A video story by two Boyle Heights Beat youth journalists was chosen for KCRW’s Young Creators Project, and the two were featured Friday during a broadcast on the public radio station.
Adrian Casillas Sáenz and Diego Hernandez produced a video about the GRYD program at Legacy LA, dedicated to gang and crime intervention and prevention in Boyle Heights. Casillas Sáenz is a senior at Felícitas and Gonzalo Méndez High School attending UCLA in the fall. Hernandez is a junior at Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet.
The two based their video on a story Hernandez had written about GRYD for Boyle Heights Beat’s latest print edition.
In the interview, the Boyle Heights Beat duo spoke about their community-based journalism.
“What I especially like about journalism … [is] the opportunity to offer stories from community members themselves,” said Casillas Sánez. “Boyle Heights doesn’t get the best rap in usual media publications, and it’s an opportunity to shift the narrative.”
The Young Creators Project sought submissions in art, journalism, and music from young creatives in the greater LA area under 21.
Listen to the interview with Casillas Sáenz and Hernandez:
You can watch the video produce by Casillas Sáenz and Hernandez here:
