A group of Chicago Hispanic teenagers say they are tired of how underrepresented their community is in mainstream media. They have turned their frustration into action and are now vocal journalists on a mission to provide a voice for the underrepresented.
These youth, or "producers" as they are called at work, get their voices heard on the radio for an hour every Monday through Thursday evening. They are volunteer journalists at Radio Arte, 90.5 FM, a nonprofit Latino public radio station based in Pilsen. The 10-year-old station has made a place for teen producers since it was founded.
"Our voices are oftentimes disenfranchised by larger public media and commercial media," said Silvia Rivera, general manager of Radio Arte. "So what we're trying to do in our small slice of the world is to try to be as representative as possible of our community."
Radio Arte's small slice of the world covers a 14-mile broadcast radius stretching southwest from Pilsen, an area with more than 500,000 residents. Each year a group of 30 youth journalists, ages 15 to 21, are chosen from applicants for the station's 10-week training program. They learn to write, research, interview and hone their on-air delivery skills.
The young journalists are expected to emerge from their training as strong, engaged community activist—and to bring these skills to their work on-air.
Most of the young journalists are first- or second-generation immigrants. Those with strong English skills report for First Voice, a program that airs from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays. Those with stronger Spanish skills report for Primera Voz, heard at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
"Oftentimes, this is the only outlet that they have," Rivera said. "Or it's the only other extra-curricular activity that they have, or the only place that they have where they can build community."
For some shows, the young journalists choose a a topic of special interest to their listeners. Recent shows have addressed the Iraq war, the presidential election, global warming and the environment, gentrification and police brutality in Chicago.
Their goal is to generate conversation and action within the Latino community.
"It's an opportunity that a lot of people don't get," said Juan Venegas, 23, a Radio Arte producer for several years. "I believe that to be able to have your own show or be able to speak on-air about topics that a lot of us feel strong about is really great."
The station doesn't pay for a rating service to count its audience, but the community has responded well to some of the young journalists' news segments and open-mic forums. A show dedicated to police brutality generated many calls, some from listeners who had been subjects of police brutality and unable until then to speak about it publicly.
The young producers say they learn something new every day, and they're proud to see how their audience learns from them. Their ambition to become an alternative to mainstream media is being fulfilled. The station has won several journalism awards and honors, including an award from the White House in 2004. Their news stories have also been picked up by National Public Radio. Most recently Radio Arte received the 2008 Studs Terkel Media Award for its coverage and representation of Chicago's diverse communities.
These young journalists are making a difference.
"I want to find out what mainstream media is not covering and cover it," said Martin Macias Jr., 18, a Radio Arte producer. "You have less individuality," he said, referring to the concentration of ownership in the American broadcast media field. "You have less chance of different coverage because obviously we all see the world in a different way."
Radio Arte producer Estefanie Garcia, 17, also enjoys the challenge of covering issues in a way that normally doesn't happen. She says Radio Arte has given her a solid foundation as a journalist, a path she never expected to head down. In September, she will continue her journalism education as a freshman at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
"I just love to see how different people view things," Garcia said. "I think diversity is what helps you grow. If you just keep the same mindset, that's ignorant. You should be able to change your mind."
Rivera is proud to watch these young producers bloom into empowered, working journalists. But more importantly, she hopes to teach these teens how to become community activists. And to show them that, even at their young age, they can have an impact on their community.
"They're all interested in learning about radio," Rivera said. "And we teach them how media affects their day-to-day lives. That's when we generate interest in civic engagement, journalism and in being a voice for their community."
The station plans to select its next group of teen producers in April.