Our next coming chapter has latino based news organization

The reason they are joining:

Raymond Ruiz said: “We believe that creating a strong NAHJ chapter at the University of
Houston campus is critical to developing the talented student journalists
UHELGATO.com needs to be an elite publication.  By working togetherand
enlisting local support, we will make UH the top Hispanic Journalism
program in the country”.

Here’s an article about their news organization and website by Sinai Tirado

Making Headway in the Journalism World

 El Gato, a Latino based news organization developed by UH students, seeks to make headway in the journalism world through its concerns of Latino issues and other ongoing current events. It recently launched its website-www.uhelgato.com-by providing articles and columns on matters of politics, literature, sports, romance, and culture thanks to a handful of staff members.

El Gato has come a long way from its initial publication of newsletters. Its members have built an organization that works along side the community and other media outlets to provide a wide range of publications and improve media coverage of Latinos while sustaining high journalism standards.

Members are guided to effectively deliver interviews and use proper article formats. This facilitates each member’s ability to follow a concise structure which they can build upon. According to El Gato Director Ray Ruiz, “we want to get the fundamentals down; then, be able to manipulate them to create something new that can be effective.”

One of the aspects that make the organization effective is its close ties with the community. In fact, many of El Gato member credit their success to the community. As one of the creators of El Gato, Edgar Veliz, sustains an important role in community events for he says, “we would not be here without other people having helped us.” Not only that, El Gato wants to be involved with the people and events it covers to better understand their mission and perspectives.

Members have also kept close ties with other media organizations. Some of these organizations include The Daily Cougar, Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals (H.A.H.M.P.), the D.R.E.A.M. Act Coalition, and Arte Público Press.

Although some students view El Gato as a competitor to the Daily Cougar, El Gato collaborates with the university newspaper and respects its accomplishments. “We hope to gain the number of hits that the Daily Cougar sustains on a daily basis,” mentions Ruiz “their following acts as a benchmark for what we want our numbers to reach.”

To ensure its success, members want to increase the number of events covered, involve students from other universities, aid high school students with an interest in journalism, and build on staff members. Ideas are constantly welcomed, whether they are from readers or members.

You can see more at www.uhelgato.com

Advertisement