For Conecta Arizona, election coverage begins before a story is assigned.
It starts by listening.
Founder and director Maritza L. Félix said the Spanish-language newsroom has built its approach around conversations with communities in Arizona and Sonora. WhatsApp sits at the center of that strategy, alongside radio, newsletters, podcasts and in-person engagement.
“We listen first,” Félix said. “Then we create conversations.”
Only after those conversations does the newsroom decide what content to produce.
That approach has helped Conecta Arizona identify issues that may not always dominate traditional political reporting. Instead of beginning with candidates or campaign strategies, conversations can start with water, housing, mental health, immigration or household bills.
Félix also described the importance of making election information culturally relevant rather than simply translating existing coverage into Spanish.
That can mean using humor, simple explanations and formats that feel familiar to the community. When detailed written election guides failed to attract audiences, the newsroom adapted by bringing more of that information to formats such as TikTok.
The broader lesson is that engagement is not simply distribution. It can be part of the reporting process itself.
Actionable recommendations
- Create regular opportunities to listen before assigning coverage.
- Ask communities what they do not understand about an election.
- Test different formats when strong reporting is not reaching audiences.
Questions for leaders
- Are audience needs informing our coverage before publication?
- Which communities are missing from the conversations shaping our election plans?
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