July 30, 2025 • 44 mins
In this episode, Diosa covers the defunding of public media and broadcasting at the federal level, Time Magazine's, The 100 Best Podcasts of All Time, and listener questions from our infamous Oye Locas segment.
The second half of the episode features an interview with award-winning journalist and staff reporter for CALÓ News, Michelle Zacarias. We discuss Michelle’s coverage of immigration raids, the importance of community journalism, how communities are responding to ongoing ICE raids, and the practice of self-care as an on-the-ground reporter and organizer.
Support the show: https://www.patreon.com/locatora_productions
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Phantom Limb Syndrome. This is Phantom co host Syndrome. Mala's
not here already. O La La Loes. I'm the OSA
and I'm your host for today's episode. Our beloved dear
Mala is working on a film, but she'll be back
in the studio next time. If you listen to last
(00:23):
week's episode, send her some extra love and good energy.
She recounted a very scary and startling experience that she
had while walking her dog bap Us in downtown and
she deserves all the care, all the love for being
really vulnerable and courageous and telling her story. So send
(00:44):
her all the love. Today, I'm feeling grateful, And the
reason I'm feeling so grateful to record is because so
much feels sacred and so much feels precarious right now
at the same time. So, as you may know, public
(01:05):
media and broadcasting has been defunded on the federal level.
So what does that mean. PBS and NPR have lost
federal funding. The places that will be most impacted are
rural areas who rely on public broadcasts to receive their news,
to receive storm weather related warnings and all types of
(01:27):
information that's vital for their own community, and especially now.
It's always important to support your local public radio station,
but especially now in the wake of defunding. So become
a member of your local radio station, your local public
media space, indie publication if you're not already, and support
(01:50):
the podcast that you love. Funding for the arts is
not always guaranteed. Your favorite show needs all the love,
whether it's indie or whether it's on a network. There
might be a perception that network shows are safe, like
look At but many of our favorite shows are beholden
to budgets and with so many DEI rollbacks, the future
(02:11):
can feel a little uncertain, which is also why I
want to talk about some podcast News and Time released
one hundred best podcasts of All Time, and these podcasts
are quote innovative, influential, and informative listens in the history
of the medium. These podcasts reflect the depth, breadth, and
(02:31):
possibility of the medium at its best. So I want
to talk about some of the podcasts that are on here.
Admittedly this is a very bias list. I have not
listened to all one hundred podcasts, but I do co
sign some of these that are on the list. So
let's walk through it. Because there are some favorites and
(02:52):
also some really important influential podcasts that I think should
be on there. If you look at this list, there
are podcasts that are on here that aren't even in
production anymore, which I think is totally valid and totally
fair because even if they're no longer producing shows, they're
(03:12):
no longer putting out episodes, these podcasts still change the game.
They change the media landscape, they change the medium, and
so it's totally valid that they're on the list even
though they're not in production anymore. And some of those
are Two Dope Queens and Bodega Boys and Call Your
Girlfriend and we've been talking about Bodega Boys on Look
(03:33):
at Dora for years. They broke up a couple of
years ago. It was a very like there's a lot
of speculation about why they broke up, and there's rumors,
and there's this, and there's that. That show was like
the heyday of podcasting, Desis and Marrow talking about culture music.
(03:54):
It was comedic, it was political, and it was just
so so good. And they were one of the shows
that was like a two hour podcast that normally I
would never listen to, but I actually did listen to
like an hour and a half or two hours of
that podcast. So I was really happy to see them
on that list, even though they're not in production. And
(04:17):
I'll say that nothing has been the same since the
Bodega Boys broke up. Like I mentioned, Call Your Girlfriend,
that was like an og show no longer in production.
Classy by Pineapple Studios is also such a good show,
and Pineapple Studios recently folded. Some of my podcasting peers
(04:39):
colleagues were unfortunately laid off at Pineapple Studios, and it
goes to show like how precarious this medium can be
because there's award winning shows like Classy that no longer exist, right,
and so that I think was such a good show
and definitely deserves to be on this list. Next up
(05:01):
is code Switch, an NPR show quickly reviewing this list,
some of my other favorites are The Daily Ear, Hustle,
Embedded Fresh Air. Notably Moonface, created by James Kim. It
is a fictional story about a Korean American in the
city of Downey, and it's one of the first narrative
(05:24):
fiction podcasts that I listen to that I think is
so good, deserves accolades, and James Kim is just an
audio genius. Next is like OG shows like Radio Labs
still Processing song Exploder, This American Life Uncivil also another
one that's really good, celebrity hosted and a lot of
(05:46):
celebrity guests.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
But is so so.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Good is Wiser than Me by Julia Lewis Dreyfuss. It
is a show about women in like the later stage
of their lives, and Julia Loutreyfus, the actress, talks to
women who are older than her. And one of MY
favorite episodes is with Isa and so that is like
(06:09):
a celeb show that I definitely co sign and that
is produced by Lemonada Media, which is another incredible production studio.
And finally you must remember this that is one of
my favorite shows as well. So I was really excited
to see that one. But I also want to talk
about like the shows that were notably missing that I
(06:30):
was really surprised not to see on there. Some OG
shows that no longer exist are like the Nod and
Tea with Queen and Jay, which is still producing. But
an OG show in like the Black Feminist womanist podcast
Space and one of a newer show but I think
(06:52):
is really good is Vibe check, and I was really
surprised not to see any of those. And I have
to talk about the Elephant and the room I did
not see to my knowledge with the podcast that I
did see, and I do know and I'm familiar with
the work, I did not see a LATINX Latino culture
show on the list. Obviously, I can be like Lokata
(07:16):
should be on the list. Obviously I do think Loka
Thoughta Radio should be on the list. But there's also
a lot of other incredible LATINX culture, news entertainment shows
that were not on the list, notably like how could
Futuro Media's shows not be on this list, Like, like,
off the top of my head, anything for Selena Suave,
(07:41):
Latino Usa, La Brega. Incredible bodies of work that Futuro
Media and Studios puts out, and I was really surprised
not to see one of theirs included on this list.
So those are the types of things where like I
see these lists, the accolades are incredible if you're on
their congratulations anytime your work gets recognition, of course, like
(08:04):
feels amazing, But it always makes me question, like who
is creating these best of because a lot of the time,
like the shows that we know and love are left out,
and there they tend to be the shows that are
under resourced or have limited resources. I was also really
surprised not to see like any of Eli's Studios podcast
(08:27):
on this list, like California Love Wild or Snooze by
our Homegirl Megan Tan And yes, some of these folks
are my friends and creative peers, but that doesn't take
away from the incredible work that they've been doing in
this space for years and years and years now. Also
like none of the Microtura shows are on there, and
(08:48):
another show that I think should be on there is Crumbs,
an incredible narrative show that has received accolades but also
should have been on this list. And I also want
to shout out of the LATINX Latino podcasts who helped
create this media landscape for Latino podcasters who are no
(09:09):
longer producing, but pave the way for shows like look
at Radio, Senora Sex said, and that's Latinos who lunch Radio,
Minea and bag Ladies. I think that these Latino podcasters,
these LATINX podcasters and creators deserve all the flowers and recognition,
(09:31):
and so if they're not getting it on Time's Best
one hundred. I definitely wanted to bring it to this
audio archive and shout out some of the shows that
have done the incredible work of highlighting the artists, the
change makers in our community that have been documenting our stories,
have been documenting political history, and so that's really why
(09:54):
I wanted to bring all of that up today. And
so much has changed in podcasting and for in the
positive and some things stay the same, and so that's
one of the reasons I wanted to have this conversation today,
even though Mala's not in the studio. This is like
top of mind for me and really important for me
because I love this space. I love podcasting, I love
(10:15):
being a podcaster and producer, and this medium means so much,
I think, especially to Latinos, because a lot of us
grow up and with radio, a lot of us grow
up with our moms, our family members are a boilas
like listening to radio and connecting with the host right,
especially in Spanish language radio stations. I think there's a
(10:37):
special place that podcasting holds in our community because of
our connection to radio and the connection that it has
in our Latino communities and families. So I'm very passionate
about this, and so I want to know what do
you think was missing to this best one hundred podcast
list by time? And who would you add? Don't go anywhere, Lokomotives.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
We'll be right back, and we're back with more of
our episode.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Next up is a listener question for our favorite segment,
a recurring segment called.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
O lokas you are now listening to.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
This question was submitted by Taina in our broadcast channel
on Instagram, So if you haven't joined it, join and
you can submit your listener question there. And this question
is how do you find balance between married life, friends, family, career, hobbies, events, fitness, etc.
(11:38):
And my immediate response to this is I do not
always have balance, and I think expecting to have the
same type of balance day after day, week after week
is not realistic. And so there are some weeks, or
there's let's talk about a week for example, there's a
(11:59):
week where I do not see my friends right. I'm
maybe more in my hobbies. So I see like my
friends who are running, my friends who are runners, I
see my friends who play tennis. But I may not
be seeing like my close friends who I like share
Maybe space with have dinner with and like maybe I'm
(12:19):
just not seeing them that week, you know. I think
for me, like prioritizing date night with my partner is
like a really big way that I like stay connected
and make sure that I'm finding balance in that part
of my relationship. And I think one thing that works
for us is like having a weekly date night, and
that actually shifted because of my running schedule. So we
(12:42):
use our date night was always Friday night, and then
we realized like we kept pushing it and not going
out because I would have to go to bed early
and wake up early the next day because I had
to go run, and so we were like, wait, wait, wait,
let's just change it, Like let's just make it Saturday instead.
And so I think finding that time and that scheduling
(13:04):
is like really important to like how to maintain some
type of balance because there's not every week is the same,
and you might not always see your family, see your
friends that week, but you may go on date night,
you may have time for like your hobbies and your
work things, and then maybe the next week you're doing
less hobbies and you're spending more time with friends and
(13:27):
more times with family. So I think allowing your life
to have like a balance that makes sense on the
day to day and week to week as opposed to
like everything being uniform. I think is like the only
way to make it possible. At least that's how it's
worked for me. So I hope that this was helpful.
You can submit questions on our broadcast channel, and thank
(13:49):
you for listening to Oya Lookas don't go anywhere Locomotives.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
We'll be right back, and we're back more of our
episode today.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
We're joined by journalist Michelle Saccharias. On Friday, June sixth,
we were actually in studio with Michelle. We had recorded
an episode on a different topic, and we were really
excited to share that interview with y'all. But unbeknownst to us,
the raids were taking place in Los Angeles. As we
(14:23):
wrapped up for our studio session and just made our
way throughout Los Angeles and throughout the day, we learned
in real time about everything that was unfolding and how
our community was under attack. Given Michelle's in depth reporting
on racial justice and immigration, we decided to pause that
episode and instead bring her back to talk to us
(14:47):
more about how she's been covering the immigration raids in
Los Angeles and the importance of community journalism. She is
a reporter for Goto News, which is a hyperl local
independent media publication here in Los Angeles. This time we're
taking a deeper look into the ice rays, how communities
(15:09):
are responding, and how she's taking care of herself as
a on the ground reporter, as a journalist working with
families who are directly impacted as well, and why it's
important to continue to talk about the communities being impacted
in Los Angeles and nationally. Okay, Michelle, Well, welcome back.
(15:32):
This is your second time in studio with us. The
last time you were here was the day in Los
Angeles where when the ice rates began unbeknownst to us,
we were in Hollywood, we were recording, we were talking
about something completely different, and then I don't know what
it was like for you, but we went home and
(15:53):
it took me a while to get home and I
was off socials, I was running some errands and then
inundated and then I know you then went on the ground.
So what was that experience like? Yeah, for you, like
coming into record and then bam, you were in the
field immediately.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Yeah, I'm actually still kind of processing it because a
lot has happened since the time I was in the
studio last and now, and it really wasn't that long ago.
But like the frequency in which the raids were happening
and the intensity in which they were happening, I think
(16:32):
really shocked a lot of us, including people like myself
who have been covering this for a while. But I
remember even leaving the studio that day and thinking like, oh,
I'll just stop by this like quick protest, or I'll
stop by this quick gathering and talk to some people,
get some you know stories, and literally, by like nighttime
(16:54):
that day, I was in Chinatown and we were being
met with tear gas and tanks and just all kinds
of really unwarranted violence.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
I showed up.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
I remember that was like the last protest of the
day that I went to, and it wasn't really a
protest so much that it was people in the neighborhood
trying to warn their neighbors. People were on megaphones warning
people in their apartment building and complexes like hey, border patrols,
your ices here, No, you're rights, don't answer the door.
And then they had translators on the megaphone to make
(17:26):
sure that people understood what that meant. And then just
like over the course of maybe like an hour or two,
like the amount of federal officers that showed up just
like multiplied, and it kept multiplying, and by the end
of that night it was like us getting shot with
tear gas so that they could disburse the crowd. And
(17:50):
I think there was a moment there where I realized,
like what type of precedent was being set in that moment, right,
because that was just day one, and since then we've
seen the amping the intensity in which they've gone out
and targeted these communities. So I think there was a
moment of recognition. But I just truly don't think anyone
(18:13):
could have predicted how bad it was going to be.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Absolutely, And now, like you mentioned, it hasn't been that
long ago. It's been about two months, right, but it's
also in that same range, so much has happened, you know,
I think with most things, when there's there's an immediacy,
there's an urgency to cover things. How do you feel
like the coverage is now two months later with the
(18:36):
raids with immigration, with deportations, do you feel that it's
still getting the same coverage has coveraged maybe or priority shifted.
How are you feeling like as someone on the ground.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
You know, I think and I fall into this trap too.
It's like a lot of us, especially journalists that work
for like independent publications, like we want to be the
first ones to get to the site and the story,
and we want that scoop. I think a lot of
us learned really quickly like that was just not going
to be possible.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
We could not be.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
At every story, at every raid, at every you know
protest all the time, especially if you work in a
small newsroom, especially if you're already under resource.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
And I know, like in my circle.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Of journalism colleagues, like so many of us are burnt out,
but we see this as like being a cause so
important that like we're willing to sort of push ourselves
beyond like that point. And we've found a lot of
like community in each other and being able to kind
(19:42):
of lean on each other during these times is like
really important. A lot of us are burnt out, but
I think we've got into a place where we understand,
like what are the things we individually need to sort
of recharge and like move on. I was watching this
panel last night about immigration reporting, and one of the
panels said, like, all of you in this room have
experienced like a trauma, and it's so normal for a
(20:05):
journalists to be like, oh, we were only to your guests,
Oh we were only you know. And it's true, like
I have all these moments in my head where I
didn't file reports and I actually have now filed reports
and grievances against local law enforcement because I think for me,
there's like a certain privilege in being a journalist who
(20:26):
can do that. Right, There's a lot of fellow journalists
who are of different immigration statuses, and so they're out
there and they're reporting, and they're risking their next for
this story too, and so I feel like if I'm
in a position where I can bring forth that information
and maybe seek out accountability in some way, like it's
my responsibility to do that. So now I'm actually documenting
(20:49):
and trying to be more I guess, like vigilant about
those types of instances.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yeah, and I want to ask you about you mentioned
this maybe urgency and this desire to be the first
person on the scene, the first journalist on the scene,
and you did get an exclusive a couple months or a
couple of weeks ago, right, maybe a little over a
month ago now, But you interviewed the mother of a
US citizen who was taken into custody. He was detained
at Walmart in Pico Rivera, and you were able to
(21:17):
get that exclusive with his mother. So can you tell
me about that and how you accessed how you gained
access to her, and what the interview was Like.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Yeah, that was such a just like happenstance, Like everything
that lined up for me lined up in that way.
I was actually like flying out of town, like I
was on my way to New Orleans for a journalism
conference and one of my fellow journalists basically gave me
this goop and was like, hey, we had the contact
(21:49):
for one of the family members of the US citizen
that got taken. And I think it was interesting because
in previous like there's always been kind of like a
protectiveness about like sources and resource sharing and things like that,
And in this moment in time, I'm seeing some of
like our journalistic like circles breaking that pattern or that
(22:14):
trend because we think that these stories are so important,
like it needs to be widespread. So he gave that
information out to everyone. I texted the sister and I said, hey,
have you guys been able to locate him yet at
that point they hadn't. And I was flying, I was
literally landing my plane and I was like, I'm going
to check into my hotel and I'm going to get
on Zoom and let's just like do this interview and
(22:37):
see if we can like help locate him somehow, right,
and like that was actually my first inclination. I was like,
not so much thinking about the story so much as
this point in time, it's been over twenty four hours
since you've been able to locate your son, Like someone
has to know where he is and we can use
the resources that we have to locate him. So we
got on a Zoom call. I was just asked her
(23:00):
kind of some of the basic questions where her head
was that what information she had. And then as soon
as the Zoom call was over, it was like midnight
where I was at and I was like, I have
to edit this now and I have to write this
story now, and so I like pushed myself to do
that and it was like maybe four in the morning
by the time that was done, and I posted it
live and like by the time I woke up, it
(23:22):
was like already viral. I was really happy to hear
that they were able to locate him. And I know
some of my colleagues from like La Taco also were
able to do like a follow up story, and so
I felt like, yeah, like it was a situation that
obviously brought attention to my newsroom, Mccloonnews, and we were
able to get a lot of new followers from that.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
But at the end of the.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Day, we were also able to locate Adrian, and that
was so important because this is a again an unprecedented
situation where they are essentially allowing mask vigilantes to scoop
up whomever whenever they want.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
It was so frightening to see. I mean, I'm very
local to p Coriveda, It's very close to where I live,
and so when I saw that clip go viral of
him being detained by, like you said, this supposed ice agent,
a masked vigilante, and I think that there has been
maybe this sense of like self protection from like us
(24:22):
born Latinos, right of like okay, but I'm safe, quote
unquote right. But then we see these saw these instances
in the last couple of months where we have seen
US citizens being detained because they're being racially profiled, because
they also are not asking for any proof of documentation, right,
and even when they are, they don't care. And so
(24:43):
that was definitely frightening for me to see us someone
very local to the neighborhood. I want to go back
to what you said about You mentioned this twice about
this your journalism circle and community like really acting in
like solidarity and moving maybe ways that are not considered
like journalistic, right, because like you said, there's this idea
(25:06):
that like the scoop is mine, the source is mine,
but the story and what's happening is so much bigger
than that. That you're working together in different ways that
maybe are unheard of, at least in the local level, right,
So can you talk more about that and like what
the differences are and maybe how you're seeing your colleagues
(25:28):
approach things differently.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Yeah, And you know, I'm only speaking for my own experiences.
I don't know what the I guess outside larger journalism
community is doing in terms of like sharing resources right now.
But like I come from a non traditional journalism background.
I came from like a former organizer to journalism like Pipeline,
(25:50):
and those tend to be like the type of journalists
that I gravitate towards because we kind of have the
same sense of like how we operate, like what values
we have when we're interviewing people. And I always tell people, like,
before I'm a journalist, before I am a reporter, I'm
a human being. And if I see or sense that,
(26:13):
like my the person that I'm interviewing is not comfortable,
They're not enthusiastically consenting to it, like I'm going to
take a step back, and I'm going to continue to
build that trust and cultivate that relationship and also just
be really transparent about like what they are agreeing to. Right,
I think right now, more than ever, it's like so
important that we are really clear with our sources about
(26:36):
what sorts of risks they're taking when they're sharing their stories.
And you know, you could be in a moment where
you feel very like amped up and like ready to act,
But what does that mean in the in the long term,
does that mean you risk being you know, targeted by
the alt right? Does that mean that your family members
are at risk? Now?
Speaker 4 (26:56):
And so even having that organizer background is.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
So helpful because it's like, hey, have you thought about
some of these like doxing protections, you know, before you
give me this like scoop. So yeah, I think in
my circles at least, there's this just like understanding that
we are public servants and we are here ultimately to
serve the public and art ourselves.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Yeah, and it sounds like, you know, making this distinction
and we can't. We don't know however newsworm works, right,
But I can imagine that there's a difference between like
legacy media and the way they're approaching their sources, their stories,
the scoop that insider info versus the community journalists that
(27:39):
have smaller newsrooms like Elie Taco, like Glo, right, And
so I can imagine that there's that that this difference
and this understanding like we may not have enough team
members right now to get this out, so can you
do it right?
Speaker 3 (27:53):
And there's also like less degrees of separation between like
my writer and my editor. Like I see my editor
every day, So if I disagree with the headline or
the way that something was revised, like I'm going to
bring it.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
Directly to her.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
You know, we talked a little bit about this, or
it was just was mentioned on a panel I recently
saw where a large LA based news publication revealed the
full name and location of like a street vendor. And
it's very common to use full names and stories. It's
(28:29):
very common to you know, give out almost like unnecessary information.
Names are fine, but like having the exact intersections of
a street vendor really puts them at risk, right, And
so a lot of people really upset about that. And
I had already we had already had that conversation in
my newsroom. I was like, I'm not putting out last names.
(28:49):
If I'm using someone's name, it's going to be like
a last initial. I'm not giving out locations if we're
using photos, like are we blurring people?
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Like?
Speaker 4 (28:57):
What is our process for that?
Speaker 3 (28:59):
And it was so in thing to me that a
newsroom as large as that one hadn't put that kind
of thought and consideration into it.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Absolutely when we so when we recorded with you in June,
we had to just put the interview that we had
with you on hold because we felt, you know, rapid response,
we have to talk about what's going on, and that
was one of the things that we were really feeling
at that time, and we still feel that way that
this is the testing ground and they want to see
(29:27):
the administration wants to see how we respond and how
they can stifle any response, which we have seen them
attempt to do. I saw even last night folks were
arrested outside the FED building. So things may. I think
that there's this sense of maybe normalcy right now, but
like things have not stopped, right. Maybe the National Guard
(29:48):
has pulled out of Los Angeles, but there is still
violence happening.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
Right and the to that point, it's not that they're
just being pulled out. It's that there are people taking action,
people working behind the scenes that are taking legal steps
to protect absolutely people out here. And then there are
people who are engaging in direct action, right and so
there's like a multitude of ways in which people are
(30:12):
fighting back, and not all of them involve punching a
federal officer, you know. And so I think this idea
that like there's one way to fight, or there's one
right way that like Southern California should be protecting immigrant
communities is kind of like reductionists. But you know, I
even beyond that, they are now criminalizing behaviors that were
(30:37):
not priorly like considered criminal, right, Like, if you guys
are following what happened with Cso we've been organizing specifically
in East and South East LA for a long time.
Like they have two members who are being tacked with
just trumped up charges for things that are not really criminal, right,
Like they grabbed Alejandro for distributing face mask right at protests.
(31:03):
So it's just like all the ways in which they
are finding reasons or justifications to criminalize and imprison us
as we are kind of figuring out ways to resist.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
For folks that don't work in journalism, they're not working
in government, right, there can be this feeling of like
I'm living my quote life right now, but I have
all this heaviness that I'm carrying with me and things
feel weird and can I even quote enjoy myself right now?
And so I want to ask you how you're holding that.
(31:36):
I know you just I mean on a personal level, right,
I know you took some time off that you I'm
assuming was like very needed, right, and so like how
are you holding that? Is? Because you're a person, right,
and like you said, you're a person first, and you're
a journalist and you're a survivor of cancer, and so
how are you holding all these truths right now and
taking care of yourself.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
Yeah, I'm like so grateful for that time away because
I was like physically in a location where I could
not like access my phone or signal constantly, and so
with like a forced disconnect, which I never have, right
And even when you know, I talked to my colleagues
about this, even when I go on like a mental
health walk or something, I'm still on my phone. I'm
(32:18):
still plugged in. So having that forced disconnection was actually
really nice and super necessary. And it also kind of
like forced me to process some of what I've been compartmentalizing.
And I know this because I was like sitting there
like crying one day and I couldn't figure out why,
(32:38):
and I was like, oh my gosh, I just haven't
had a chance to like breathe, right, I haven't had
a chance to think about everything we've just experienced in
the last couple of months. And you know, when you're
constantly like trying to push back some of those traumas
so that you can get to the next story or
report on the next lead, like you're not really taking
(32:58):
any time to understand how it's impacting you both like
physically and psychologically. But I think the time away was great.
Not everyone can take that time. I think leaning into
community and other people who have like shared experiences with
me has been like such a lifesaver. I've gained so
(33:22):
many new friends in the last couple of months, people
that like I've never met before because we have like
these shared traumas now really and there are not a
lot of people who understand like my specific experience right
as a journalist, as like former organizers, someone who has
(33:43):
identities with some of these communities that I'm reporting on.
But now like I've connected with so many people who
do have that. So that's been so important. And I
think obviously, like we all say like self care and
mental health and like a lot of that really calms
down to the systems in play. And it can't just
(34:04):
be the like face mask and the day to day, right,
it has to be like, how is your editor supporting
you in this moment, How is your newsroom stepping up
to ensure that you have like legal counsel if you
get arrested. It's having those securities and safety nets that
kind of give you a bit a bigger peace of
(34:25):
mind as you're like going into the field.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Yeah, thank you for touching on that. At the top
of the conversation, you talked about like you and your
colleagues in some ways pushing yourselves to burn out to
get the story out, to get the coverage, to do
as much coverage as possible. How are you dealing with
that now two months in or two months later, even
(34:49):
though things haven't necessarily changed, but there's still an importance
of coverage, Like, do you still feel that you're pushing
yourself to like get it out?
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Yes, and no. I think there's always going to be.
It's almost like a fomo of sorts, right, I'm like,
why wasn't I at this protest?
Speaker 4 (35:07):
Why wasn't?
Speaker 3 (35:08):
But I think one thing that became really clear to
me in the process of the last couple of months
is like, the protests are important, they're happening, and we
should be covering them. But while the protests are happening,
there are still all of these raids occurring in nearby areas. Right, So,
(35:28):
for example, the no Kink protest was like huge, and
I was there, I was covering it, But while that
was going on, there was also active raids happening in
like Downy and it's now inching closer to Long Beach.
And so as all of this is kind of playing out,
I'm like called to, you know, one story or another one,
(35:49):
and I have to think about like the impact again,
Like what is it that I really want to do
with my reporting? Can I help one family? Can I
share or showcase their story versus like another story about
a large scale protests. And you know, the No King
protests actually ended up being a really important story because
(36:10):
there was unwarranted escalation by both LAPD and LASD and
you might have seen that they actually weren't in communication
with each other and like accidentally tear gass each other,
and you know, like so there was no cohesive communication
amongst them, which resulted in like violence against peaceful demonstrators.
(36:32):
And that was a story and a lot of us
covered it. But at this point in time, I can
also cover other stories. I can talk to people who
have reached out to me who are in the process
of going through their immigration hearing and they need someone
to follow them because they want to make sure that
whatever happens, there's like documentation of it. And that's another
(36:54):
really powerful way that you know you can tap into
these same stories of like immigration and hardship.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
What is energizing you right now, right and like what
is keeping you grounded while you're covering the magnitude of
what's happening in Los Angeles and beyond and also trying
to keep yourself like mentally and emotionally physically safe.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
That is a great question because I don't even think
I've figured that out completely for myself. You know, I
think there are things that I can do that help
me sort of recharge for a bit, but it is
always like plugging your phone in really quickly and then
like leaving before it's fully charged.
Speaker 4 (37:34):
You know.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
That's like where I feel like I'm at right now.
I'm always on like fifty percent battery. But I think
that obviously leaning into community has been a big one,
being intentional about like the stories I pursue and really
trying to understand like what I hope the outcome will be.
(37:55):
And then you know, as I'm like in the process
of wrapping up my fellowship and applying to like new newsrooms,
thinking about what environment I can see myself in right
like what sorts of people I want to surround myself
with over these next like four years and beyond, because
(38:15):
that is going to make all the difference. And I
think sometimes coming from like an organizer background, we tend
to be in like a state of crisis, and it's
so easy to let that like consume us, and that's
just not how we're going to survive, right, Like these
alright types, these fascists, like they're counting on us to
(38:37):
burn out, They're counting on us to get apathetic. And
the best way we can combat this is by like
continuing to nurture each other and replenish each other as
like community members and figure out ways to switch out
our roles, right, so we don't always have to be
the ones at the front line.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
Yeah, I love that. I want to talk about like
tangible ways to be like an active community member. We
recently talked about all of the policies that are actually
hurting working families, mothers, children, and how like with that
in mind, like we have to be active community members
(39:17):
like with our own people, especially with like the mothers
in our lives. Maybe not our own mothers, but like
our friends who are moms, especially like new moms. And
so I want to I feel like we especially like
here at look. I thought we talk a lot about
like show for your community, you have to be connected
to each other, but what are some tangible ways we
can actually show up for each other.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Being co existing in the same space more often, Like
I know, LA is so spread out and it just
takes so much energy to meet up someone for like
a cup of coffee. But I saw this actually with
like a TikTok clip recently that said, like this girl
that was like amping herself to go out, and she
was like remembering that if I want to be part
of a village, I have to be an active participant
(39:59):
like a village ye.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
To be a villager.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
Yeah, And I think that's you know, right now we're
seeing a lot more of that. People are showing up,
showing out, but making that like a pattern in your life,
like making it habitual.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
I think the other thing is.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
That like there are like little ways right like you're
talking about like motherhood, there are little ways that we
can support each other that I think sometimes feel like
maybe a burden. Like one of the hardest things I
most difficult things for me is finding someone to like
watch my dog. And I'm always the first one to
be like, oh do you want me to walk your
dog or you know what I mean. And it's just
(40:35):
like tiny things like that that would make community feel
like closer, make it easier for us to kind of
rely on each other. Yes, yeah, and in these spaces
providing like childcare, like accessibility that's a big one, like
are you going to have parking there?
Speaker 4 (40:51):
Like yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
So it's just like thinking about and this is I
have like a speel around accessibility justice because I'm a
person with a disability. But I always tell my friends
that I was like all of these things like apply
to able bodied people too, and like eventually everyone will
no longer be able bodied, but you should start implementing
these practices into your spaces because it makes more people
(41:15):
want to come and be there regardless.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Well, on that note, I want to end on I
want to end and acknowledge on the fact that you
won an award recently. Yeah, and so let's talk about
the LA Press Club Award, what you won your award for,
and just how you're feeling about it all.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Yeah. I think awards are always such a mixed bag
for me because on one hand, you know, this is
happening all in the middle of like all of this
really harmful violent raids. And so I'm receiving an award
for race and society reporting, and it feels again, I guess,
(41:56):
you know, dystopian, to be sitting there accepting an award
in a space that's kind of like protected or shielded
from that.
Speaker 4 (42:03):
Right.
Speaker 3 (42:05):
And then on the other hand, and I tell my
colleagues all the time, I'm like, white people are submitting
for awards all the time. And I know so many
journalists of color, so many queer journalists, so many journalists
of like different identities that have not been recognized for
their work just because like they're not submitting or their
newsroom isn't submitting for them. And we need to do
(42:27):
that more, right, Like we need to be recognized for
a work, and we need to be given our flowers
while we're still alive, while we're here. So when I
do go into this, you know with gratitude and especially
gratitude that the people who share their stories with me
(42:47):
did so I'm also recognizing that, like us, being in
the space is like distructive of the status quo. And
happy I won. Hope I win more awards, and I
also hope that like the people around me are like
also winning all the awards, you know, and we can
win the awards together.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
So thank you so much for joining us a second time.
I know this is a very different conversation, but I'm
so glad we got to.
Speaker 4 (43:11):
Have it awesome. Thank you so much for having me again.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
Thank you Loka Motives for listening to another episode of
Lokata Radio. Let us know what you think of this
episode in the comments on social media or on Spotify.
Leave us a review and share with a friend. Besitos.
Loka to a Radio is executive produced by Viosa Fem
and Mala Munios.
Speaker 2 (43:34):
Stephanie Franco is our producer.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
Story editing by Me viosa.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Creative direction by Me Mala.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
Look at Our Radio is a part of iHeartRadio's Michael
Dura podcast network.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
You can listen to Locata Radio on the iHeartRadio app
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
Leave us a review and share with your prima or
share with your homegirl.
Speaker 2 (43:53):
And thank you to our local motives, to our listeners
for tuning in each and every week.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
Besitos
Phantom Limb Syndrome. This is Phantom co host Syndrome. Mala's
not here already. O La La Loes. I'm the OSA
and I'm your host for today's episode. Our beloved dear
Mala is working on a film, but she'll be back
in the studio next time. If you listen to last
(00:23):
week's episode, send her some extra love and good energy.
She recounted a very scary and startling experience that she
had while walking her dog bap Us in downtown and
she deserves all the care, all the love for being
really vulnerable and courageous and telling her story. So send
(00:44):
her all the love. Today, I'm feeling grateful, And the
reason I'm feeling so grateful to record is because so
much feels sacred and so much feels precarious right now
at the same time. So, as you may know, public
(01:05):
media and broadcasting has been defunded on the federal level.
So what does that mean. PBS and NPR have lost
federal funding. The places that will be most impacted are
rural areas who rely on public broadcasts to receive their news,
to receive storm weather related warnings and all types of
(01:27):
information that's vital for their own community, and especially now.
It's always important to support your local public radio station,
but especially now in the wake of defunding. So become
a member of your local radio station, your local public
media space, indie publication if you're not already, and support
(01:50):
the podcast that you love. Funding for the arts is
not always guaranteed. Your favorite show needs all the love,
whether it's indie or whether it's on a network. There
might be a perception that network shows are safe, like
look At but many of our favorite shows are beholden
to budgets and with so many DEI rollbacks, the future
(02:11):
can feel a little uncertain, which is also why I
want to talk about some podcast News and Time released
one hundred best podcasts of All Time, and these podcasts
are quote innovative, influential, and informative listens in the history
of the medium. These podcasts reflect the depth, breadth, and
(02:31):
possibility of the medium at its best. So I want
to talk about some of the podcasts that are on here.
Admittedly this is a very bias list. I have not
listened to all one hundred podcasts, but I do co
sign some of these that are on the list. So
let's walk through it. Because there are some favorites and
(02:52):
also some really important influential podcasts that I think should
be on there. If you look at this list, there
are podcasts that are on here that aren't even in
production anymore, which I think is totally valid and totally
fair because even if they're no longer producing shows, they're
(03:12):
no longer putting out episodes, these podcasts still change the game.
They change the media landscape, they change the medium, and
so it's totally valid that they're on the list even
though they're not in production anymore. And some of those
are Two Dope Queens and Bodega Boys and Call Your
Girlfriend and we've been talking about Bodega Boys on Look
(03:33):
at Dora for years. They broke up a couple of
years ago. It was a very like there's a lot
of speculation about why they broke up, and there's rumors,
and there's this, and there's that. That show was like
the heyday of podcasting, Desis and Marrow talking about culture music.
(03:54):
It was comedic, it was political, and it was just
so so good. And they were one of the shows
that was like a two hour podcast that normally I
would never listen to, but I actually did listen to
like an hour and a half or two hours of
that podcast. So I was really happy to see them
on that list, even though they're not in production. And
(04:17):
I'll say that nothing has been the same since the
Bodega Boys broke up. Like I mentioned, Call Your Girlfriend,
that was like an og show no longer in production.
Classy by Pineapple Studios is also such a good show,
and Pineapple Studios recently folded. Some of my podcasting peers
(04:39):
colleagues were unfortunately laid off at Pineapple Studios, and it
goes to show like how precarious this medium can be
because there's award winning shows like Classy that no longer exist, right,
and so that I think was such a good show
and definitely deserves to be on this list. Next up
(05:01):
is code Switch, an NPR show quickly reviewing this list,
some of my other favorites are The Daily Ear, Hustle,
Embedded Fresh Air. Notably Moonface, created by James Kim. It
is a fictional story about a Korean American in the
city of Downey, and it's one of the first narrative
(05:24):
fiction podcasts that I listen to that I think is
so good, deserves accolades, and James Kim is just an
audio genius. Next is like OG shows like Radio Labs
still Processing song Exploder, This American Life Uncivil also another
one that's really good, celebrity hosted and a lot of
(05:46):
celebrity guests.
Speaker 2 (05:47):
But is so so.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Good is Wiser than Me by Julia Lewis Dreyfuss. It
is a show about women in like the later stage
of their lives, and Julia Loutreyfus, the actress, talks to
women who are older than her. And one of MY
favorite episodes is with Isa and so that is like
(06:09):
a celeb show that I definitely co sign and that
is produced by Lemonada Media, which is another incredible production studio.
And finally you must remember this that is one of
my favorite shows as well. So I was really excited
to see that one. But I also want to talk
about like the shows that were notably missing that I
(06:30):
was really surprised not to see on there. Some OG
shows that no longer exist are like the Nod and
Tea with Queen and Jay, which is still producing. But
an OG show in like the Black Feminist womanist podcast
Space and one of a newer show but I think
(06:52):
is really good is Vibe check, and I was really
surprised not to see any of those. And I have
to talk about the Elephant and the room I did
not see to my knowledge with the podcast that I
did see, and I do know and I'm familiar with
the work, I did not see a LATINX Latino culture
show on the list. Obviously, I can be like Lokata
(07:16):
should be on the list. Obviously I do think Loka
Thoughta Radio should be on the list. But there's also
a lot of other incredible LATINX culture, news entertainment shows
that were not on the list, notably like how could
Futuro Media's shows not be on this list, Like, like,
off the top of my head, anything for Selena Suave,
(07:41):
Latino Usa, La Brega. Incredible bodies of work that Futuro
Media and Studios puts out, and I was really surprised
not to see one of theirs included on this list.
So those are the types of things where like I
see these lists, the accolades are incredible if you're on
their congratulations anytime your work gets recognition, of course, like
(08:04):
feels amazing, But it always makes me question, like who
is creating these best of because a lot of the time,
like the shows that we know and love are left out,
and there they tend to be the shows that are
under resourced or have limited resources. I was also really
surprised not to see like any of Eli's Studios podcast
(08:27):
on this list, like California Love Wild or Snooze by
our Homegirl Megan Tan And yes, some of these folks
are my friends and creative peers, but that doesn't take
away from the incredible work that they've been doing in
this space for years and years and years now. Also
like none of the Microtura shows are on there, and
(08:48):
another show that I think should be on there is Crumbs,
an incredible narrative show that has received accolades but also
should have been on this list. And I also want
to shout out of the LATINX Latino podcasts who helped
create this media landscape for Latino podcasters who are no
(09:09):
longer producing, but pave the way for shows like look
at Radio, Senora Sex said, and that's Latinos who lunch Radio,
Minea and bag Ladies. I think that these Latino podcasters,
these LATINX podcasters and creators deserve all the flowers and recognition,
(09:31):
and so if they're not getting it on Time's Best
one hundred. I definitely wanted to bring it to this
audio archive and shout out some of the shows that
have done the incredible work of highlighting the artists, the
change makers in our community that have been documenting our stories,
have been documenting political history, and so that's really why
(09:54):
I wanted to bring all of that up today. And
so much has changed in podcasting and for in the
positive and some things stay the same, and so that's
one of the reasons I wanted to have this conversation today,
even though Mala's not in the studio. This is like
top of mind for me and really important for me
because I love this space. I love podcasting, I love
(10:15):
being a podcaster and producer, and this medium means so much,
I think, especially to Latinos, because a lot of us
grow up and with radio, a lot of us grow
up with our moms, our family members are a boilas
like listening to radio and connecting with the host right,
especially in Spanish language radio stations. I think there's a
(10:37):
special place that podcasting holds in our community because of
our connection to radio and the connection that it has
in our Latino communities and families. So I'm very passionate
about this, and so I want to know what do
you think was missing to this best one hundred podcast
list by time? And who would you add? Don't go anywhere, Lokomotives.
Speaker 2 (10:57):
We'll be right back, and we're back with more of
our episode.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Next up is a listener question for our favorite segment,
a recurring segment called.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
O lokas you are now listening to.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
This question was submitted by Taina in our broadcast channel
on Instagram, So if you haven't joined it, join and
you can submit your listener question there. And this question
is how do you find balance between married life, friends, family, career, hobbies, events, fitness, etc.
(11:38):
And my immediate response to this is I do not
always have balance, and I think expecting to have the
same type of balance day after day, week after week
is not realistic. And so there are some weeks, or
there's let's talk about a week for example, there's a
(11:59):
week where I do not see my friends right. I'm
maybe more in my hobbies. So I see like my
friends who are running, my friends who are runners, I
see my friends who play tennis. But I may not
be seeing like my close friends who I like share
Maybe space with have dinner with and like maybe I'm
(12:19):
just not seeing them that week, you know. I think
for me, like prioritizing date night with my partner is
like a really big way that I like stay connected
and make sure that I'm finding balance in that part
of my relationship. And I think one thing that works
for us is like having a weekly date night, and
that actually shifted because of my running schedule. So we
(12:42):
use our date night was always Friday night, and then
we realized like we kept pushing it and not going
out because I would have to go to bed early
and wake up early the next day because I had
to go run, and so we were like, wait, wait, wait,
let's just change it, Like let's just make it Saturday instead.
And so I think finding that time and that scheduling
(13:04):
is like really important to like how to maintain some
type of balance because there's not every week is the same,
and you might not always see your family, see your
friends that week, but you may go on date night,
you may have time for like your hobbies and your
work things, and then maybe the next week you're doing
less hobbies and you're spending more time with friends and
(13:27):
more times with family. So I think allowing your life
to have like a balance that makes sense on the
day to day and week to week as opposed to
like everything being uniform. I think is like the only
way to make it possible. At least that's how it's
worked for me. So I hope that this was helpful.
You can submit questions on our broadcast channel, and thank
(13:49):
you for listening to Oya Lookas don't go anywhere Locomotives.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
We'll be right back, and we're back more of our
episode today.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
We're joined by journalist Michelle Saccharias. On Friday, June sixth,
we were actually in studio with Michelle. We had recorded
an episode on a different topic, and we were really
excited to share that interview with y'all. But unbeknownst to us,
the raids were taking place in Los Angeles. As we
(14:23):
wrapped up for our studio session and just made our
way throughout Los Angeles and throughout the day, we learned
in real time about everything that was unfolding and how
our community was under attack. Given Michelle's in depth reporting
on racial justice and immigration, we decided to pause that
episode and instead bring her back to talk to us
(14:47):
more about how she's been covering the immigration raids in
Los Angeles and the importance of community journalism. She is
a reporter for Goto News, which is a hyperl local
independent media publication here in Los Angeles. This time we're
taking a deeper look into the ice rays, how communities
(15:09):
are responding, and how she's taking care of herself as
a on the ground reporter, as a journalist working with
families who are directly impacted as well, and why it's
important to continue to talk about the communities being impacted
in Los Angeles and nationally. Okay, Michelle, Well, welcome back.
(15:32):
This is your second time in studio with us. The
last time you were here was the day in Los
Angeles where when the ice rates began unbeknownst to us,
we were in Hollywood, we were recording, we were talking
about something completely different, and then I don't know what
it was like for you, but we went home and
(15:53):
it took me a while to get home and I
was off socials, I was running some errands and then
inundated and then I know you then went on the ground.
So what was that experience like? Yeah, for you, like
coming into record and then bam, you were in the
field immediately.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Yeah, I'm actually still kind of processing it because a
lot has happened since the time I was in the
studio last and now, and it really wasn't that long ago.
But like the frequency in which the raids were happening
and the intensity in which they were happening, I think
(16:32):
really shocked a lot of us, including people like myself
who have been covering this for a while. But I
remember even leaving the studio that day and thinking like, oh,
I'll just stop by this like quick protest, or I'll
stop by this quick gathering and talk to some people,
get some you know stories, and literally, by like nighttime
(16:54):
that day, I was in Chinatown and we were being
met with tear gas and tanks and just all kinds
of really unwarranted violence.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
I showed up.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
I remember that was like the last protest of the
day that I went to, and it wasn't really a
protest so much that it was people in the neighborhood
trying to warn their neighbors. People were on megaphones warning
people in their apartment building and complexes like hey, border patrols,
your ices here, No, you're rights, don't answer the door.
And then they had translators on the megaphone to make
(17:26):
sure that people understood what that meant. And then just
like over the course of maybe like an hour or two,
like the amount of federal officers that showed up just
like multiplied, and it kept multiplying, and by the end
of that night it was like us getting shot with
tear gas so that they could disburse the crowd. And
(17:50):
I think there was a moment there where I realized,
like what type of precedent was being set in that moment, right,
because that was just day one, and since then we've
seen the amping the intensity in which they've gone out
and targeted these communities. So I think there was a
moment of recognition. But I just truly don't think anyone
(18:13):
could have predicted how bad it was going to be.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Absolutely, And now, like you mentioned, it hasn't been that
long ago. It's been about two months, right, but it's
also in that same range, so much has happened, you know,
I think with most things, when there's there's an immediacy,
there's an urgency to cover things. How do you feel
like the coverage is now two months later with the
(18:36):
raids with immigration, with deportations, do you feel that it's
still getting the same coverage has coveraged maybe or priority shifted.
How are you feeling like as someone on the ground.
Speaker 3 (18:47):
You know, I think and I fall into this trap too.
It's like a lot of us, especially journalists that work
for like independent publications, like we want to be the
first ones to get to the site and the story,
and we want that scoop. I think a lot of
us learned really quickly like that was just not going
to be possible.
Speaker 4 (19:06):
We could not be.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
At every story, at every raid, at every you know
protest all the time, especially if you work in a
small newsroom, especially if you're already under resource.
Speaker 4 (19:19):
And I know, like in my circle.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
Of journalism colleagues, like so many of us are burnt out,
but we see this as like being a cause so
important that like we're willing to sort of push ourselves
beyond like that point. And we've found a lot of
like community in each other and being able to kind
(19:42):
of lean on each other during these times is like
really important. A lot of us are burnt out, but
I think we've got into a place where we understand,
like what are the things we individually need to sort
of recharge and like move on. I was watching this
panel last night about immigration reporting, and one of the
panels said, like, all of you in this room have
experienced like a trauma, and it's so normal for a
(20:05):
journalists to be like, oh, we were only to your guests,
Oh we were only you know. And it's true, like
I have all these moments in my head where I
didn't file reports and I actually have now filed reports
and grievances against local law enforcement because I think for me,
there's like a certain privilege in being a journalist who
(20:26):
can do that. Right, There's a lot of fellow journalists
who are of different immigration statuses, and so they're out
there and they're reporting, and they're risking their next for
this story too, and so I feel like if I'm
in a position where I can bring forth that information
and maybe seek out accountability in some way, like it's
my responsibility to do that. So now I'm actually documenting
(20:49):
and trying to be more I guess, like vigilant about
those types of instances.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yeah, and I want to ask you about you mentioned
this maybe urgency and this desire to be the first
person on the scene, the first journalist on the scene,
and you did get an exclusive a couple months or a
couple of weeks ago, right, maybe a little over a
month ago now, But you interviewed the mother of a
US citizen who was taken into custody. He was detained
at Walmart in Pico Rivera, and you were able to
(21:17):
get that exclusive with his mother. So can you tell
me about that and how you accessed how you gained
access to her, and what the interview was Like.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
Yeah, that was such a just like happenstance, Like everything
that lined up for me lined up in that way.
I was actually like flying out of town, like I
was on my way to New Orleans for a journalism
conference and one of my fellow journalists basically gave me
this goop and was like, hey, we had the contact
(21:49):
for one of the family members of the US citizen
that got taken. And I think it was interesting because
in previous like there's always been kind of like a
protectiveness about like sources and resource sharing and things like that,
And in this moment in time, I'm seeing some of
like our journalistic like circles breaking that pattern or that
(22:14):
trend because we think that these stories are so important,
like it needs to be widespread. So he gave that
information out to everyone. I texted the sister and I said, hey,
have you guys been able to locate him yet at
that point they hadn't. And I was flying, I was
literally landing my plane and I was like, I'm going
to check into my hotel and I'm going to get
on Zoom and let's just like do this interview and
(22:37):
see if we can like help locate him somehow, right,
and like that was actually my first inclination. I was like,
not so much thinking about the story so much as
this point in time, it's been over twenty four hours
since you've been able to locate your son, Like someone
has to know where he is and we can use
the resources that we have to locate him. So we
got on a Zoom call. I was just asked her
(23:00):
kind of some of the basic questions where her head
was that what information she had. And then as soon
as the Zoom call was over, it was like midnight
where I was at and I was like, I have
to edit this now and I have to write this
story now, and so I like pushed myself to do
that and it was like maybe four in the morning
by the time that was done, and I posted it
live and like by the time I woke up, it
(23:22):
was like already viral. I was really happy to hear
that they were able to locate him. And I know
some of my colleagues from like La Taco also were
able to do like a follow up story, and so
I felt like, yeah, like it was a situation that
obviously brought attention to my newsroom, Mccloonnews, and we were
able to get a lot of new followers from that.
Speaker 4 (23:45):
But at the end of the.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Day, we were also able to locate Adrian, and that
was so important because this is a again an unprecedented
situation where they are essentially allowing mask vigilantes to scoop
up whomever whenever they want.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
It was so frightening to see. I mean, I'm very
local to p Coriveda, It's very close to where I live,
and so when I saw that clip go viral of
him being detained by, like you said, this supposed ice agent,
a masked vigilante, and I think that there has been
maybe this sense of like self protection from like us
(24:22):
born Latinos, right of like okay, but I'm safe, quote
unquote right. But then we see these saw these instances
in the last couple of months where we have seen
US citizens being detained because they're being racially profiled, because
they also are not asking for any proof of documentation, right,
and even when they are, they don't care. And so
(24:43):
that was definitely frightening for me to see us someone
very local to the neighborhood. I want to go back
to what you said about You mentioned this twice about
this your journalism circle and community like really acting in
like solidarity and moving maybe ways that are not considered
like journalistic, right, because like you said, there's this idea
(25:06):
that like the scoop is mine, the source is mine,
but the story and what's happening is so much bigger
than that. That you're working together in different ways that
maybe are unheard of, at least in the local level, right,
So can you talk more about that and like what
the differences are and maybe how you're seeing your colleagues
(25:28):
approach things differently.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
Yeah, And you know, I'm only speaking for my own experiences.
I don't know what the I guess outside larger journalism
community is doing in terms of like sharing resources right now.
But like I come from a non traditional journalism background.
I came from like a former organizer to journalism like Pipeline,
(25:50):
and those tend to be like the type of journalists
that I gravitate towards because we kind of have the
same sense of like how we operate, like what values
we have when we're interviewing people. And I always tell people, like,
before I'm a journalist, before I am a reporter, I'm
a human being. And if I see or sense that,
(26:13):
like my the person that I'm interviewing is not comfortable,
They're not enthusiastically consenting to it, like I'm going to
take a step back, and I'm going to continue to
build that trust and cultivate that relationship and also just
be really transparent about like what they are agreeing to. Right,
I think right now, more than ever, it's like so
important that we are really clear with our sources about
(26:36):
what sorts of risks they're taking when they're sharing their stories.
And you know, you could be in a moment where
you feel very like amped up and like ready to act,
But what does that mean in the in the long term,
does that mean you risk being you know, targeted by
the alt right? Does that mean that your family members
are at risk? Now?
Speaker 4 (26:56):
And so even having that organizer background is.
Speaker 3 (26:58):
So helpful because it's like, hey, have you thought about
some of these like doxing protections, you know, before you
give me this like scoop. So yeah, I think in
my circles at least, there's this just like understanding that
we are public servants and we are here ultimately to
serve the public and art ourselves.
Speaker 1 (27:18):
Yeah, and it sounds like, you know, making this distinction
and we can't. We don't know however newsworm works, right,
But I can imagine that there's a difference between like
legacy media and the way they're approaching their sources, their stories,
the scoop that insider info versus the community journalists that
(27:39):
have smaller newsrooms like Elie Taco, like Glo, right, And
so I can imagine that there's that that this difference
and this understanding like we may not have enough team
members right now to get this out, so can you
do it right?
Speaker 3 (27:53):
And there's also like less degrees of separation between like
my writer and my editor. Like I see my editor
every day, So if I disagree with the headline or
the way that something was revised, like I'm going to
bring it.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
Directly to her.
Speaker 3 (28:08):
You know, we talked a little bit about this, or
it was just was mentioned on a panel I recently
saw where a large LA based news publication revealed the
full name and location of like a street vendor. And
it's very common to use full names and stories. It's
(28:29):
very common to you know, give out almost like unnecessary information.
Names are fine, but like having the exact intersections of
a street vendor really puts them at risk, right, And
so a lot of people really upset about that. And
I had already we had already had that conversation in
my newsroom. I was like, I'm not putting out last names.
(28:49):
If I'm using someone's name, it's going to be like
a last initial. I'm not giving out locations if we're
using photos, like are we blurring people?
Speaker 1 (28:57):
Like?
Speaker 4 (28:57):
What is our process for that?
Speaker 3 (28:59):
And it was so in thing to me that a
newsroom as large as that one hadn't put that kind
of thought and consideration into it.
Speaker 1 (29:06):
Absolutely when we so when we recorded with you in June,
we had to just put the interview that we had
with you on hold because we felt, you know, rapid response,
we have to talk about what's going on, and that
was one of the things that we were really feeling
at that time, and we still feel that way that
this is the testing ground and they want to see
(29:27):
the administration wants to see how we respond and how
they can stifle any response, which we have seen them
attempt to do. I saw even last night folks were
arrested outside the FED building. So things may. I think
that there's this sense of maybe normalcy right now, but
like things have not stopped, right. Maybe the National Guard
(29:48):
has pulled out of Los Angeles, but there is still
violence happening.
Speaker 3 (29:52):
Right and the to that point, it's not that they're
just being pulled out. It's that there are people taking action,
people working behind the scenes that are taking legal steps
to protect absolutely people out here. And then there are
people who are engaging in direct action, right and so
there's like a multitude of ways in which people are
(30:12):
fighting back, and not all of them involve punching a
federal officer, you know. And so I think this idea
that like there's one way to fight, or there's one
right way that like Southern California should be protecting immigrant
communities is kind of like reductionists. But you know, I
even beyond that, they are now criminalizing behaviors that were
(30:37):
not priorly like considered criminal, right, Like, if you guys
are following what happened with Cso we've been organizing specifically
in East and South East LA for a long time.
Like they have two members who are being tacked with
just trumped up charges for things that are not really criminal, right,
Like they grabbed Alejandro for distributing face mask right at protests.
(31:03):
So it's just like all the ways in which they
are finding reasons or justifications to criminalize and imprison us
as we are kind of figuring out ways to resist.
Speaker 1 (31:14):
For folks that don't work in journalism, they're not working
in government, right, there can be this feeling of like
I'm living my quote life right now, but I have
all this heaviness that I'm carrying with me and things
feel weird and can I even quote enjoy myself right now?
And so I want to ask you how you're holding that.
(31:36):
I know you just I mean on a personal level, right,
I know you took some time off that you I'm
assuming was like very needed, right, and so like how
are you holding that? Is? Because you're a person, right,
and like you said, you're a person first, and you're
a journalist and you're a survivor of cancer, and so
how are you holding all these truths right now and
taking care of yourself.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
Yeah, I'm like so grateful for that time away because
I was like physically in a location where I could
not like access my phone or signal constantly, and so
with like a forced disconnect, which I never have, right
And even when you know, I talked to my colleagues
about this, even when I go on like a mental
health walk or something, I'm still on my phone. I'm
(32:18):
still plugged in. So having that forced disconnection was actually
really nice and super necessary. And it also kind of
like forced me to process some of what I've been compartmentalizing.
And I know this because I was like sitting there
like crying one day and I couldn't figure out why,
(32:38):
and I was like, oh my gosh, I just haven't
had a chance to like breathe, right, I haven't had
a chance to think about everything we've just experienced in
the last couple of months. And you know, when you're
constantly like trying to push back some of those traumas
so that you can get to the next story or
report on the next lead, like you're not really taking
(32:58):
any time to understand how it's impacting you both like
physically and psychologically. But I think the time away was great.
Not everyone can take that time. I think leaning into
community and other people who have like shared experiences with
me has been like such a lifesaver. I've gained so
(33:22):
many new friends in the last couple of months, people
that like I've never met before because we have like
these shared traumas now really and there are not a
lot of people who understand like my specific experience right
as a journalist, as like former organizers, someone who has
(33:43):
identities with some of these communities that I'm reporting on.
But now like I've connected with so many people who
do have that. So that's been so important. And I
think obviously, like we all say like self care and
mental health and like a lot of that really calms
down to the systems in play. And it can't just
(34:04):
be the like face mask and the day to day, right,
it has to be like, how is your editor supporting
you in this moment, How is your newsroom stepping up
to ensure that you have like legal counsel if you
get arrested. It's having those securities and safety nets that
kind of give you a bit a bigger peace of
(34:25):
mind as you're like going into the field.
Speaker 1 (34:28):
Yeah, thank you for touching on that. At the top
of the conversation, you talked about like you and your
colleagues in some ways pushing yourselves to burn out to
get the story out, to get the coverage, to do
as much coverage as possible. How are you dealing with
that now two months in or two months later, even
(34:49):
though things haven't necessarily changed, but there's still an importance
of coverage, Like, do you still feel that you're pushing
yourself to like get it out?
Speaker 3 (35:00):
Yes, and no. I think there's always going to be.
It's almost like a fomo of sorts, right, I'm like,
why wasn't I at this protest?
Speaker 4 (35:07):
Why wasn't?
Speaker 3 (35:08):
But I think one thing that became really clear to
me in the process of the last couple of months
is like, the protests are important, they're happening, and we
should be covering them. But while the protests are happening,
there are still all of these raids occurring in nearby areas. Right, So,
(35:28):
for example, the no Kink protest was like huge, and
I was there, I was covering it, But while that
was going on, there was also active raids happening in
like Downy and it's now inching closer to Long Beach.
And so as all of this is kind of playing out,
I'm like called to, you know, one story or another one,
(35:49):
and I have to think about like the impact again,
Like what is it that I really want to do
with my reporting? Can I help one family? Can I
share or showcase their story versus like another story about
a large scale protests. And you know, the No King
protests actually ended up being a really important story because
(36:10):
there was unwarranted escalation by both LAPD and LASD and
you might have seen that they actually weren't in communication
with each other and like accidentally tear gass each other,
and you know, like so there was no cohesive communication
amongst them, which resulted in like violence against peaceful demonstrators.
(36:32):
And that was a story and a lot of us
covered it. But at this point in time, I can
also cover other stories. I can talk to people who
have reached out to me who are in the process
of going through their immigration hearing and they need someone
to follow them because they want to make sure that
whatever happens, there's like documentation of it. And that's another
(36:54):
really powerful way that you know you can tap into
these same stories of like immigration and hardship.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
What is energizing you right now, right and like what
is keeping you grounded while you're covering the magnitude of
what's happening in Los Angeles and beyond and also trying
to keep yourself like mentally and emotionally physically safe.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
That is a great question because I don't even think
I've figured that out completely for myself. You know, I
think there are things that I can do that help
me sort of recharge for a bit, but it is
always like plugging your phone in really quickly and then
like leaving before it's fully charged.
Speaker 4 (37:34):
You know.
Speaker 3 (37:34):
That's like where I feel like I'm at right now.
I'm always on like fifty percent battery. But I think
that obviously leaning into community has been a big one,
being intentional about like the stories I pursue and really
trying to understand like what I hope the outcome will be.
(37:55):
And then you know, as I'm like in the process
of wrapping up my fellowship and applying to like new newsrooms,
thinking about what environment I can see myself in right
like what sorts of people I want to surround myself
with over these next like four years and beyond, because
(38:15):
that is going to make all the difference. And I
think sometimes coming from like an organizer background, we tend
to be in like a state of crisis, and it's
so easy to let that like consume us, and that's
just not how we're going to survive, right, Like these
alright types, these fascists, like they're counting on us to
(38:37):
burn out, They're counting on us to get apathetic. And
the best way we can combat this is by like
continuing to nurture each other and replenish each other as
like community members and figure out ways to switch out
our roles, right, so we don't always have to be
the ones at the front line.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
Yeah, I love that. I want to talk about like
tangible ways to be like an active community member. We
recently talked about all of the policies that are actually
hurting working families, mothers, children, and how like with that
in mind, like we have to be active community members
(39:17):
like with our own people, especially with like the mothers
in our lives. Maybe not our own mothers, but like
our friends who are moms, especially like new moms. And
so I want to I feel like we especially like
here at look. I thought we talk a lot about
like show for your community, you have to be connected
to each other, but what are some tangible ways we
can actually show up for each other.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
Being co existing in the same space more often, Like
I know, LA is so spread out and it just
takes so much energy to meet up someone for like
a cup of coffee. But I saw this actually with
like a TikTok clip recently that said, like this girl
that was like amping herself to go out, and she
was like remembering that if I want to be part
of a village, I have to be an active participant
(39:59):
like a village ye.
Speaker 1 (40:00):
To be a villager.
Speaker 3 (40:00):
Yeah, And I think that's you know, right now we're
seeing a lot more of that. People are showing up,
showing out, but making that like a pattern in your life,
like making it habitual.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
I think the other thing is.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
That like there are like little ways right like you're
talking about like motherhood, there are little ways that we
can support each other that I think sometimes feel like
maybe a burden. Like one of the hardest things I
most difficult things for me is finding someone to like
watch my dog. And I'm always the first one to
be like, oh do you want me to walk your
dog or you know what I mean. And it's just
(40:35):
like tiny things like that that would make community feel
like closer, make it easier for us to kind of
rely on each other. Yes, yeah, and in these spaces
providing like childcare, like accessibility that's a big one, like
are you going to have parking there?
Speaker 4 (40:51):
Like yeah, you know.
Speaker 3 (40:52):
So it's just like thinking about and this is I
have like a speel around accessibility justice because I'm a
person with a disability. But I always tell my friends
that I was like all of these things like apply
to able bodied people too, and like eventually everyone will
no longer be able bodied, but you should start implementing
these practices into your spaces because it makes more people
(41:15):
want to come and be there regardless.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
Well, on that note, I want to end on I
want to end and acknowledge on the fact that you
won an award recently. Yeah, and so let's talk about
the LA Press Club Award, what you won your award for,
and just how you're feeling about it all.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Yeah. I think awards are always such a mixed bag
for me because on one hand, you know, this is
happening all in the middle of like all of this
really harmful violent raids. And so I'm receiving an award
for race and society reporting, and it feels again, I guess,
(41:56):
you know, dystopian, to be sitting there accepting an award
in a space that's kind of like protected or shielded
from that.
Speaker 4 (42:03):
Right.
Speaker 3 (42:05):
And then on the other hand, and I tell my
colleagues all the time, I'm like, white people are submitting
for awards all the time. And I know so many
journalists of color, so many queer journalists, so many journalists
of like different identities that have not been recognized for
their work just because like they're not submitting or their
newsroom isn't submitting for them. And we need to do
(42:27):
that more, right, Like we need to be recognized for
a work, and we need to be given our flowers
while we're still alive, while we're here. So when I
do go into this, you know with gratitude and especially
gratitude that the people who share their stories with me
(42:47):
did so I'm also recognizing that, like us, being in
the space is like distructive of the status quo. And
happy I won. Hope I win more awards, and I
also hope that like the people around me are like
also winning all the awards, you know, and we can
win the awards together.
Speaker 1 (43:05):
So thank you so much for joining us a second time.
I know this is a very different conversation, but I'm
so glad we got to.
Speaker 4 (43:11):
Have it awesome. Thank you so much for having me again.
Speaker 1 (43:14):
Thank you Loka Motives for listening to another episode of
Lokata Radio. Let us know what you think of this
episode in the comments on social media or on Spotify.
Leave us a review and share with a friend. Besitos.
Loka to a Radio is executive produced by Viosa Fem
and Mala Munios.
Speaker 2 (43:34):
Stephanie Franco is our producer.
Speaker 1 (43:36):
Story editing by Me viosa.
Speaker 2 (43:39):
Creative direction by Me Mala.
Speaker 1 (43:41):
Look at Our Radio is a part of iHeartRadio's Michael
Dura podcast network.
Speaker 2 (43:45):
You can listen to Locata Radio on the iHeartRadio app
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
Leave us a review and share with your prima or
share with your homegirl.
Speaker 2 (43:53):
And thank you to our local motives, to our listeners
for tuning in each and every week.
Speaker 1 (43:57):
Besitos
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