Hispanic journalists leaving legacy media for independent practice

As the media landscape continues to evolve, a growing trend is becoming clear: the rise of independent journalists. The shift from legacy media to new platforms is evident in the popularity of journalists who host their own podcasts or publish on platforms such as Substack and YouTube.

These platforms allow journalists to spotlight topics including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, deliver Arizona news in English and Spanish as well as highlight issues important to the Hispanic community.

Former “Arizona Republic” columnist and host of the podcast “NOTAS con” Elvia Díaz and the founder of Conecta Arizona Maritza Félix joined “Horizonte” to discuss their moves to independent media.

“I’m very proud of the work that I did,” Díaz said. “Nothing is forever.”

Díaz was the first and only Latina to lead the editorial page at “The Arizona Republic” since its founding. She spent 25 years with the newspaper as a reporter, columnist and opinion writer.

“The media landscape has changed tremendously in the past ten years,” Díaz said. “The investment in local journalism has changed dramatically across the nation and also here in Arizona. So it was time for me to leave.”

Díaz now hosts a podcast which provides analysis of Arizona and national news for English and Spanish speakers.

Félix also hosts her own podcast, “Cruzando Líneas.” The bilingual podcast features stories from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border, told by independent journalists.

“I think being an independent journalist has a lot of challenges, but at the same time, the freedom to say and do the work that you want to do,” Félix said, “to tell the stories of your communities and embracing your identity at the same time you’re dong so.”

Félix added, “When you work for traditional news organizations, sometimes you need to detach yourself from the community that you serve in order to be more objective or impartial or just to fulfill the traditional way of doing things.”