The Latino News Network (LNN) publicly announced today that Annabel Rocha and Belén Dumont have been named Editors of its five local multimedia news outlets.
Among the duties Rocha and Dumont add to their current writing and reporting responsibilities are research, plan, develop and implement new content. They will also build relationship with partners and establish collaboration with other news team members.
“I am elated to work with Annabel and Belén, two journalists that I respect and admire,” said Hugo Balta, Owner, and Publisher of the Latino News Network. “They are talented writers/reporters, and I am confident they will elevate the quality of our coverage and storytelling in their new roles even further.”
Dumont joined LNN in 2021 as a writer for Connecticut Latino News (CTLN) and host of the CTLN Opinion+. “I’m incredibly grateful to be stepping up as an editor at LNN,” said Dumont. “It has been a great pleasure working for such an inclusive and innovative news outlet, alongside its talented team. I have learned a lot from my experience reporting for MA Latino News, NH Latino News, and now CT Latino News. I’m thrilled to play a larger role in our New England coverage of local Latinx communities and continue my growth as a journalist at LNN.”
Rocha joined Illinois Latino News as its first writer/reporter when it launched last October. “I’m beyond excited to venture into this new role with LNN,” said Rocha. “I’m thankful to Hugo Balta and LNN for believing in my potential as a writer, and now editor. Since launching with IL Latino News last year, I’ve seen tremendous growth in myself as a journalist. I’m proud of the stories we’ve produced thus far, and I look forward to continuing to provide greater visibility to the Latinx community through the work we produce.”
While the editors will collaborate across all LNN sites, Rocha will primarily focus on ILLN, NHLN, and RILN. Dumont will oversee CTLN and MALN. As the network expands to Wisconsin later this year, the editor’s oversight will recalibrate. ”We are working towards Annabel leading LNN Midwest and Belén leading LNN East,” Balta said.
Both Rocha and Dumont have helped lead the Democracy SOS and Advancing Democracy, solutions journalism initiatives for LNN, thanks to grants by the Solutions Journalism Network and Hearken.
“Solutions journalism is one of the four pillars in LNN’s mission,” said Balta. “It provides us the skillset to produce in-depth stories that do more than just shed light on social problems but lend our platform to analyze the responses in solving them. Annabel and Belén will help me lead our newsroom in providing the public with news and information that empowers.”
Rocha has been named as a Fellow for USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism. The program provides interactive workshops and inspiring discussions by policy experts, practitioners, community innovators and leading journalists to help participants explore how community health, child and youth welfare, educational, economic and racial inequities – and access to health care – influence health and life outcomes.
The Latino News Network (LNN) oversees five independent news and information, multimedia, and digital outlets with a statewide coverage and Hispanic-Latino editorial focus in New England and the Midwest. MALN is one of the five newsrooms.
LNN’s mission is to elevate the visibility and voice of the Hispanic-Latino community, amplify the work of others in doing the same, mentor young journalists, and produce investigative stories using the principles of solutions journalism.
Annabel Rocha is a Multimedia Journalist for Illinois Latino News (ILLN). A native Chicagoan, Annabel graduated with a BA in Journalism & Media Studies from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 2018. Her areas of experience include broadcast production, news writing and interviewing. In addition to her work with Latino News Network, Annabel is a freelance writer and copywriter for various publications. She currently resides on the south side of Chicago, with hopes of amplifying local Hispanic/Latino voices and sharing stories of inclusion and diversity.
Belén Dumont is a multimedia reporter and editor for Latino News Network’s (LNN) New England websites. She graduated from Emerson College in 2021 with a B.S. degree in Journalism and a Minor in Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. Originally from Bloomfield, Connecticut, Belén has experience in multimedia and print journalism across New England and non-profit work in Washington D.C. Aside from covering issues relating to Latinx communities, her professional passions include photography and video editing along with social media and website management.