John Acosta

Minority journalists missing from newsrooms, students hopeful for change

Candelario Vasquez was in his freshman year at Florida State University when he first read the stories that made him want to be a writer who centered his work around community issues. The majority of the stories he had to study were about British writers. He said he felt like the stories the professor gave him for analysis never really spoke to him, he said. “I didn’t grow up reading a lot of minorities of color, so it was hard for me. I couldn’t relate to the writings in any way. I didn’t have a mentor, and I knew it was going to be hard for me to find a mentor of color,” said Vasquez, an FSU communication studies and English literature graduate who spent time teaching community media at Encuentro, a non-profit organization in Albuquerque.

A section of a median in Nob Hill is excavated as part of the Albuquerque Rapid Transit system. Speculations about funding for the Albuquerque Rapid Transit system have arisen since President Donald Trump has not included the project in his annual budget.

Tu Voz Digital members Manuel Sanz, center, Diana García, center-right, Miguel Andalon, far-right, interview civil rights activist Dolores Huerta. Tu Voz Digital is a group of community journalists that work only using their smartphones to report their stories.

Christina Rodriguez, a Generation Justice fellow — KUNM's community journalism media project — edits audio in a KUNM studio. Rodriguez says that public broadcasting is one of the only ways that communities can have agency over their own stories.

Left, Cody Hampton, middle, Eric Boatright, and right, Seth Trimble of Shallow Side perform their hit song "Renegade," at the Launchpad, Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017.

The HTC - Vive virtual reality set consists of a headset, two wireless controllers, and headphones. The virtual reality set is available for use to all UNM students.

Derek Luna, library technical assistant and junior civil engineering major at UNM, plays a game on the new VR system inside Centennial Library. Luna says that, aside for gaming purposes, he plans to use VR to view his architectural designs.

U. S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, D-N. M., addresses a question from UNM professor Jose Palacios on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017 at the UNM SUB. The congresswoman addressed many questions that international students had about President Trumps immigration executive orders

Activists fight for immigrant rights at the border of the United States and Mexico near Sunland Park, New Mexico.

Felipe Rodriguez, Field Coordinator of the NM Dream Team and undergraduate senior student studying psychology at UNM, instructs Dream Team members in organizing strategies under a Trump administration. Rodriguez says that having a sanctuary campus at UNM is a necessity given the changing political climate.