moves by President Nayib Bukele against the country’s news reporters. Many organizations are leaving El Salvador entirely. 😟

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El radar: try this 📡

• Ask about data around Latine doctors in your region. Arizona PBS spotlights figures around medical professionals in the state, as well as reasons why viewers should care. 🚑 The springboard is a new documentary on the subject.

• Keep highlighting local reactions to Trump moves. How is your community feeling about the latest tweets directed at them? 🚨 WLRN has a report on the self-deportation posturing and what community leaders are thinking. WBEZ offers a perspective on Chicago arts organizations facing issues.

• Note how your community to reacting to DEI rollbacks. Many outlets are covering the end of DEI programs and how residents feel. 👀 Such is the case at Spokane Public Radio, where DEI cuts are the focus related to local cultural celebrations.

• Explore the number of Latinx radio pros in your state’s Hall of Fame. The Public’s Radio talks with Tony Mendez, the first Latine member of the state’s radio hall of fame. 🏆 Every state has a hall, and your organization might ask about local Hispanic broadcasters who’ve been inducted.

• Examine Brazilian identity locally. The Conversation offers a thoughtful exposition on the lives of Brazilians and how Latino identity does (or does not) include them. ⬆️ Such provocative conversations could lead to more connection in your region.

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The next OIGO arrives June 13. I’ll be in Seattle that week. If you’re in the area, please reach out.

OIGO is free, but you’re welcome to buy me a coffee to support the newsletter, or add a Substack paid tier. Gracias a todo for your support all this time.

Cristina Escobar is a fascinating voice in a media ecosystem that has historically sidelined or distorted Latino/a/e/x perspectives. As a cultural critic and the co-founder of Latina Media Co, Escobar grew from nonprofit leadership to actively reshaping cultural discourse by amplifying Latina voices, among others in the diaspora.

What’s more, she is among one of the more thoughtful voices around how Latino/as can best advocate for ourselves, wherever we are in organizations.

Escobar works at the intersection of race, gender and pop culture with a special interest in Latina representation in movies and TV. A two-time Sundance Press Inclusion Initiative recipient, she’s the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Latina Media Co, an indie publication platforming Latina and queer Latinx perspectives in media. She has bylines in the A.V. Club, Glamour, NPR, Los Angeles Times, Refinery29, Remezcla, Today, Vulture and more. A TEDx speaker, member of the Critics Choice Association and board member of the Latino Entertainment Journalists Association, she lives in Santa Fe with her husband, two kids and rescue dog.

Here’s what you’ll find interesting: Escobar’s professional evolution represents a significant narrative arc—transitioning from behind-the-scenes communications work to establishing herself as a thought leader and community architect. Her TEDx Talk marked an inflection point where she deliberately stepped away from essentially ghostwriting to cultivate her authentic voice, subsequently establishing Latina Media Co as a digital platform that centers media criticism from historically marginalized perspectives.

This OIGO conversation further examines how we convey our perspectives to leadership, advocates for intersectional awareness within Latinx communities, and positions Latine identity as a distinctive advantage. You may also appreciate that, with remarkable candor, Escobar addresses the challenges of self-promotion, the significance of purpose-driven work, and offers insights sure to resonate about what she would share with her younger self. 👇🏻

Let’s start with the moment things began to shift for you—the time of your TEDx Talk. What did that mean for you?

In the TEDx Talk, I shared how I spent years speaking for other people—writing for organizations, fundraising. But I hadn’t done the work to find my own voice. Part of that came from internalizing messages about being a woman, about being Chicana and Latina. I didn’t think anything I had to say would matter.

That changed after the 2016 election. I looked around and asked myself, “What more can I do?” I started to believe that people like me needed to speak up—that our communities were being defined by others, and that silence wasn’t serving us.

That’s when I began writing under my own name and co-founded what became Latina Media Co with Nicola Schulze. We wanted to create space for others like us to speak as themselves too.

How has Latina Media Co grown?

Back in 2018, Nicola and I were both working in gender representation in media. We noticed that while there was a lot of attention on those issues generally, there was very little happening around Latinas specifically in Hollywood.

TV and film might seem like just entertainment, but they’re also art—and future generations will study them to understand what our culture valued. If we want a world that works for everyone, everyone needs to tell their own stories and critique what’s out there.

We started by editing each other’s essays and publishing them ourselves. Turns out, people did care. Since then, we’ve grown significantly. We've received grant support, published work from nearly 100 contributors, and built a strong, engaged audience.

Latina Media Co. is a place for Latina and queer Latinx media fans to gather, express and critique. It’s also a resource for the entertainment industry to see what we actually care about—because often, even the well-intentioned don’t know.

Where do you think more progress is needed in media today?

Right now, DEI initiatives are under attack across many industries, including media. That worries me because it affects how budgets are allocated and whose stories get told.

But we also have internal work to do as a community. Are we including Afro-Latinos? Are we centering LGBTQ+ voices? In the U.S., we’re often grouped together, which can be frustrating, but it’s also an opportunity to build something new.

Instead of replicating racist, sexist, heteronormative structures from Latin America, we can imagine something more equitable and powerful here. Latinos make up a huge, diverse part of the U.S. If we can harness that, we’re unstoppable.

What advice would you give to Latinas in journalism or public media who are trying to find their voice or build their careers?

First, know that being Latina is a strength. The U.S. doesn’t just need our labor. It needs our joy, our creativity and our insight.

Second, let go of the myth of objectivity. It often privileges a white male perspective and dismisses others as biased. I believe in transparency over objectivity: say who you are, where you’re coming from, and let readers evaluate your work from there.

Finally, build community. Network up, down and across. Latinas are often natural community builders. Use that to support yourself and others.

And for those who are still figuring out their voice—what would you recommend?

It’s okay not to know. Try things. Be uncomfortable. That’s part of growth.

If you’re guided by a purpose bigger than yourself—your family, your community—it helps push through the fear. I also encourage people to focus on their strengths. Don’t spend all your energy fixing weaknesses. Instead, ask: what am I great at, and how can I do more of that?

What do you wish you had known when you started all this?

I wish I had started earlier. I wish I hadn’t let fear tell me that my voice didn’t matter. As a little girl, I wanted to be a writer, and then I stepped away from it because I didn’t think my voice was valuable.

But everyone’s voice is valuable. Whatever issue you're passionate about—whether it's politics, media, the environment—your perspective is needed. I wish I had known that sooner.

How can people connect with Latina Media Co and get involved?

Visit latinamedia.co. You can subscribe to our newsletter, join our Patreon, or follow us on Instagram at @latinamediaco. If you’re a writer or a big media fan with something to say, pitch us. We respond to every email—and yes, we pay. 🟢

Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• New newsletter. KEXP has launched La Musica Importa, a new Spanish-language newsletter written by Albina Cabrera (OIGO profile). 🎹 The debut edition chronicles some of her international work as well as releases and artists.

• Local series. PBS Wisconsin has produced a new series on the stories and history of Hispanics in the state. 👣

• Resource guide. The Chicago Sun Times (affiliated with Chicago Public Media) has a new immigrant resource guide available now. 📞

• Populism perspectives. New research investigates how populist politics are influencing Latine voters, with attention paid to younger voters particularly. 📊 Insightful data that might help us better understand our communities.

• Hispanic attitudes post-100 days. Pew Research Center has released new polling on Americans’ attitudes coming out of President Trump’s first 100 days in office. This data is also broken down by demographics. Latinx disapproval is high, but the administration is scoring well around immigration. 🔍

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El radar: try this 📡

• Share the lives of Latinx farmers and gardeners. OPB presents a thorough profile of individuals and nonprofits seeking to educate Latino residents about agriculture. It’s a rich story you could do. 🌱

• Keep reporting on the downstream impacts of DC actions to Hispanic communities. KPBS offers a thorough investigation on how California’s Latine residents will be affected if proposed Medicare cuts go into effect. 🏥

• See who’s persisting. Ideastream is one of many public media newsrooms to report on the local impact of administration cuts to the arts nationwide. It goes a bit further to focus on a Latino exhibit that will continue regardless of the reduction. 🎨

• Share the worlds of “no sabo kids.” One of my more popular OIGO editions was on understanding the lives of those with no or limited Spanish skills. WUSF just did a thoughtful program on the topic, which might offer ideas on your own coverage. 🎟️ [Postscript: this was originally a WLRN segment that was republished by WUSF.]

• Investigate gambling addiction and Latinos. Cronkite News published an exploration of Latine residents who struggle with problem betting. 🌚 Given how gambling has been in public discourse of late, this could be a great dialogue to localize.

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The next OIGO arrives May 23. Thank you to everyone sharing the initiatives you’re doing and seeing around public media—many of those appear in this edition! Next newsletter is the last biweekly OIGO before I shift to a monthly schedule. Let me know what you’re doing so I can shine a light your way. 💡

I expect to be in Seattle in mid-June to support public media colleagues. If you’re in the region and would like to meet up for a bit, please reach out.

You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.