The Local Journalism Initiative (LJI) is excited to announce that José Ignacio Castañeda will serve as a reporter for the new collaborative nonprofit newsroom, Spotlight Delaware.
Castañeda joins Spotlight Delaware after covering nearly 400 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border for the Arizona Republic newspaper.
His border work included covering complex issues with national consequences while never losing focus of people on the ground. Castañeda covered stories of government accountability, human smuggling and everyday life on both sides of the international border.
He previously worked for DelawareOnline/The News Journal, where he led coverage of marginalized communities across Delaware.
Castañeda wrote one of The News Journal’s first Spanish-language articles as he aimed to focus coverage on Delaware’s growing Hispanic population.
Castañeda is a native of Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico. He grew up in Aurora, Illinois, and graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.
“I joined Spotlight because I’m excited to be able to create a newsroom alongside Delaware communities while addressing inequalities and elevating underrepresented voices,” Castañeda said.
Spotlight Delaware will focus on covering public policy and how it affects the daily lives of Delawareans throughout the state, with a particular emphasis on communities that have not always had access to local news and information. The team is currently co-creating the Spotlight Delaware newsroom through a series of listening sessions throughout the state.
“I was thoroughly impressed by the quality of coverage that Jose provided when he was last in Delaware, and his skills have only grown in his time in Arizona,” Spotlight Delaware Editor in Chief Jacob Owens said. “We’re so excited to bring Jose back to the First State where he can help us tap into communities that have been historically underserved by the media.”
Reach Castañeda at jcastaneda@spotlightdelaware.org or by phone at 267.331.0528.
Learn more about LJI and Spotlight Delaware, sign up for the mailing list and donate at spotlightdelaware.org.
ABOUT THE LOCAL JOURNALISM INITIATIVE (LJI)
LJI, a 501c3 nonprofit organization, is working to strengthen local journalism as a vehicle for a stronger democracy and thriving communities throughout the First State. Learn more about LJI at ljidelaware.org.
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