When we asked Boyle Heights and East L.A. residents where they turn for news and information, one organization came up again and again — Boyle Heights Beat. This bilingual, hyperlocal newsroom prioritizes community engagement in its approach and community input in its reporting and framing of stories. 

That’s why we’re so excited that Boyle Heights Beat has been integrated into the L.A. Local News Initiative, and serves as our model for additional community publications we’ll operate throughout the region.

Founded in 2010, Boyle Heights Beat began as a youth-focused project with high school students trained by professional journalists to report on their community. Over 300 students have gone through the program, and many have moved on to careers in journalism, as well as education, law, and community organizing. Today, the team is led by Jessica Perez, who is from Boyle Heights and joins us from the L.A. Times, and also includes three professional reporters, a community engagement team and a social media director. It publishes daily on its website, quarterly in print, and has a podcast, Radio Pulso.

The team has had a tremendous impact on their community. When neighbors said they needed more reliable news about the pandemic, the Beat responded by publishing community resources in English and Spanish. Their profile of an unhoused East L.A. Community College student was picked up by other outlets, elevating the issue across the region from the perspective of people most impacted. The student was ultimately housed by a local nonprofit. Earlier this year, the Beat hosted a candidate forum attended by more than 200 residents and moderated by members of the high school training program. 

Meet the team that powers this amazing newsroom:

Jessica is the senior editor leading Boyle Heights Beat. Prior to this role, she spent nearly six years at the LA Times, first as assistant editor of the News Desk, then community editor of De Los, a Latinx vertical. She also worked as a digital producer at NBC Los Angeles, and spent a year as a fellow at USC Annenberg’s School of Journalism, where she established a South LA community desk and led students in reporting projects. Jessica was born in Mexico, grew up in Boyle Heights, and was deputy editor of the Beat in its early days. She holds a degree in journalism from Cal State Long Beach.

Alex is a proud Angeleno and Boyle Heights Beat alumnus (2015-2018). After graduating from Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School, he went on to pursue a Bachelors of Arts in Hispanic Studies & Creative Writing at Hamilton College. Upon graduation in 2022, Alex returned to his hometown where he now serves as an associate editor and community reporter for the Beat, highlighting what makes Boyle Heights a beautiful neighborhood.

Andrew Lopez is a Los Angeles native with roots all over the Eastside. He comes to Boyle Heights from Oakland, where he earned a master's degree at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism. He enjoys covering the intersections between art, culture and history within communities. Andrew is part of the inaugural cohort of the California Local News Fellowship and will be supporting Boyle Heights Beat into 2025.

Ricky Rodas is a community reporter for Boyle Heights Beat via the CA Local News Fellowship. Rodas, who is Salvadoran American, grew up in the San Gabriel Valley and attended Cal State LA. He is also a member of the 2020 graduating class of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. Rodas was previously a 2022 reporting fellow for KALW and covered immigrant-owned small businesses for The Oaklandside through a partnership with Report For America. 

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‍The following team members are a vital part of Boyle Heights Beat, and will also be working on our expanded community engagement and high school training programs, as well as providing support for the launch of additional community publications in L.A.

Kris Kelley is the Managing Director, Community Engagement & Student Journalism of Boyle Heights Beat. A former television news producer, she currently runs the community youth journalism project where she has led and mentored students for the past decade.  Kris graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a Bachelor of Arts and earned her Master’s in Journalism from University of Southern California, where she currently teaches advanced reporting and live television production.

‍Kevin is a proud alumni of the Boyle Heights Beat. He was part of the second cohort (2011-2012) and wrote a couple of stories that focused on Latinx stereotypes in Hollywood and profiled a local mom-and-pop café. After graduating from Theodore Roosevelt HS, he pursued a Bachelors of Science in Sociology (2016) and a Masters in Education, Culture & Society (2018) from Westminster College and the University of Utah, respectively. He returned to LA in 2018 to work in non-profit educational organizations where he utilized his research on social justice, critical race theory and youth empowerment into practice. He rejoined Boyle Heights Beat in the Spring of 2022 as a youth mentor and now working as the Community Engagement Manager.

Jacqueline Ramirez is a former Boyle Heights Beat alumni (2013-2015). She is currently the Multimedia/Social Producer for Boyle Heights Beat. After graduating from Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School in 2015, she pursued a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and New Media at Mount Saint Mary’s University.

Carmen González is a bilingual print and audio reporter. As a youth reporter for Boyle Heights Beat (2017-2019) she wrote about societal issues and hosted the Boyle Heights Beat podcast, Radio Pulso. Carmen has gone on to work at KCRW, UCLA Labor Center, The Corsair, and most recently, CalMatters. At the Beat, she helped create the fall programming for students. Carmen will oversee each class of students when entering the program, ensuring that each student continues to get premier training. She tweets @thtMXanwriter.

Kate Valdez is a proud Boyle Heights native and Boyle Heights Beat alumnus (2016-2018). Currently, as the Program Coordinator for the Beat, she oversees the day to day operations of the program. Kate has collaborated on multiple films across the world. Most recently producing her own short film as a Venice Arts fellow. Her training began at Ghetto Film School, where she completed a three-year film academy. Kate’s passion for storytelling connects her aspirations across various artistic mediums such as journalism, photography and filmmaking.

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As a community newsroom, Boyle Heights Beat intentionally works with a network of journalism mentors, students, and contributors, to increase pathways into our newsroom and our coverage and to make it possible for more people to be part of our newsgathering. Our work wouldn’t be possible without them. You can find their work and bios on our website.

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