For the last seven years, talented youth reporters from five high schools in the Boyle Heights community of Los Angeles have been reporting the stories that matter to residents. Their motto: “Noticias por y para la comunidad” – “News for and by the community.”
“Being a reporter for Boyle Heights Beat taught me more than just how to write a story. It was about engaging with the community I call home, telling strangers of the intimate, difficult and precious moments other people have in an effort to show them that they just might be the same. I learned that one must look at the bigger picture through the smallest of details.”
— Melissa Martinez, Boyle Heights Beat graduate, senior at Loyola Marymount University
“Boyle Heights Beat has allowed me to improve not only as a writer, but as a person. I’ve become a lot more open and confident. I have become more aware of issues surrounding the Boyle Heights community.”
— Alex Medina, Boyle Heights Beat reporter, high school senior
“My Boyle Heights Beat internship has made me more active and more aware of occurrences in Boyle Heights than ever before. Boyle Heights Beat has made me appreciate and embrace the culture of my neighborhood.”
— Daniela Barranco, Boyle Heights Beat graduate, freshman at Cal State LA
For the last seven years, talented youth reporters from five high schools in the Boyle Heights community of Los Angeles have been reporting the stories that matter to the residents. Their motto: “Noticias por y para la comunidad” — “News for and by the community.”
In this season of giving, the youth news team asks for your financial support to continue this important work in the coming year, when immigrant communities like this one need your help more than ever.
CLICK HERE to make a tax-deductible donation by credit card to the USC account for Boyle Heights Beat.
Boyle Heights Beat, a quarterly bilingual print newspaper and sister online site, has become a go-to news source for community residents, civic leaders and policymakers. The Beat also opens new horizons for its youth reporters, providing them with unparalleled experiences in civic participation, critical thinking and community leadership. In a community where many young people still don’t graduate from high school, Boyle Heights Beat reporters consistently go to college. And many plan to return home after they graduate to give back.
The New York Times hailed the joint project of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism and the Hoy newspaper for serving “an ever greater need” in immigrant communities for sharing personal stories. The Los Angeles Times profiled the Beat, and one of its reporters praised it in NBC profile, “In LA’s Boyle Heights, Latino Teens Draw National Praise for Community Journalism.” The prestigious Columbia Journalism Review lauded its unique brand of community journalism, including its youth-led community meetings, which give residents a chance to help set the news agenda.
Boyle Heights Beat youth reporters chronicle the happenings in their community, including residents’ worries about gentrification and safety, as well as the community’s vibrant arts scene.
CLICK HERE to make a tax-deductible donation by credit card to the USC account for Boyle Heights Beat.
Alternatively, you may send a check made out to the University of Southern California with “Boyle Heights Beat” in the memo field. If it is postmarked by December 31, it will be treated as a 2017 contribution. Please send it to:
Attn: MaryBeth Leonard
Office of Development & Alumni Relations
USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism
3502 Watt Way, Suite 304
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0281
With your help, we look forward to another successful year at Boyle Heights Beat.
