Many immigrant neighborhoods in Los Angeles are news deserts, their triumphs and challenges largely ignored by the media. Boyle Heights is an exception. For the last seven years, talented youth reporters from five high schools in the community have been reporting the stories that matter to the community. Their motto: "Noticias por y para la comunidad" or "News for and by the community."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 their stories. The Los Angeles Times profiled the Beat, and one of its reporters praised it in an NBC profile, "In LA's Boyle Heights, Latino Teens Draw National Praise for Community Journalism." The prestigious Columbia Journalism Review praised its unique brand of community journalism,
Reporters interview actor Benicio del Toro.
lauding 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 the community's vibrant arts scene.
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 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
"Boyle Heights Beat has been a great program because I've seen how I've grown as an individual. I would've never been able to interview people in a professional manner like I'm able to now. I now have a journalism background that'll benefit me in the future."
--- Samantha Silva, former Boyle Heights Beat reporter, freshman at UCLA
"During my involvement in Boyle Heights Beat, I learned to interact with and represent the needs of the community through writing and advocacy. Boyle Heights Beat was the beginning of my journey towards working in community work."
--- Ricardo Diaz, UCLA graduate, paralegal at Al Otro Lado
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
With your help, we look forward to another successful year at Boyle Heights Beat.
Thanks from
Michelle Levander, Editor & Publisher
and the Boyle Heights Beat Youth News Team