We considered communities not often covered and how we might expand, contextualize and challenge the often-limiting narratives that dominate the region’s portrayal in the media. It wasn’t just a matter of geography, but an essential inquiry into what it means to create journalism that is truly inclusive.
Our Puerto Rico bureau was established in 2019, nearly two years after Hurricane Maria devastated the region. The storm’s effects, both political and personal, continued to reverberate. A significant number of Puerto Ricans advocated for statehood, and United States media faced criticism for their fleeting disaster coverage, neglecting the prolonged turmoil that followed. At Global Press, we committed to unearthing these narratives, to authentically depict the complexity of Puerto Rican life during that pivotal juncture.
This year, our recruitment efforts in “La Isla del Encanto” ventured beyond the extensively covered coastal cities to the heights of Utuado; the coastal town of Vega Baja; and Yabucoa, where Hurricane Maria made landfall.
