Illinois Latino News (ILLN) is proud to announce its new partnership with DePaul University, a partnership investing in the next generation of journalists.
The collaboration between ILLN and DePaul University will provide students with mentoring, real work experience, and greater visibility for their work.
Marla Krause, Journalism Instructor at DePaul University, and Faculty Advisor to the student newspapers La DePaulia and The DePaulia had this to say about the partnership: “La DePaulia was created with the mission of bringing bilingual reporting to Chicago’s Spanish speaking community. Latino student journalists have reported on a range of issues from health, politics, and education to art, culture, and sports. Our newsroom is honored to be partnering with Illinois Latino News.”
Hugo Balta, Owner and Publisher of ILLN commented on the partnership, saying, “We’re proud to team up with a journalism program as distinguished as DePaul University’s, among the best legacy journalism schools in Chicago and across the nation. Journalism is critical to an informed democracy, and the Latino News Network (LNN) is committed to preparing students for the opportunities and challenges of an ever-changing industry.”
DePaul University’s College of Communication’s Journalism program and extra-curricular media outlets give students hands-on experience producing content for print, online, broadcast, and radio. Among the many accolades, the staff of The DePaulia newspaper was recognized with the prestigious Associated Collegiate Presses’ Newspaper Pacemaker Award.
SUGGESTION: Journalism Camp: Meet The Fellows
Students will also be selected to participate in the prestigious Journalism Camp: Covering Race, Ethnicity, and Culture, sponsored by the Hortencia Zavala Foundation (HZF). The first-in-class program provides practical guidelines for fair and accurate storytelling.
“The program is designed to go beyond the inverted pyramid of basic news writing in examining the terminology, usage, and word choice of stories providing greater visibility and understanding of deep-rooted inequities in all aspects of society”, said Balta who leads the journalism camp.
Stephania Rodriguez, a Depaul University student majoring in Journalism and minoring in Latinx Media and Communication was one of the six fellows in the inaugural class. Rodriguez said of her experience, “It exceeded my expectations by feeding my knowledge, allowing me to network and connect with others, and publishing my work.”
Rodriguez’s story Little Village community farm to promote a healthy lifestyle was published on ILLN and its media partner, The Chicago Reporter after it was first published on La DePaulia as Organizadores y residentes de La Villita comienzan una granja local para promover un estilo de vida saludable.
Cover Photo Courtesy: DePaul University
About ILLN
The online news publication ILLatinoNews.com is one of five independent statewide coverage, Hispanic-Latino editorial focus, English language news and information websites managed by the Latino News Network under the ownership and leadership of nationally recognized journalist and media advocate, Hugo Balta.
ILLN’s mission is to provide greater visibility and voice to Hispanics-Latinos in Illinois – an underrepresented community in mainstream newsrooms and news coverage.
About DePaul University’s College of Communication’s Journalism program and extra-curricular media outlets
DePaul’s distinguished journalism program prepares students for a career as a multimedia content producer and visual storyteller.
Students also benefit from the Center for Journalism Integrity & Excellence (CJIE) offering training, teaching, and professional outreach to help young journalists learn how to navigate the world of investigative reporting.
About the Hortencia Zavala Foundation (HZF)
HZF is a not-for-profit, founded in 2016 in honor of Hugo Balta’s maternal grandmother.
The organization helps students offset the costs of higher education with scholarships. It expanded its support of young journalists in 2021 by underwriting the Journalism Camp: Covering Race, Ethnicity, and Culture.
