On February 27, Telemundo 52 news anchor Enrique Chiabra spoke with LPPI policy fellows at the quarterly communications module.

Chiabra has won 11 Emmy awards in his 10 years at Telemundo, alongside awards from GLAAD and the Latino Journalists of California. In his time as a sociology undergraduate at UCLA, Chiabra was president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists at UCLA and a multimedia journalist at the Daily Bruin. 

During the module, Chiabra discussed his journey from Bruin to broadcaster and how he maintains trust with his community and viewers. He emphasized the importance of providing accurate information to Spanish-speaking communities, especially in a media and political landscape rife with misinformation and fear.

Chiabra described how he brings his lived experience as a formerly undocumented immigrant to the newsroom by sharing resources and building relationships with the undocumented residents he reports on. Ensuring the people in his stories feel seen is what drives Chiabra to continue reporting, he said.

“Even though they’re struggling, at least someone’s taking the time to tell their stories, and they feel like it’s worth it,” Chiabra said. “That makes me more happy than any award or any recognition. To me, making an impact, or at least helping someone in a small way is a huge deal.”

He also shared his processes for prioritizing information from extensive research pieces and sourcing vulnerable populations on sensitive issues.

At a time of large network mergers and heightened media scrutiny, Chiabra maintains faith in freedom of speech and the press. 

“This is who I am – I have an accent in Spanish and English, and it is what it is,” Chiabra said. “The point is that I’m passionate about this. This is what I really, really committed to.”