06/06/2025
Valeria Fernandez of AltavozLab talks about supporting community journalists, her career, and honoring the memory of photographer Nick Oza
Listen to the interview on Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/42mytjk3
Host James Garcia talks with Valeria Fernandez, founder and executive director of Altavoz Lab, which mentors, trains, and supports local journalists to pitch, produce, and publish impactful accountability and service-oriented journalism at community outlets covering historically disinvested audiences across the U.S. Also a journalist, filmmaker, and producer, Fernandez started her career at a small Spanish-language newspaper in Phoenix, before transitioning to English-language media and writing for The Guardian, Pacific Standard, Latino USA, and PRX’s The World.
We also talk about Altavoz Lab's new fellowship, created in memory of Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Nick Oza.
About the Show
Vanguardia America and Vanguardia Arizona are hosted by James E. Garcia. The shows focus on long-form interviews covering politics, business, arts, and culture from an American Latino perspective. The radio show is in English and airs live on Saturdays, 8 to 9 a.m., on 99.5 FM / 1190 AM in Phoenix. Podcast episodes post Mondays at 9 a.m. Eastern to Vanguardia America and Vanguardia Arizona on Spotify.
About the host
James E. Garcia is a veteran journalist and playwright. As a journalist, James has worked as a reporter, columnist, editor, foreign correspondent and radio reporter and host. He was the first Latino Affairs correspondent for KJZZ, 91.5 FM, in Phoenix, and the first Latino editor of a major progressive news weekly, The San Antonio Current.
Today, he host Vanguardia Arizona and Vanguardia America on La Onda radio in Phoenix and writes commentary and analysis for Arizona Mirror. He is also the founder and producing artistic director of New Carpa Theater Co. and the author of more than 30 plays.
Contact: [email protected]
