December 2, 2025 • 36 mins
It’s been quite the year, for the United States and for Futuro Media. At Latino USA, we’re bringing you in-depth reporting from the front lines. At Futuro Studios, we’re developing ground-breaking shows like La Brega Season 3, which is set to premiere early next year.
In this special Giving Tuesday episode, Futuro Media founder Maria Hinojosa reflects on the year behind and the year ahead. She’s joined in conversation by Latino USA Managing Editor Fernanda Echavarri and Futuro Studios Executive Editor Maria Garcia.
The Futuro Plus Team includes producer Tasha Sandoval, production managers Victoria Estrada and Jessica Ellis, marketing manager Luis Luna, and development manager Danetsy Len. Mixing by Multitude Productions.
Want to support our independent journalism? Join Futuro+ for exclusive episodes, sneak peaks and behind-the-scenes chisme on La Brega and all our podcasts. https://bit.ly/joinfuturoplus
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Plan.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Hi, my name Van Henica Sanchez. The episode that really
shoot me and touched me the most was Suave season two,
episode five, where Swave is crashing out about his car
and just the helplessness I felt listening to that episode,
both from Swabi and Maria really really touched me. Anyway,
(00:28):
I think about it all the time. Thank you so
much for the show and everything that you do.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Ah, this is my eighties one moon. My favorite episode
of this full year was Coming to Colombia, Columbian America
and returns to the Motherland. I thought it was great.
I actually I am Colomian too and had a similar
story than Tasha. It was very special to hear someone
with a similar story and just to recognize myself in
(00:54):
her story. Uh Andasha for an amazing story, and thank
you for everything you guys do.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
By dear listener.
Speaker 5 (01:11):
Always at the end of the year, I'm like, wait,
how did this happen? How did we finish a year?
But we have finished the year. We are coming up
on the end of twenty twenty five, and what a
year it has been. It has been a challenging year
for our democracy at large, for journalism, but it's specifically
(01:34):
been a very challenging year if you are Latino, Latina,
LATINX or Latine in the United States of America in
terms of public media, very specifically, like the attacks have
come to fruition right, the loss of funding for public
television and for public radio across the country.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
It's real.
Speaker 5 (01:57):
Futro media was born years ago. In the year twenty ten.
There were also a lot of economic challenges, political challenges,
business challenges, and that's when we launched. We have learned
(02:18):
that it is a bit of a roller coaster to
run an independent, small nonprofit newsroom founded by a Latina
Mexican immigrant. But the thing is, we understand challenges and
we face them.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
We don't give up.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
You know, in a moment like this, we go back,
we look at what we have accomplished in a year.
It has been a lot. So we want to share
some of this because you know, we're doing it every week.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Every week, every week we're turning a show. These are
the moments when we're able to kind.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
Of take a pause and say, wow, we really did
something extraordinary in twenty twenty five, and we want to
bring you along for the ride. We obviously were documenting
the first year of a second Trump presidency, one that
came into power with many Latino and Latina voters.
Speaker 6 (03:12):
While majority of Latinos voted for Kamala Harris, Trump was
backed by a record forty six percent of Latino voters,
even gaining support in Democratic strongholds like New York City.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
And of course, at Dudo Studios, I had this dream
of doing a podcast about Suave and I never gave
up that dream, and we formed a team and they
delivered a story that, of course won us a Pulitzer Prize.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
For our audience, it's important for them to know that
you are one of two Latinas in history.
Speaker 7 (03:44):
To win a Pulitzer and you did it out of
an organization that you founded.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
And in twenty twenty five we released season two of Swave.
Speaker 8 (03:55):
It's been seven years since David Luis Suave Gonzalez was
really from prison after being sentenced to serve life without
Paul as a teenager.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
A profound feat of journalism, but oh my god, really
telenovela based on fact, so important to follow the life
of somebody who spent thirty one years behind bars. We
pride ourselves in what we have done, but always looking
to the next story. What's the next big podcast, We're
(04:28):
going to do, what's the next investigation, What's the next
big get, what is the next Yeah, celebrity that.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
We're going to do an interview that is going.
Speaker 5 (04:37):
To rock people's boats because we talk about things differently
at Futuro Media. And to meet the moment we made
a big splash, we decided to launch our own subscription service,
asking you to become effectively part of our team by
subscribing to us on a monthly basis with Futuro Plus
and all of that. To say that we're celebrating fifteen
(05:01):
years this notion of getting to celebrate the Kinze. So
if you're like, what is she talking about? In Latin America,
you celebrate turning fifteen years old, it's like a sweet sixteen,
but in Latin America it's the sweet fifteen. It's called
the King Sanieta, and so we are celebrating our big
(05:26):
King Seneta. And what we do at Futuro is that
we dream big. So we want you to be a
part of a big dream, which is to meet the
Kinze by raising one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Yeah, that's a big number.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
What's important to us is not every single amount, but
the fact that every single person is making the decision
to celebrate us to be part of our kings.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
We gotta reach for the sky, right.
Speaker 5 (05:58):
But we also have something that's manageable as well, which
is we want one hundred new donors. So one hundred
of you who have never donated, who are like you
know what, I think, this is a year. So come
on now, a hundred of you become a new donor
to Food Doudo Media.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
You are going to feel so good about it.
Speaker 5 (06:29):
So there are a lot of things that I love
about Foot Douo Media. I mean so many things, but
one of the things that I appreciate is being able
to work with incredible colleagues who have like a commitment
to the field of journalism and also great storytelling and
(06:51):
who are just great.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Humans in the newsroom.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
So joining me to talk about things that have happened
a Futuro are the managing editor of Latino USA, the
one and only Fernanda echavari E.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
So nice to be here with you, So happy to have.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
This moment because we never actually get a chance to
sit down and talk like this, and the executive editor
of Futuro Studios, our very own Marie Garcia, MG, what's up?
Speaker 4 (07:20):
What's up?
Speaker 9 (07:20):
Hi? Maria, so excited to be in conversation with you all.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
So one of the things that happened this year is
that Fernande Chavari made a jump from Futuro Studios to
come work with us as the managing editor at Latino USA.
This is where Fernande started her career at Futuro Media
in twenty fifteen, was at Latino USA and it's been
(07:45):
such a joy. She left Futuro to go work at
Mother Jones and then we were lucky enough to have
her comeback. And Fernanda came to me at one point
at the height of the Ice assault, when many of us,
including journalists, were like, how do we cover this story
in the best way? And you said, We're going on
(08:05):
the ground to la We're going on the ground to Chicago,
We're going to go to Mexico City to talk to
the president. We're going to do a takeout about what
this all means. And I remember like, oh my god,
this sounds huge, Fernanda, excellent reporting. Tell us a little
bit about why you, as a managing and editor, were like,
(08:25):
we have to do this story and we have to
do it like this with a lot of travel.
Speaker 10 (08:29):
Well, first, thank you for such wonderful words, Maria. And
as you said, Latino, USA is where I started at Futuro.
So after all these years, this twenty twenty five felt
like the year to really be in a weekly show
where we are covering everything that's going on. Our trips
(08:56):
are not glamorous. We're not leisurely taking time in a
city to figure out what we're going to do next.
We got interviews lined up, but we're also super nimble,
so if something happens, if we meet somebody, if we're like,
this is actually the route we need to go, we
do it. But you also said this is a priority.
So yes, I came to you. I said I want
to do this, we should do this. But you also
said I want to do this, we should do this,
(09:17):
So we were on the same page from the start.
We all wanted to say, Okay, yes, there's a lot
that's been going on, let's take a moment and let's
make an episode that will be the one thing you're
going to listen to understand not just the policies, not
just the newest this or that, but how this is
affecting people deeply in their everyday lives and their mental
(09:40):
health in the way. That also the way that the
Mexican president is responding to this. So we really wanted
to present something that if you listen to these forty
something minutes, you're going to get all of that. I
think Maria and I talked about this at one point.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
This is us.
Speaker 10 (09:56):
Leaving our market in history. What were you doing in
this moment in twenty twenty five when this what's happening. This,
this is what we're doing.
Speaker 7 (10:02):
This is what we choose to do.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
But none that there is a lot to celebrate about
Latino Usay. The hits keep on coming. Not only did
we win extraordinary awards, we have done a lot of
viral moments now because of our interviews. What stands out
about what we just did in twenty twenty five and
what you're thinking about for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 10 (10:30):
So I have to say, when it comes to having
some viral moments, I have to start with the most recent,
which is Oscar Isaac. We had been trying to do
the interview with him. I had been in communication with
his people at Netflix and trying to get something. At
first it was We're gonna have Oscar Isaac ngiyemol doro
juntos like together.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
I was like, what are you kidding me?
Speaker 10 (10:50):
Can we please make this happen? It did not happen,
but we got an entire hour of forty five minutes
with the Oscar Isaac and obviously people like him as
much as we at Latino USA like him because there'etting
it's getting a lot of attention online on social media.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
We contributed to every facet of this country, from the
top to the bottom, in every field where the backbone
of this country.
Speaker 10 (11:17):
And then this is sort of the book end of
how we're ending the year. But you look back at
the beginning of the year and we had.
Speaker 11 (11:23):
Aoc understand that America's immigration force and our community of immigrants,
including and especially the millions of undocumented people in this
country are why America has prospered.
Speaker 10 (11:37):
We've had Judy Reyison, We've had Anthony Romero from the ACLU,
we have had musicians like Buscabuyah, we had Louis Guzman.
Like I'm just I'm looking. I'm literally turning to the
right looking at the list to see all the interviews
with reached.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
This one also went viral, Louise Guzman.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
Yes, that faced that voice viral moment for us.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
And these problems.
Speaker 11 (12:00):
Ticians need to understand that we mean something and not
saving us for the last second to try to help
the thinking shit.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
But based on the journalism, which is what we love.
It's not based on a clique thing. It's based on journalism,
on what he answered to in the interview.
Speaker 10 (12:16):
A lot of times, yes, people will reach out to
us and say so and so is doing promotion for
their next film or their next TV show. But our
interviews here and again, if you're listening to this, you
already know they're not just fifteen minute interviews about the
role you're playing, the character that you're playing, and what
this movie is about. Our one on ones with you, Maria,
are interviews that really go deep with the person. Yes,
(12:39):
it's celebrity, but it's also it's story. It's hard, it's politics,
it's news, it's fun, it's connection.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
When I was little, I actually years later I realized
what happened.
Speaker 7 (12:53):
I'd been gay bash everything.
Speaker 6 (12:55):
We are everything that I am as an Afro Latina,
as an actor, as a middle aged woman, mother of
a queer kid, creative, everything that I am is being threatened.
Speaker 10 (13:12):
You know, when I look back at twenty twenty five,
we have had such wonderful moments of connection with our audience.
Be it the narrative stories that we tell, and we've
done a lot of investigative work. We've done narrative work,
we've done deeply personal work.
Speaker 7 (13:26):
Also, the Department of Homeland Security and other state and
local agencies have used tattoos and other items to help
determine if someone documented or not is a gang member.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Right, a ceel.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
But the fear of what could happen to my baby
is just too much.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
My childhood embodied the diaspora school years in the States,
but these long, delicious summers in Panama, and at the
end of each summer, a dread formed in me and
I'd cry all the way back to the States.
Speaker 10 (14:08):
And I just I'm so proud of twenty twenty five
cultural analysis that's really fun and rowdy. I mean, Love Island,
Emilia Perees the film. Like when you think about the
cultural roundtables that we've had.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Especially in this current.
Speaker 7 (14:27):
We need this.
Speaker 12 (14:28):
We need a Latino to win.
Speaker 6 (14:30):
During the press conference for Emilia Petes, Jacodiat said, I
didn't even know that Selena did not speak Spanish.
Speaker 10 (14:38):
This is what our life is like. You know, when
I look back at twenty twenty five, my life is
not just all fun. My life is not just all seriousness,
and it's not just all suffering or politics. It's it's
a combination of all of it. And I think that's
the idea for twenty twenty six is to continue with connection,
to keep Latino USA listeners informed up to speed on
(14:58):
what's going on in the world around them, but to
do it in a way that is going deeper every
single time.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
A lot of the work that we've done is really emotional,
but I think that there's a value to that in
the journalism that we do. Getting into an immigrant detention
camp in Aurora, Colorado to interview Jenet Dizguerra, the first
immigrant to tell me that she considers herself a political prisoner,
this was huge.
Speaker 10 (15:25):
I think at the center of it is collaboration. We
worked with a freelancer who had been working on stories
for US for Latino USA, and she said, I think
I can get us into the detention facility. And you know,
since this is a little bit more of a behind
the scenes conversation, there is something different now about access
(15:46):
to these places. In fact, Maria, when you and I
first met in twenty fifteen, it was there was a
detention center that you had just toured and that I
visited when we met, it was a lot less difficult
to get into these places. Now it is nearly impossible.
So the fact that we were able to put you
there with a camera because you know, yes, we do audio,
(16:10):
but we understand the power of the visual medium. So
being able to get there on like a super quick
notice from Ice, get inside and then hear a woman
say I am a political prisoner inside a detention facility
is unlike anything I thought I was going to hear, and.
Speaker 5 (16:26):
Beteven disinko stamos retro sedendo tanto signos.
Speaker 9 (16:31):
Adres comodomo roombo ada.
Speaker 10 (16:36):
We've done many collaborations. We did a collaboration with NPR
with NPRS embedded.
Speaker 7 (16:41):
We just started hearing that patients were taking.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Some pillssan you can have a safe abortion and you
can do it at home.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
This is the story of that discovery.
Speaker 10 (16:53):
We're doing a collaboration with the Marshall Project, an extremely
reputable organization for journalism criminal justice, and we did the
partnership with cal matters, and it's a time I think
now more important than ever to work with the resources
you have and pair up with other people who are
also wanting to do the same work you're doing to
reach more listeners, more viewers, more readers. People don't say
(17:17):
to what is it two heads, two brains?
Speaker 7 (17:19):
What is it?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
In English?
Speaker 10 (17:20):
Two heads are better than one, two brains are better
than one. So I'm really big on collaborations and I'm
really glad that we were able to do that this year.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
And it shows a lot about how Futuro is being
nimble like we are feeling the squeeze, we collaborate.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
That's one way.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
Another way is to turn to individual donors get a
lot of foundation support. We need individual donors. Dear listener,
obviously you're thinking, wow, I really do need to dig
in a little bit deeper and make a gift at
the end of the year for Futuro, because because they
need it, because I believe in you, because you want
(17:59):
to support the world that we're doing.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
And I know all of us are feeling the economic tightness.
But what matters is that you give.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
But then what we really love is a monthly gift
so you can do whatever five, ten, fifteen, twenty five,
one hundred dollars a month. I'm a monthly giver because
that way I know it's taken care of. I know
that I did my my good deed for the month.
So consider that.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Now.
Speaker 5 (18:37):
As you know, at Futuro, we also have our Futuro Studios.
Futuro Studios has done exemplary work across the years, but
this year was also very special. Marie I Gottacia, what
do you want our viewers' listeners to know about what
was beautiful in twenty twenty five from Futuro Studios.
Speaker 9 (18:59):
Thanks for those words, somebody at It's so fun to
be in conversation with you and Fanda, and I just
want to say, first of all, like congratulations on an
amazing year for Latino USA. You know, I've always believed
that Latino USA holds such a unique space in the landscape,
(19:20):
not just of news but also of culture. We're being
incredibly transparent about the position that we are covering these
stories from, which is a position that cares about our communities,
is invested in our communities. We are from these communities
that we are covering, and we're not afraid to own
(19:40):
that and to say that and to say that like
we care deeply about the people we are covering, and
that first and foremost we uphold their humanity. So I
just want to shout you all out for all the
work you're doing at Latino USA and you know, at studios.
One of the highlights that I want to start with
is of course our release of Suave Season two, that
(20:05):
you have been working on and gestating for like the
last you know, two decades of your life with this
incredibly special relationship with Suave Gonzalez. And season one was
all about Sauave's journey to be released from prison, and
you know, most journalism organizations would cover up until that point, right,
(20:27):
and that would be the end of the story. What
I loved about us and your vision for this, Maria,
is that season two is all about the quiet evolution
of Suave and frankly like you and your relationship with
(20:48):
Suave after he came out of prison. And so season
one is very much an external plot, right, like what
is happening in suaves life leading up to getting out
of prison, et cetera. But season two is so internal.
It really is about Savi's internal life and the way
(21:11):
he may or may not at times feel incarcerated from within,
and your very singular relationship and friendship with him, and
how it evolves, how nuanced it is, how layered and
complicated it is. And I think we see a very
raw Save in season two, and we see a very
(21:34):
raw Maria as well. In season two.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
You remember when you were like, are you sure you
want to have that piece of tape?
Speaker 5 (21:41):
And I was like, yeah, it's okay if I don't
look okay, because that's honesty. That's the transparency. That's what
journalism and journalists do, right, we're honest.
Speaker 9 (21:51):
I mean that literally is radical transparency, right, the fact
that you went there, and it's true verite documentary work,
where like we're getting these quiet moments between you and
Suave where you two almost forget that you're being recorded,
(22:12):
and there's fights in there, there's some bickering in there,
there's also like some reckoning in there, but there's also
like this beautiful bond above all else, like you and
him will always occupy a very specific space in each
other's lives. I really loved the role of spirituality that
(22:41):
the podcast highlights in your relationship with Suave. In his
own spiritual evolution. We see him go back to Puerto
Rico and there are this beautiful, beautiful scene with you
and him and Julieta, the senior producer who has also
been on this journey with you and hosts did this season.
Speaker 8 (23:01):
All the challenges small and large in Swabi's life received
here he is a survivor receiving a blessing in a
place where the waters meet for a single moment home.
Speaker 9 (23:17):
I felt so moved by that, and I felt like
there was just this like Catharsis of the season, and
there was this moment where I was listening to it
and I was like, I'm so grateful to work in
a place that does not see like hardcore investigative journalism
(23:42):
as if it's inherently in opposition or in competition to
storytelling that is spiritual, that has heart, that is soft,
that is human, and that we see that we can
do both. We can be hardcore, fact based investigative journalists,
because Suave is that right. Save also has a lot
(24:05):
of investigative elements, but we can also show up as
our full selves and what is our full selves? Like
we are Latina women who grew up with these spiritual
practices and like we bring all of ourselves to our work.
That's why I'm so grateful to Futuro and for our
listeners out there, as I just want to tell you,
(24:26):
that's rare. It's rare to get storytelling like this, for
this to exist in the landscape of news right now,
a place that does not sacrifice the rigor the excellence
of hardcore reporting, but also make space for the human,
for the spiritual, you know, for the fully raw.
Speaker 8 (24:47):
It's just so.
Speaker 9 (24:48):
Special, and that's why I'm so grateful for Futudo.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
It's the way, like we decide that we're going to
change the definition of investigative journalism. One of my favorite
things at Futuro Studios was able to.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
Do in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
Oh my God, I love Loud the History of Reggaeton
with Evie Queen. There is big news about Loud in
twenty twenty.
Speaker 9 (25:14):
Five, a huge news, Madia, something we had been working
on for quite some time, you know. So when Loud
was released a few years ago, it became like an
instant classic, specifically even in university classrooms. Every semester we
would get dozens and dozens of emails from university professor saying, oh,
(25:38):
I'm teaching Loud in my university course, and it was
really neat to see that. But as you know, Loud
is a podcast about the history of Regaton, so it
has a lot of music, and when it was released,
the licensing for the music was only for a few years,
and so that expired, and so our partner that we
(26:00):
released Loud with Spotify removed Loud from all streaming services,
and so suddenly we got so many emails. There was
even a petition online of people saying like, bring Loud back,
Why is it gone? And so we thought, how can
we bring this back. We worked for a long time
with Spotify to bring back the show and work and
(26:24):
resolve the music issue, and so we have already we're seeing,
like you know, people celebrating it's back in like university courses.
People love to hear Evie Queen, but she's the host
of that show and people love her voice, Like who
(26:48):
better right to tell the history of than who was there?
La Medametra.
Speaker 12 (27:02):
You could say that was the day that Erik Quinn
was born. Frinan Mente, I was at that place that
I know, I blow all alone for comso Cara that
made me Laine and made me a household name.
Speaker 9 (27:20):
And so we love to have iv Queen's voice back
on Spotify with Loud and the show we're working on.
One of the shows working on for twenty twenty six
is very much similar Vibe. It's not about Reaton, but
it's very similar to the history of a very specific
Latino music genre told by somebody who also has an
(27:41):
unforgettable voice. So that's going to be exciting.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
Oh my god, start guessing it's gonna be big. There's
a lot to celebrate in terms of what's coming up
as well for twenty twenty six. Another reason why people
might be like, got to support Fortudo. We love what
they do, we love what studios does.
Speaker 9 (27:59):
We are gonna have an extraordinary year next year. La
Brega season three is returning. This is our show all
about Puerto Rican identity, Puerto Rican storytelling. Talk about a
kind of show that like you're not gonna get anywhere else.
We're so excited. This season three is going to be
all about gampionis e gampionas people championing Puerto Rico in
(28:21):
different ways, not just in sports. So we're very excited.
It's beautiful it's beautiful, it's inspiring, it's artful.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
Oh, I cannot wait.
Speaker 10 (28:32):
When when does it come out?
Speaker 1 (28:33):
Maria?
Speaker 9 (28:34):
We'll allowance a launch date very soon. We're also going
to launch another big show that's all about big cultural
moments of the past and of the present, the kind
of like prestige, beautiful, high quality storytelling that you love
from Fududo Studios. And it's going to be a weekly show,
a weekly storytelling show. So we just have a lot
going on, and it's all thanks to the working at
(28:56):
such a unique place as Fududo and the listeners who
really support us and keeping us, keeping us here.
Speaker 5 (29:11):
You've both talked about the uniqueness of the kind of
newsroom that we have created for those people who are like,
why exactly is Futuro so special? Why is it so
special for you?
Speaker 10 (29:24):
Fernanda, if you've been listening up until this point, you
already have heard us talk about why it's so special. Right,
It's so special because we can start the year interviewing
AOC and ended with Oscar Isaac, because we can have
a story that we have a producer, Renald Loans Junior,
go to Central America and then take time working on
(29:46):
this narrative, investigative, deeply reported story. And then we can
also at the same time do a story in three days.
And I mean we talked about really at the center
of it is it's journalism with heart and it's rather transparency.
I think those are really two of our guiding principles here.
One of the things that I feel very grateful for
(30:06):
is that here there is no oh, is this a
news piece or is this a culture piece? Is this
a news show or a culture show?
Speaker 11 (30:14):
Like, we don't have.
Speaker 10 (30:15):
Those definitions that would limit you, and that would frankly
diminish the work that goes into everything that we put
out and the value in talking about things that are
not just news. So I think that there is balance here,
there is a shared sense of purpose.
Speaker 5 (30:32):
I think at Futuro, Maria Garcia some thoughts about why
Futuro is so special.
Speaker 9 (30:38):
Well, to me, Madia really comes down to this idea
of radical transparency. There is no such thing as coming
to a story as a journalist from a place of nowhere.
You come to the story with the place in the
(30:58):
world that you occupy and the lenses that brings you. So,
for example, with me, I come to every story as
a Mexican immigrant, first generation front risa daughter of Guarences.
That is my lens through which I see the world.
One of my lenses the first queer woman in my
family to come out. And I think there are many
(31:20):
journalistic institutions that would say take off those lenses because
they might make you biased and try to come at
the story as if you're just dropped into the world
with no prior experience, with no prior context, and just
look at it completely fresh, which is one impossible and
(31:43):
two intellectually and morally dishonest. But there's still this idea
in journalism that's somehow you're supposed to do that. And
what I love about Fuduo is that Fudua reframes that
and says, no, come with your context. Come with your lenses,
because that is expertise that we need, That is context
(32:05):
that we need. There can be some objectivity to your process.
There are standards to reporting, to interviewing, to fact checking,
to researching, to writing to editing that you can implement
in the process to make it sound journalistically. And so
(32:26):
that's what I'm proud of, is that we bring both
the radical transparency and the cultural expertise that we have
as human beings plus the super rigorous process to our
work and to me, it's like the best of both worlds.
Speaker 5 (32:53):
So we are celebrating fifteen years of futuro media. When
I founded footdu Media, you know, I would like, Okay,
I'm just gonna do this. I was like, oh my god, please,
let's just make it to three years. Well we have
made it to fifteen. So we are celebrating our king Sangnetra. Yes,
there there will be celebrations.
Speaker 9 (33:13):
Are we gonna Are we gonna dance the valves, the
Chaian bulls.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
We're gonna dance the chat.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
Dress, those dress, those.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
Dress, Fidananda. Before we wrap, just tell me real briefly,
what was your king signete like?
Speaker 4 (33:47):
I didn't have one? A he You were like, no, boy,
I don't want to wear the dress.
Speaker 9 (33:53):
No, no, it's too long of a story.
Speaker 5 (33:56):
But now we can because the listeners will be like,
we really want to hear the story. Marie Gotcia, did
you have a king Sennetra?
Speaker 3 (34:04):
I did it.
Speaker 9 (34:04):
My parents gave me a choice between a king Signetra
and a trip to Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
I was in LA.
Speaker 5 (34:13):
And you know what, I also didn't have a king
Tagnetta because the only Kingtannetas that I had reference to
were my pumas in Mexico, and they had the quintaniras,
the coming down the stairs, you know, getting the country club,
the big dress, the chiam milan is the whole thing.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
And I was like, that's just not me.
Speaker 5 (34:36):
And all of my teenage American friends would be like,
are you crazy if I was to do that? But
never say never, because Futuro Media is celebrating our King Sennetra.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
There will be dresses. That's all we're gonna say.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
Nanda Echavari, Managing editor of Latino USA, Marie Gracia, Executive
editor of Futuro Studios, thank you so much for being
my colleagues, for delivering excellence work that you do with
joy and commitment and professionalism. I couldn't be more honored
that both of you are part of the senior leadership
of Full Duro Media, which I was gonna.
Speaker 10 (35:11):
Ask, yes, thank you so much.
Speaker 9 (35:13):
Thank you Media.
Speaker 5 (35:34):
So a lot of celebrating, a lot of things to
look forward to, a lot of things to be thankful for.
So because today is Giving Tuesday, this is the time
to do it. It's a moment to actually unlock radical generosity.
And if you give between now and December thirty, first,
your gift is doubled by newsmatch.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
I love this.
Speaker 5 (35:58):
It's when I love to give because I know that
I'm going to be matched. So if it's five, it's
now ten. If you're giving twenty, it's now forty. If
you're giving one hundred, it's now two hundred. If you're
giving five hundred, it's one thousand dollars. So remember you
can give at fultudomediagroup dot org slash donate and you
(36:20):
know what we are going to be doing some merch,
So keep your eyes out and more than anything, enjoy
your families, Enjoy the love around you. Enjoy great journalism, storytelling,
reporting that you can have on the background while you're
celebrating and being with your family. Always have us on
the background.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
We love that. And remember, as always and now more
than ever, not do I Yes
Speaker 1 (36:50):
Plus
Plan.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Hi, my name Van Henica Sanchez. The episode that really
shoot me and touched me the most was Suave season two,
episode five, where Swave is crashing out about his car
and just the helplessness I felt listening to that episode,
both from Swabi and Maria really really touched me. Anyway,
(00:28):
I think about it all the time. Thank you so
much for the show and everything that you do.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Ah, this is my eighties one moon. My favorite episode
of this full year was Coming to Colombia, Columbian America
and returns to the Motherland. I thought it was great.
I actually I am Colomian too and had a similar
story than Tasha. It was very special to hear someone
with a similar story and just to recognize myself in
(00:54):
her story. Uh Andasha for an amazing story, and thank
you for everything you guys do.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
By dear listener.
Speaker 5 (01:11):
Always at the end of the year, I'm like, wait,
how did this happen? How did we finish a year?
But we have finished the year. We are coming up
on the end of twenty twenty five, and what a
year it has been. It has been a challenging year
for our democracy at large, for journalism, but it's specifically
(01:34):
been a very challenging year if you are Latino, Latina,
LATINX or Latine in the United States of America in
terms of public media, very specifically, like the attacks have
come to fruition right, the loss of funding for public
television and for public radio across the country.
Speaker 4 (01:56):
It's real.
Speaker 5 (01:57):
Futro media was born years ago. In the year twenty ten.
There were also a lot of economic challenges, political challenges,
business challenges, and that's when we launched. We have learned
(02:18):
that it is a bit of a roller coaster to
run an independent, small nonprofit newsroom founded by a Latina
Mexican immigrant. But the thing is, we understand challenges and
we face them.
Speaker 4 (02:35):
We don't give up.
Speaker 5 (02:36):
You know, in a moment like this, we go back,
we look at what we have accomplished in a year.
It has been a lot. So we want to share
some of this because you know, we're doing it every week.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Every week, every week we're turning a show. These are
the moments when we're able to kind.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
Of take a pause and say, wow, we really did
something extraordinary in twenty twenty five, and we want to
bring you along for the ride. We obviously were documenting
the first year of a second Trump presidency, one that
came into power with many Latino and Latina voters.
Speaker 6 (03:12):
While majority of Latinos voted for Kamala Harris, Trump was
backed by a record forty six percent of Latino voters,
even gaining support in Democratic strongholds like New York City.
Speaker 5 (03:24):
And of course, at Dudo Studios, I had this dream
of doing a podcast about Suave and I never gave
up that dream, and we formed a team and they
delivered a story that, of course won us a Pulitzer Prize.
Speaker 4 (03:39):
For our audience, it's important for them to know that
you are one of two Latinas in history.
Speaker 7 (03:44):
To win a Pulitzer and you did it out of
an organization that you founded.
Speaker 5 (03:48):
And in twenty twenty five we released season two of Swave.
Speaker 8 (03:55):
It's been seven years since David Luis Suave Gonzalez was
really from prison after being sentenced to serve life without
Paul as a teenager.
Speaker 5 (04:05):
A profound feat of journalism, but oh my god, really
telenovela based on fact, so important to follow the life
of somebody who spent thirty one years behind bars. We
pride ourselves in what we have done, but always looking
to the next story. What's the next big podcast, We're
(04:28):
going to do, what's the next investigation, What's the next
big get, what is the next Yeah, celebrity that.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
We're going to do an interview that is going.
Speaker 5 (04:37):
To rock people's boats because we talk about things differently
at Futuro Media. And to meet the moment we made
a big splash, we decided to launch our own subscription service,
asking you to become effectively part of our team by
subscribing to us on a monthly basis with Futuro Plus
and all of that. To say that we're celebrating fifteen
(05:01):
years this notion of getting to celebrate the Kinze. So
if you're like, what is she talking about? In Latin America,
you celebrate turning fifteen years old, it's like a sweet sixteen,
but in Latin America it's the sweet fifteen. It's called
the King Sanieta, and so we are celebrating our big
(05:26):
King Seneta. And what we do at Futuro is that
we dream big. So we want you to be a
part of a big dream, which is to meet the
Kinze by raising one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
Yeah, that's a big number.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
What's important to us is not every single amount, but
the fact that every single person is making the decision
to celebrate us to be part of our kings.
Speaker 4 (05:55):
We gotta reach for the sky, right.
Speaker 5 (05:58):
But we also have something that's manageable as well, which
is we want one hundred new donors. So one hundred
of you who have never donated, who are like you
know what, I think, this is a year. So come
on now, a hundred of you become a new donor
to Food Doudo Media.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
You are going to feel so good about it.
Speaker 5 (06:29):
So there are a lot of things that I love
about Foot Douo Media. I mean so many things, but
one of the things that I appreciate is being able
to work with incredible colleagues who have like a commitment
to the field of journalism and also great storytelling and
(06:51):
who are just great.
Speaker 4 (06:53):
Humans in the newsroom.
Speaker 5 (06:56):
So joining me to talk about things that have happened
a Futuro are the managing editor of Latino USA, the
one and only Fernanda echavari E.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
So nice to be here with you, So happy to have.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
This moment because we never actually get a chance to
sit down and talk like this, and the executive editor
of Futuro Studios, our very own Marie Garcia, MG, what's up?
Speaker 4 (07:20):
What's up?
Speaker 9 (07:20):
Hi? Maria, so excited to be in conversation with you all.
Speaker 5 (07:25):
So one of the things that happened this year is
that Fernande Chavari made a jump from Futuro Studios to
come work with us as the managing editor at Latino USA.
This is where Fernande started her career at Futuro Media
in twenty fifteen, was at Latino USA and it's been
(07:45):
such a joy. She left Futuro to go work at
Mother Jones and then we were lucky enough to have
her comeback. And Fernanda came to me at one point
at the height of the Ice assault, when many of us,
including journalists, were like, how do we cover this story
in the best way? And you said, We're going on
(08:05):
the ground to la We're going on the ground to Chicago,
We're going to go to Mexico City to talk to
the president. We're going to do a takeout about what
this all means. And I remember like, oh my god,
this sounds huge, Fernanda, excellent reporting. Tell us a little
bit about why you, as a managing and editor, were like,
(08:25):
we have to do this story and we have to
do it like this with a lot of travel.
Speaker 10 (08:29):
Well, first, thank you for such wonderful words, Maria. And
as you said, Latino, USA is where I started at Futuro.
So after all these years, this twenty twenty five felt
like the year to really be in a weekly show
where we are covering everything that's going on. Our trips
(08:56):
are not glamorous. We're not leisurely taking time in a
city to figure out what we're going to do next.
We got interviews lined up, but we're also super nimble,
so if something happens, if we meet somebody, if we're like,
this is actually the route we need to go, we
do it. But you also said this is a priority.
So yes, I came to you. I said I want
to do this, we should do this. But you also
said I want to do this, we should do this,
(09:17):
So we were on the same page from the start.
We all wanted to say, Okay, yes, there's a lot
that's been going on, let's take a moment and let's
make an episode that will be the one thing you're
going to listen to understand not just the policies, not
just the newest this or that, but how this is
affecting people deeply in their everyday lives and their mental
(09:40):
health in the way. That also the way that the
Mexican president is responding to this. So we really wanted
to present something that if you listen to these forty
something minutes, you're going to get all of that. I
think Maria and I talked about this at one point.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
This is us.
Speaker 10 (09:56):
Leaving our market in history. What were you doing in
this moment in twenty twenty five when this what's happening. This,
this is what we're doing.
Speaker 7 (10:02):
This is what we choose to do.
Speaker 5 (10:09):
But none that there is a lot to celebrate about
Latino Usay. The hits keep on coming. Not only did
we win extraordinary awards, we have done a lot of
viral moments now because of our interviews. What stands out
about what we just did in twenty twenty five and
what you're thinking about for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 10 (10:30):
So I have to say, when it comes to having
some viral moments, I have to start with the most recent,
which is Oscar Isaac. We had been trying to do
the interview with him. I had been in communication with
his people at Netflix and trying to get something. At
first it was We're gonna have Oscar Isaac ngiyemol doro
juntos like together.
Speaker 4 (10:48):
I was like, what are you kidding me?
Speaker 10 (10:50):
Can we please make this happen? It did not happen,
but we got an entire hour of forty five minutes
with the Oscar Isaac and obviously people like him as
much as we at Latino USA like him because there'etting
it's getting a lot of attention online on social media.
Speaker 5 (11:07):
We contributed to every facet of this country, from the
top to the bottom, in every field where the backbone
of this country.
Speaker 10 (11:17):
And then this is sort of the book end of
how we're ending the year. But you look back at
the beginning of the year and we had.
Speaker 11 (11:23):
Aoc understand that America's immigration force and our community of immigrants,
including and especially the millions of undocumented people in this
country are why America has prospered.
Speaker 10 (11:37):
We've had Judy Reyison, We've had Anthony Romero from the ACLU,
we have had musicians like Buscabuyah, we had Louis Guzman.
Like I'm just I'm looking. I'm literally turning to the
right looking at the list to see all the interviews
with reached.
Speaker 4 (11:52):
This one also went viral, Louise Guzman.
Speaker 5 (11:55):
Yes, that faced that voice viral moment for us.
Speaker 1 (11:58):
And these problems.
Speaker 11 (12:00):
Ticians need to understand that we mean something and not
saving us for the last second to try to help
the thinking shit.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
But based on the journalism, which is what we love.
It's not based on a clique thing. It's based on journalism,
on what he answered to in the interview.
Speaker 10 (12:16):
A lot of times, yes, people will reach out to
us and say so and so is doing promotion for
their next film or their next TV show. But our
interviews here and again, if you're listening to this, you
already know they're not just fifteen minute interviews about the
role you're playing, the character that you're playing, and what
this movie is about. Our one on ones with you, Maria,
are interviews that really go deep with the person. Yes,
(12:39):
it's celebrity, but it's also it's story. It's hard, it's politics,
it's news, it's fun, it's connection.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
When I was little, I actually years later I realized
what happened.
Speaker 7 (12:53):
I'd been gay bash everything.
Speaker 6 (12:55):
We are everything that I am as an Afro Latina,
as an actor, as a middle aged woman, mother of
a queer kid, creative, everything that I am is being threatened.
Speaker 10 (13:12):
You know, when I look back at twenty twenty five,
we have had such wonderful moments of connection with our audience.
Be it the narrative stories that we tell, and we've
done a lot of investigative work. We've done narrative work,
we've done deeply personal work.
Speaker 7 (13:26):
Also, the Department of Homeland Security and other state and
local agencies have used tattoos and other items to help
determine if someone documented or not is a gang member.
Speaker 4 (13:38):
Right, a ceel.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
But the fear of what could happen to my baby
is just too much.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
My childhood embodied the diaspora school years in the States,
but these long, delicious summers in Panama, and at the
end of each summer, a dread formed in me and
I'd cry all the way back to the States.
Speaker 10 (14:08):
And I just I'm so proud of twenty twenty five
cultural analysis that's really fun and rowdy. I mean, Love Island,
Emilia Perees the film. Like when you think about the
cultural roundtables that we've had.
Speaker 1 (14:24):
Especially in this current.
Speaker 7 (14:27):
We need this.
Speaker 12 (14:28):
We need a Latino to win.
Speaker 6 (14:30):
During the press conference for Emilia Petes, Jacodiat said, I
didn't even know that Selena did not speak Spanish.
Speaker 10 (14:38):
This is what our life is like. You know, when
I look back at twenty twenty five, my life is
not just all fun. My life is not just all seriousness,
and it's not just all suffering or politics. It's it's
a combination of all of it. And I think that's
the idea for twenty twenty six is to continue with connection,
to keep Latino USA listeners informed up to speed on
(14:58):
what's going on in the world around them, but to
do it in a way that is going deeper every
single time.
Speaker 5 (15:04):
A lot of the work that we've done is really emotional,
but I think that there's a value to that in
the journalism that we do. Getting into an immigrant detention
camp in Aurora, Colorado to interview Jenet Dizguerra, the first
immigrant to tell me that she considers herself a political prisoner,
this was huge.
Speaker 10 (15:25):
I think at the center of it is collaboration. We
worked with a freelancer who had been working on stories
for US for Latino USA, and she said, I think
I can get us into the detention facility. And you know,
since this is a little bit more of a behind
the scenes conversation, there is something different now about access
(15:46):
to these places. In fact, Maria, when you and I
first met in twenty fifteen, it was there was a
detention center that you had just toured and that I
visited when we met, it was a lot less difficult
to get into these places. Now it is nearly impossible.
So the fact that we were able to put you
there with a camera because you know, yes, we do audio,
(16:10):
but we understand the power of the visual medium. So
being able to get there on like a super quick
notice from Ice, get inside and then hear a woman
say I am a political prisoner inside a detention facility
is unlike anything I thought I was going to hear, and.
Speaker 5 (16:26):
Beteven disinko stamos retro sedendo tanto signos.
Speaker 9 (16:31):
Adres comodomo roombo ada.
Speaker 10 (16:36):
We've done many collaborations. We did a collaboration with NPR
with NPRS embedded.
Speaker 7 (16:41):
We just started hearing that patients were taking.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
Some pillssan you can have a safe abortion and you
can do it at home.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
This is the story of that discovery.
Speaker 10 (16:53):
We're doing a collaboration with the Marshall Project, an extremely
reputable organization for journalism criminal justice, and we did the
partnership with cal matters, and it's a time I think
now more important than ever to work with the resources
you have and pair up with other people who are
also wanting to do the same work you're doing to
reach more listeners, more viewers, more readers. People don't say
(17:17):
to what is it two heads, two brains?
Speaker 7 (17:19):
What is it?
Speaker 2 (17:19):
In English?
Speaker 10 (17:20):
Two heads are better than one, two brains are better
than one. So I'm really big on collaborations and I'm
really glad that we were able to do that this year.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
And it shows a lot about how Futuro is being
nimble like we are feeling the squeeze, we collaborate.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
That's one way.
Speaker 5 (17:38):
Another way is to turn to individual donors get a
lot of foundation support. We need individual donors. Dear listener,
obviously you're thinking, wow, I really do need to dig
in a little bit deeper and make a gift at
the end of the year for Futuro, because because they
need it, because I believe in you, because you want
(17:59):
to support the world that we're doing.
Speaker 4 (18:01):
And I know all of us are feeling the economic tightness.
But what matters is that you give.
Speaker 5 (18:06):
But then what we really love is a monthly gift
so you can do whatever five, ten, fifteen, twenty five,
one hundred dollars a month. I'm a monthly giver because
that way I know it's taken care of. I know
that I did my my good deed for the month.
So consider that.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
Now.
Speaker 5 (18:37):
As you know, at Futuro, we also have our Futuro Studios.
Futuro Studios has done exemplary work across the years, but
this year was also very special. Marie I Gottacia, what
do you want our viewers' listeners to know about what
was beautiful in twenty twenty five from Futuro Studios.
Speaker 9 (18:59):
Thanks for those words, somebody at It's so fun to
be in conversation with you and Fanda, and I just
want to say, first of all, like congratulations on an
amazing year for Latino USA. You know, I've always believed
that Latino USA holds such a unique space in the landscape,
(19:20):
not just of news but also of culture. We're being
incredibly transparent about the position that we are covering these
stories from, which is a position that cares about our communities,
is invested in our communities. We are from these communities
that we are covering, and we're not afraid to own
(19:40):
that and to say that and to say that like
we care deeply about the people we are covering, and
that first and foremost we uphold their humanity. So I
just want to shout you all out for all the
work you're doing at Latino USA and you know, at studios.
One of the highlights that I want to start with
is of course our release of Suave Season two, that
(20:05):
you have been working on and gestating for like the
last you know, two decades of your life with this
incredibly special relationship with Suave Gonzalez. And season one was
all about Sauave's journey to be released from prison, and
you know, most journalism organizations would cover up until that point, right,
(20:27):
and that would be the end of the story. What
I loved about us and your vision for this, Maria,
is that season two is all about the quiet evolution
of Suave and frankly like you and your relationship with
(20:48):
Suave after he came out of prison. And so season
one is very much an external plot, right, like what
is happening in suaves life leading up to getting out
of prison, et cetera. But season two is so internal.
It really is about Savi's internal life and the way
(21:11):
he may or may not at times feel incarcerated from within,
and your very singular relationship and friendship with him, and
how it evolves, how nuanced it is, how layered and
complicated it is. And I think we see a very
raw Save in season two, and we see a very
(21:34):
raw Maria as well. In season two.
Speaker 4 (21:38):
You remember when you were like, are you sure you
want to have that piece of tape?
Speaker 5 (21:41):
And I was like, yeah, it's okay if I don't
look okay, because that's honesty. That's the transparency. That's what
journalism and journalists do, right, we're honest.
Speaker 9 (21:51):
I mean that literally is radical transparency, right, the fact
that you went there, and it's true verite documentary work,
where like we're getting these quiet moments between you and
Suave where you two almost forget that you're being recorded,
(22:12):
and there's fights in there, there's some bickering in there,
there's also like some reckoning in there, but there's also
like this beautiful bond above all else, like you and
him will always occupy a very specific space in each
other's lives. I really loved the role of spirituality that
(22:41):
the podcast highlights in your relationship with Suave. In his
own spiritual evolution. We see him go back to Puerto
Rico and there are this beautiful, beautiful scene with you
and him and Julieta, the senior producer who has also
been on this journey with you and hosts did this season.
Speaker 8 (23:01):
All the challenges small and large in Swabi's life received
here he is a survivor receiving a blessing in a
place where the waters meet for a single moment home.
Speaker 9 (23:17):
I felt so moved by that, and I felt like
there was just this like Catharsis of the season, and
there was this moment where I was listening to it
and I was like, I'm so grateful to work in
a place that does not see like hardcore investigative journalism
(23:42):
as if it's inherently in opposition or in competition to
storytelling that is spiritual, that has heart, that is soft,
that is human, and that we see that we can
do both. We can be hardcore, fact based investigative journalists,
because Suave is that right. Save also has a lot
(24:05):
of investigative elements, but we can also show up as
our full selves and what is our full selves? Like
we are Latina women who grew up with these spiritual
practices and like we bring all of ourselves to our work.
That's why I'm so grateful to Futuro and for our
listeners out there, as I just want to tell you,
(24:26):
that's rare. It's rare to get storytelling like this, for
this to exist in the landscape of news right now,
a place that does not sacrifice the rigor the excellence
of hardcore reporting, but also make space for the human,
for the spiritual, you know, for the fully raw.
Speaker 8 (24:47):
It's just so.
Speaker 9 (24:48):
Special, and that's why I'm so grateful for Futudo.
Speaker 5 (24:51):
It's the way, like we decide that we're going to
change the definition of investigative journalism. One of my favorite
things at Futuro Studios was able to.
Speaker 4 (25:05):
Do in twenty twenty five.
Speaker 5 (25:07):
Oh my God, I love Loud the History of Reggaeton
with Evie Queen. There is big news about Loud in
twenty twenty.
Speaker 9 (25:14):
Five, a huge news, Madia, something we had been working
on for quite some time, you know. So when Loud
was released a few years ago, it became like an
instant classic, specifically even in university classrooms. Every semester we
would get dozens and dozens of emails from university professor saying, oh,
(25:38):
I'm teaching Loud in my university course, and it was
really neat to see that. But as you know, Loud
is a podcast about the history of Regaton, so it
has a lot of music, and when it was released,
the licensing for the music was only for a few years,
and so that expired, and so our partner that we
(26:00):
released Loud with Spotify removed Loud from all streaming services,
and so suddenly we got so many emails. There was
even a petition online of people saying like, bring Loud back,
Why is it gone? And so we thought, how can
we bring this back. We worked for a long time
with Spotify to bring back the show and work and
(26:24):
resolve the music issue, and so we have already we're seeing,
like you know, people celebrating it's back in like university courses.
People love to hear Evie Queen, but she's the host
of that show and people love her voice, Like who
(26:48):
better right to tell the history of than who was there?
La Medametra.
Speaker 12 (27:02):
You could say that was the day that Erik Quinn
was born. Frinan Mente, I was at that place that
I know, I blow all alone for comso Cara that
made me Laine and made me a household name.
Speaker 9 (27:20):
And so we love to have iv Queen's voice back
on Spotify with Loud and the show we're working on.
One of the shows working on for twenty twenty six
is very much similar Vibe. It's not about Reaton, but
it's very similar to the history of a very specific
Latino music genre told by somebody who also has an
(27:41):
unforgettable voice. So that's going to be exciting.
Speaker 5 (27:44):
Oh my god, start guessing it's gonna be big. There's
a lot to celebrate in terms of what's coming up
as well for twenty twenty six. Another reason why people
might be like, got to support Fortudo. We love what
they do, we love what studios does.
Speaker 9 (27:59):
We are gonna have an extraordinary year next year. La
Brega season three is returning. This is our show all
about Puerto Rican identity, Puerto Rican storytelling. Talk about a
kind of show that like you're not gonna get anywhere else.
We're so excited. This season three is going to be
all about gampionis e gampionas people championing Puerto Rico in
(28:21):
different ways, not just in sports. So we're very excited.
It's beautiful it's beautiful, it's inspiring, it's artful.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
Oh, I cannot wait.
Speaker 10 (28:32):
When when does it come out?
Speaker 1 (28:33):
Maria?
Speaker 9 (28:34):
We'll allowance a launch date very soon. We're also going
to launch another big show that's all about big cultural
moments of the past and of the present, the kind
of like prestige, beautiful, high quality storytelling that you love
from Fududo Studios. And it's going to be a weekly show,
a weekly storytelling show. So we just have a lot
going on, and it's all thanks to the working at
(28:56):
such a unique place as Fududo and the listeners who
really support us and keeping us, keeping us here.
Speaker 5 (29:11):
You've both talked about the uniqueness of the kind of
newsroom that we have created for those people who are like,
why exactly is Futuro so special? Why is it so
special for you?
Speaker 10 (29:24):
Fernanda, if you've been listening up until this point, you
already have heard us talk about why it's so special. Right,
It's so special because we can start the year interviewing
AOC and ended with Oscar Isaac, because we can have
a story that we have a producer, Renald Loans Junior,
go to Central America and then take time working on
(29:46):
this narrative, investigative, deeply reported story. And then we can
also at the same time do a story in three days.
And I mean we talked about really at the center
of it is it's journalism with heart and it's rather transparency.
I think those are really two of our guiding principles here.
One of the things that I feel very grateful for
(30:06):
is that here there is no oh, is this a
news piece or is this a culture piece? Is this
a news show or a culture show?
Speaker 11 (30:14):
Like, we don't have.
Speaker 10 (30:15):
Those definitions that would limit you, and that would frankly
diminish the work that goes into everything that we put
out and the value in talking about things that are
not just news. So I think that there is balance here,
there is a shared sense of purpose.
Speaker 5 (30:32):
I think at Futuro, Maria Garcia some thoughts about why
Futuro is so special.
Speaker 9 (30:38):
Well, to me, Madia really comes down to this idea
of radical transparency. There is no such thing as coming
to a story as a journalist from a place of nowhere.
You come to the story with the place in the
(30:58):
world that you occupy and the lenses that brings you. So,
for example, with me, I come to every story as
a Mexican immigrant, first generation front risa daughter of Guarences.
That is my lens through which I see the world.
One of my lenses the first queer woman in my
family to come out. And I think there are many
(31:20):
journalistic institutions that would say take off those lenses because
they might make you biased and try to come at
the story as if you're just dropped into the world
with no prior experience, with no prior context, and just
look at it completely fresh, which is one impossible and
(31:43):
two intellectually and morally dishonest. But there's still this idea
in journalism that's somehow you're supposed to do that. And
what I love about Fuduo is that Fudua reframes that
and says, no, come with your context. Come with your lenses,
because that is expertise that we need, That is context
(32:05):
that we need. There can be some objectivity to your process.
There are standards to reporting, to interviewing, to fact checking,
to researching, to writing to editing that you can implement
in the process to make it sound journalistically. And so
(32:26):
that's what I'm proud of, is that we bring both
the radical transparency and the cultural expertise that we have
as human beings plus the super rigorous process to our
work and to me, it's like the best of both worlds.
Speaker 5 (32:53):
So we are celebrating fifteen years of futuro media. When
I founded footdu Media, you know, I would like, Okay,
I'm just gonna do this. I was like, oh my god, please,
let's just make it to three years. Well we have
made it to fifteen. So we are celebrating our king Sangnetra. Yes,
there there will be celebrations.
Speaker 9 (33:13):
Are we gonna Are we gonna dance the valves, the
Chaian bulls.
Speaker 4 (33:16):
We're gonna dance the chat.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
Dress, those dress, those.
Speaker 5 (33:26):
Dress, Fidananda. Before we wrap, just tell me real briefly,
what was your king signete like?
Speaker 4 (33:47):
I didn't have one? A he You were like, no, boy,
I don't want to wear the dress.
Speaker 9 (33:53):
No, no, it's too long of a story.
Speaker 5 (33:56):
But now we can because the listeners will be like,
we really want to hear the story. Marie Gotcia, did
you have a king Sennetra?
Speaker 3 (34:04):
I did it.
Speaker 9 (34:04):
My parents gave me a choice between a king Signetra
and a trip to Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
I was in LA.
Speaker 5 (34:13):
And you know what, I also didn't have a king
Tagnetta because the only Kingtannetas that I had reference to
were my pumas in Mexico, and they had the quintaniras,
the coming down the stairs, you know, getting the country club,
the big dress, the chiam milan is the whole thing.
Speaker 4 (34:33):
And I was like, that's just not me.
Speaker 5 (34:36):
And all of my teenage American friends would be like,
are you crazy if I was to do that? But
never say never, because Futuro Media is celebrating our King Sennetra.
Speaker 4 (34:48):
There will be dresses. That's all we're gonna say.
Speaker 5 (34:51):
Nanda Echavari, Managing editor of Latino USA, Marie Gracia, Executive
editor of Futuro Studios, thank you so much for being
my colleagues, for delivering excellence work that you do with
joy and commitment and professionalism. I couldn't be more honored
that both of you are part of the senior leadership
of Full Duro Media, which I was gonna.
Speaker 10 (35:11):
Ask, yes, thank you so much.
Speaker 9 (35:13):
Thank you Media.
Speaker 5 (35:34):
So a lot of celebrating, a lot of things to
look forward to, a lot of things to be thankful for.
So because today is Giving Tuesday, this is the time
to do it. It's a moment to actually unlock radical generosity.
And if you give between now and December thirty, first,
your gift is doubled by newsmatch.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
I love this.
Speaker 5 (35:58):
It's when I love to give because I know that
I'm going to be matched. So if it's five, it's
now ten. If you're giving twenty, it's now forty. If
you're giving one hundred, it's now two hundred. If you're
giving five hundred, it's one thousand dollars. So remember you
can give at fultudomediagroup dot org slash donate and you
(36:20):
know what we are going to be doing some merch,
So keep your eyes out and more than anything, enjoy
your families, Enjoy the love around you. Enjoy great journalism, storytelling,
reporting that you can have on the background while you're
celebrating and being with your family. Always have us on
the background.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
We love that. And remember, as always and now more
than ever, not do I Yes
Speaker 1 (36:50):
Plus
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Are You A Charlotte?
In 1997, actress Kristin Davis’ life was forever changed when she took on the role of Charlotte York in Sex and the City. As we watched Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte navigate relationships in NYC, the show helped push once unacceptable conversation topics out of the shadows and altered the narrative around women and sex. We all saw ourselves in them as they searched for fulfillment in life, sex and friendships. Now, Kristin Davis wants to connect with you, the fans, and share untold stories and all the behind the scenes. Together, with Kristin and special guests, what will begin with Sex and the City will evolve into talks about themes that are still so relevant today. "Are you a Charlotte?" is much more than just rewatching this beloved show, it brings the past and the present together as we talk with heart, humor and of course some optimism.