On October 15, Hofstra University will host its second annual Latino Media Conference.
The highly anticipated conference will feature Juan González, award-winning journalist and investigative reporter for the New York Daily News and Democracy Now!, as keynote speaker.
“He is a working journalist with a long track record of exceptional reporting,” says Mario Murrillo, chair of the Radio, Television, Video, and Film department at Hofstra University. “He is directly tied to the community in many ways, and has written about the need to diversify and strengthen the presence of Latinos in the media.”
González will anchor a conference that seeks to connect media, community groups, and academia in projects that benefit all parties.
The inaugural conference in 2009 worked to facilitate dialogue between local Spanish-language media outlets and community groups through workshops. The aim this year is to continue that conversation while strengthening the relationship between the media, area organizations, and the Hofstra University School of Communications.
“The goal is to create a permanent channel of communication and collaboration,” says Javier Castaño, founder of QueensLatino.com and adjunct professor at Hofstra University. “The media ecosystem is changing and the role of educational institutions, such as Hofstra, is important in the development of new business models for news.”
The Latino Media Conference is scheduled for October 15 from 8am-6pm in Hofstra University’s Dempster and Breslin halls. The event is free and open to the public.
Grace Gavilanes is a junior at Hofstra University. Follow her on Twitter @gracegavilanes and on the website BlissfulBelle.org.
