1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,720 Speaker 1: Amazing news. It's here, It's time. It's the Muddy One 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: at a Summer sash. Join us for Jokes and Tokes 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:11,480 Speaker 1: June twelve at the Artist Tree Studio Lounge in West Hollywood. 4 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: This event is a four twenty friendly comedy show. If 5 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,080 Speaker 1: you are a Muddy One at a podcast listener, you 6 00:00:18,280 --> 00:00:20,360 Speaker 1: have got to come to the Muddy One at a 7 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:23,480 Speaker 1: summer sesh. We did too Muddy One at a sessions 8 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:27,840 Speaker 1: last year. In October, we did like a Halloween sash 9 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:32,280 Speaker 1: at o'bili Studios. Literally Muddy One atas listeners from out 10 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: of skate caught flights and flew in just to attend 11 00:00:37,120 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: the Muddy One at a sash and listening party last October. 12 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: That was our only our second sash ever. The very 13 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,960 Speaker 1: first ever Muddy One at a sash was September of 14 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,680 Speaker 1: last year. There was a line to get in, sold 15 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:53,440 Speaker 1: out event, crazy times. You have got to be there. 16 00:00:53,479 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: This time around, we are at the Artist Tree Studio 17 00:00:56,200 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 1: Lounge and we have a lineup of ridiculous come medians 18 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:04,480 Speaker 1: starting with our very very super special guest, Danielle Perez. 19 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,480 Speaker 1: We've got Daniel Cabral who is also going to be 20 00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:11,120 Speaker 1: our m C and DJ for the night. Vince Caldera 21 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:15,280 Speaker 1: and Louis Lemis also me. I have seen all of 22 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 1: these comics live. They are hilarious. Danielle is on TV, 23 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,160 Speaker 1: Vince has his own special that he's recording coming out soon, 24 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 1: daniel is a wedding DJ, and Louis has the best 25 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,880 Speaker 1: mustache and stand up comedy. So you've got to be 26 00:01:28,959 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 1: there to see it all. June twelve, The Muddy One 27 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: at a Summer Seesh at the Artist Tree Studio Lounge 28 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: is sponsored by UMAL, Mexican American owned Salina's based UML. 29 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: You know that this is my favorite flower brand. This 30 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: is the only flower brand that I am smoking on 31 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:49,960 Speaker 1: the podcast and shouting out. I'm really fucking giving big 32 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: ups and big props too. So we want to thank 33 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: UMAL for sponsoring The Muddy One at a Summer ssh 34 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: and making this event possible, so make sure you come through. 35 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: You can get your tickets to The Muddy One at 36 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:03,840 Speaker 1: a Summer Sesh on event Bright, visit my Instagram and 37 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:07,040 Speaker 1: hit the link in my bio at Mala Underscore Munios. 38 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: You can also hit the link in the show notes 39 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: for this episode The Muddy One at a Summer Sash 40 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: June twelve that the Artist Tree Studio Lounge sponsored by 41 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: Uma is the first muddy one at a Sash and 42 00:02:20,120 --> 00:02:35,239 Speaker 1: you don't want to miss it. Radio radio Radio Commies 43 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 1: a myth and bullshit. A radiophonic novella Look Radio hosted 44 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:49,919 Speaker 1: by Malamolola Locomotives. Welcome to season six of local radio 45 00:02:50,720 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: next Door. Look at Our Radio is a radiophonic novella 46 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,919 Speaker 1: which is just a very extra way of saying a podcast. 47 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: I'm theos up and I'm mala um so some quick updates. 48 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: You can follow us on all socials Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, 49 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,160 Speaker 1: all of it. We're there, we're act, We're as active 50 00:03:12,200 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: as we can be. 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Our affiliate code is Muana P four 65 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:19,520 Speaker 1: P for a percentage off Look a Morrees Today on 66 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 1: the podcast, we have the immense honor and pleasure of 67 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:28,480 Speaker 1: introducing Francisco abuls Pino to you, to all of our 68 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:33,600 Speaker 1: listeners at home. Frankie is an incredible journalist, a fabulous friend, 69 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: and a really inspiring storyteller. Francisco abuls Pino is on 70 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: a mission to make investigative journalism and documentary sexy. We 71 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: got the chance to talk to Francisco all about that mission, 72 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 1: the importance of authenticity, and a brand new investigative podcast 73 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:59,320 Speaker 1: by Elias Studios coming out. Frankie actually co produced this 74 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: brand new Elias podcast, so we're gonna talk more about that. 75 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:06,560 Speaker 1: Born in Akabo, Guerrero, Mexico and raised in Los Angeles 76 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 1: and Anaheim, California, Francisco is currently reporting and producing three 77 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 1: podcasts for Southern California Public Radio's Elist Studios. In between reporting, researching, 78 00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:22,599 Speaker 1: and developing important stories for our region, Francisco is also 79 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:26,360 Speaker 1: a surfer and its passionate about getting more kids from 80 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:31,200 Speaker 1: the hood in the water. Together with photographer Brittany Bravo, 81 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:34,679 Speaker 1: Francisco and Brittany both set out to document a surf 82 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: session that we are also really happy to share as 83 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: part of our interview with Frankie. Here on look at 84 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: our radio, head to our instagram at look at Underscore 85 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:49,880 Speaker 1: Radio to check out beautiful photography from Brittany Bravo and 86 00:05:50,040 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: Francisco involving surfing in Southern California, and make sure that 87 00:05:54,880 --> 00:06:00,160 Speaker 1: you hit up Frankie's Instagram and website. Francisco Share is 88 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:04,440 Speaker 1: all that information in this interview. Enjoy and thank you 89 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 1: for tuning in or Casterra Belly Rosa and and and 90 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: friends and and and and send and and and and 91 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: friends and and and and and and and friends Rang 92 00:06:28,920 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: and and send Rang and and sends rang and and 93 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 1: and and um um from from um um from from 94 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:51,600 Speaker 1: um um from from of it and little ship M. 95 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 1: Francisco ab Lespino. Thank you so much for joining us today. 96 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:03,039 Speaker 1: Thank you for stopping by Look Radio and sharing your 97 00:07:03,080 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 1: story and your work with our listeners. Can you say 98 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:08,520 Speaker 1: hi to all of our locomotives tuning in from home. 99 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, thank you for having me. I am. 100 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: I feel incredibly, incredibly honored to be at a space, 101 00:07:17,480 --> 00:07:21,040 Speaker 1: in a space that like I've seen in my purview 102 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: right over the years. And I don't know who I've 103 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,080 Speaker 1: told you both this, but I had an ex in 104 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: college who was like a big local ahead and I 105 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,320 Speaker 1: was just like, who are these girls? I get it, 106 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: you know, they're cute and they're charming, and then like 107 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: you guys, I can't escape you guys. You know, like 108 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: you guys have always been around, and so begrudgingly, I'm like, 109 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: all right, fine, if they want to be my friend, 110 00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: I'll be their friends. I hope all our exes feel 111 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:56,760 Speaker 1: that way. There's a lot of ex is out there 112 00:07:56,840 --> 00:08:01,520 Speaker 1: who are like those damn Look thoughts. Oh my god, 113 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: the propaganda. So we we caught one here in studio. 114 00:08:08,280 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: Thank you for stopping by. I want to ask you 115 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: about so many things. You're a poet, you're a journalist, 116 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: you are a storyteller, you're an activist, you have lived many, 117 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:21,720 Speaker 1: many lives. I first met you on Twitter. I feel 118 00:08:21,760 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: like our Twitter souls like gravitated towards each other, like 119 00:08:24,760 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: our tweet vibrations just like brought us together and we 120 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:30,640 Speaker 1: ended up meeting in person. I think for the first 121 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:34,360 Speaker 1: time at Lassita with Molina. That was our first hang 122 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: out and we've been buddies since. UM have gotten to 123 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: know more about you as as an individual, but also 124 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: more about your story and your work and your place 125 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 1: here in l A media. So we just want to 126 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:51,160 Speaker 1: jump in and like tell us about you as a storyteller. Yeah, 127 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:54,200 Speaker 1: thank you. I think, like I said, I've seen you 128 00:08:54,320 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: both as like a beacon of you know, of not 129 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:01,319 Speaker 1: a the hope. And I hate to say it in 130 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: that's such an Obama like linguistics, you know, but it's 131 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: like you both have sustained its like conversation around like 132 00:09:12,559 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: both empowerment and identity but also like the importance of 133 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 1: I think there's like an ancestral way that Cheeseman is important, 134 00:09:21,480 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 1: and an ancestral way that fems talking about what's important 135 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 1: to them and centering rage, centering pleasure, centering joy that UM, 136 00:09:33,679 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 1: you've heard as many times right, And I've read all 137 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:39,840 Speaker 1: your profiles where like you were, you all gave light 138 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: and a sound to something that was missing, you know. 139 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 1: And whenever I think of l a podcasting, I think 140 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:49,360 Speaker 1: of like look at the radio. So I'm excited to 141 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 1: be here, you know, and arguably I think like it 142 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:54,840 Speaker 1: was just it was meant to be. I like how 143 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:58,440 Speaker 1: you talked about the Twitter energy. But but yeah, I'm 144 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:00,079 Speaker 1: not sure if I understand your question. You want to 145 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,559 Speaker 1: talk about also like my storytelling journey and like why 146 00:10:03,600 --> 00:10:09,160 Speaker 1: I'm here? Yeah, I mean, maybe I can read a 147 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:11,319 Speaker 1: poem that kind of talks about it. Is that cool? 148 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:16,720 Speaker 1: Let's do it? We love reading. So this poem is 149 00:10:16,720 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 1: going to be in a collection, and I think it 150 00:10:18,800 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: talks a little bit about like why I do what 151 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:26,040 Speaker 1: I do? Okay, um, okay, let's do it and owe 152 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:31,080 Speaker 1: to journalists. After Sophia el Hilo, it is four am 153 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: on Monday morning and a cap Gero, Mexico, and before 154 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: he has my grandpa Salio is packing newspapers on the 155 00:10:38,160 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: back of his truck. With the help of his daughter Paloma, 156 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:44,079 Speaker 1: they drive down the colonial at five thirty am sharp 157 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,080 Speaker 1: and before she has my mother Boma, the oldest debate, 158 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:49,840 Speaker 1: yells into the mega phone the news of the day 159 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: and say, let those a country that is no one's, 160 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 1: a country called Mexico was no longer safe. So Palama 161 00:11:00,040 --> 00:11:02,480 Speaker 1: ran away from one crumbling house to the other, but 162 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: needing to send her two kids first. And I was 163 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 1: lucky to not find a camera trying to photograph me 164 00:11:08,080 --> 00:11:12,559 Speaker 1: in the hotel, dirty and alone with my sister. Before journalism, 165 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:18,040 Speaker 1: I knew that I remember the smells, that this oh sorry, 166 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: remember the smells, that this story and that this story 167 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: would always matter. And I believe this to be the 168 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:26,840 Speaker 1: reason why my mother never says going to buy in 169 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: a phone call, and how after one called during the 170 00:11:29,559 --> 00:11:31,480 Speaker 1: trip north, we had to pay to talk to her. 171 00:11:31,520 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: After that, over ten years later, after the migrations, in 172 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:40,160 Speaker 1: between the separation and assimilation and all that ship, my 173 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: mother asks me to charge change the channel when the 174 00:11:43,160 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: news comes on. After after I told my grandpa I 175 00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: want to be a journalist, he was silent for almost 176 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:57,280 Speaker 1: two minutes and finally said, then, what took with that? Um? 177 00:11:57,440 --> 00:11:59,520 Speaker 1: So I wrote that poem, I think as a way 178 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: to bring together why I pursued journalism in America right 179 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:09,840 Speaker 1: as an immigrant I sort of have like a reverse 180 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 1: Hossan Tonio Vargas story, where like I'm coming out first 181 00:12:14,679 --> 00:12:18,320 Speaker 1: as an immigrant and and pursuing journalism rather than like 182 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: winning a Pulitzer and then coming out. And so I 183 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:25,840 Speaker 1: feel like people like him and Mariana Hossa, another Latino 184 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 1: journalists like Adult Focus Lopez UM, I think set the 185 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:34,280 Speaker 1: tone for what journalism is. And when I was in college, 186 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 1: I was sort of I came to the reality that 187 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:39,679 Speaker 1: I was an immigrant, and I realized that there were 188 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:43,679 Speaker 1: outlets like Democracy Now the Intercept, and they were investigative 189 00:12:43,760 --> 00:12:46,320 Speaker 1: journalists at Rolling Stone at the time, to who like 190 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: I deeply admired and who were pursuing adversarial journalism as 191 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: a way to keep the powerful accountable UM. And I 192 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: then got to see journalists of color who we're really 193 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: trying to not only flect the communities they were from, 194 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: but who are also doing stories about other communities, but 195 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:11,080 Speaker 1: by maintaining dignity and prioritizing dignity UM. And so growing up, 196 00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: I always knew that my grandpa was a journalist in Mexico, 197 00:13:14,120 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: that he was persecuted UM, and that my mom would 198 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 1: like transcribe stories for him and so I always had 199 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:23,400 Speaker 1: like this little I guess rock in my shoe around 200 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:28,560 Speaker 1: like if the arts don't work or this doesn't work, Um, 201 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: I know that, like it's in my blood to pursue 202 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: journalism kind of thing. Um. And so over the years, 203 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 1: you know, I've been freelancing, doing beats here and there, 204 00:13:37,800 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: doing editorial contracts, um. And I think I'm finally at 205 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:44,800 Speaker 1: the precipice to just be like a little louder about 206 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,560 Speaker 1: like I'm an investigative journalist. I do serious work, but 207 00:13:48,600 --> 00:13:51,440 Speaker 1: I do serious work that is arguably sexy, you know, 208 00:13:51,559 --> 00:13:54,920 Speaker 1: like I want to also like entertain and give people 209 00:13:55,040 --> 00:14:01,000 Speaker 1: context and sort of um, offer important actual information to 210 00:14:01,080 --> 00:14:05,560 Speaker 1: our communities and adjacent communities. So my long winded answer 211 00:14:05,640 --> 00:14:12,760 Speaker 1: is the poem ancestry, all that ship, all that important ship. 212 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,880 Speaker 1: I hear you, I hear you. Um yeah, I mean 213 00:14:15,960 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: you have some incredible work with the likes of Vogue, 214 00:14:20,400 --> 00:14:24,840 Speaker 1: The Intercept, LAist and KPCCC and many others. But those 215 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 1: are just to name a few. And so you kind 216 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: of alluded to this already. But what keeps you going, Francisco? 217 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:35,120 Speaker 1: Like the work that you do is hard, but what 218 00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:40,360 Speaker 1: keeps you going? What is your why mm hmm. I 219 00:14:40,400 --> 00:14:44,600 Speaker 1: think I find myself realizing that my tolk it and 220 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:46,960 Speaker 1: by talk it, I mean like what I lean on 221 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: when things get hard kind of changes a little bit, 222 00:14:50,000 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 1: but what stays the same as definitely family, you know. UM. 223 00:14:55,280 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: I think I'm very grounded by the fact that, like 224 00:14:59,160 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: my grandpa believed in the power of journalism to document injustices. 225 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: And then my mother, you know, she wanted to be 226 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,640 Speaker 1: an artist growing up, and so I was raised on 227 00:15:11,160 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 1: like community theater, and I was raised on movement music 228 00:15:15,360 --> 00:15:18,120 Speaker 1: and I did mariachi at a really young age, and 229 00:15:18,200 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: so she also exposed me to the beauty of what 230 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:24,520 Speaker 1: the truth is. UM. And there's a really important quote, 231 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:29,040 Speaker 1: UM that I've been gravitating to UM and it's in 232 00:15:29,040 --> 00:15:32,120 Speaker 1: an interview that Tony Morrison did, I think in the 233 00:15:32,120 --> 00:15:35,280 Speaker 1: eighties or nineties where she said, like, quote, it's not 234 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:38,840 Speaker 1: possible to constantly hold on to crisis. You have to love, 235 00:15:39,040 --> 00:15:42,120 Speaker 1: you have to have the magic, you have to have 236 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:45,200 Speaker 1: love that it's also life end quote. And I think 237 00:15:46,600 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: that keeps me going is the fact that, like, yes, 238 00:15:49,360 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: there's a lot of hard ship to report on and 239 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: sometimes like I've been very transparent in my senior producers. 240 00:15:55,800 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: I'll leave an interview and then I'm like, I'll kind 241 00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:00,800 Speaker 1: of cry in my car, and then I'll like turn 242 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: on like Tupac or something, and I'll get like very 243 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 1: spiritual about it, and I'm just like, this is my 244 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:09,760 Speaker 1: purpose what I'm doing. But it comes down to that 245 00:16:09,840 --> 00:16:14,160 Speaker 1: quote I just read is like in the work I do, 246 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:17,320 Speaker 1: I know there's beauty and I'm trying to find it 247 00:16:17,480 --> 00:16:22,280 Speaker 1: um Fatima, Asgar said in an interview on this podcast 248 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,960 Speaker 1: from the Poetry Foundation, where she said that like, yes, 249 00:16:26,000 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: you can write about the injustices, but are you doing 250 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 1: it in order to enter entertain? Are you doing it 251 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: to report? And So I think as a journalist and 252 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,320 Speaker 1: as a writer, I'm always finding that fine line. But 253 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 1: I'm also trying to um prioritize a form of dignity 254 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 1: um and and and a form of you know, and 255 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: I'm learning through through it as I go as well. 256 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 1: So I think it's partially family, partially history um and 257 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,880 Speaker 1: then like beauty UM. I think they're so much beauty 258 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 1: and the truth. And I think as a journalist, I'm 259 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:10,159 Speaker 1: simultaneously negotiating those two as I go. You wrote this 260 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:13,639 Speaker 1: one article that I love so much for l A 261 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:16,400 Speaker 1: Taco that I think is a perfect example of all 262 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:20,160 Speaker 1: those things you just described for Ella's Latin X punks, 263 00:17:20,240 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: rude boys and metal heads, washing, a ceremony and a 264 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 1: form of healing. And I love this article so much 265 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:28,880 Speaker 1: because it's so l A, so specific, it's so like 266 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:32,600 Speaker 1: l A Latino. But there's also these iconic like women 267 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 1: featured in this article. Like the first photo you see 268 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:38,960 Speaker 1: is Stephanie Mendez, who is an incredible journalist. She actually 269 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:43,200 Speaker 1: wrote our l A Times feature um and she's right 270 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 1: here washing, you know, like the first image you see 271 00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:49,399 Speaker 1: in your your your article. And then you also have 272 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: this super super l A deep cut in your interview 273 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:58,600 Speaker 1: that you included with Mandy Torres also known as Dandy Mandy, 274 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: who if you've been in l A for the past 275 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: ten years and you've been on the internet at any 276 00:18:03,359 --> 00:18:06,399 Speaker 1: point and you're cool at all and have any sense 277 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: of culture or like what's going on, you followed Dandy Mandy. 278 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:12,880 Speaker 1: You know who Dandy Mandy is, and she has not 279 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: been public for a very long time for many years now, 280 00:18:16,359 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 1: and here she is in this article that you wrote. 281 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:22,160 Speaker 1: So I felt like this piece was a really great 282 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:26,080 Speaker 1: example of like the honesty of like our cultural scenes 283 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:29,000 Speaker 1: here in l A of like these beautiful women who 284 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:31,879 Speaker 1: are like such central parts of it, you know, and 285 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: then also like making it sexy, like like this is 286 00:18:34,600 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 1: cool journalism that I think is awesome, that it's the 287 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 1: type of stuff that pops into your head that you 288 00:18:40,119 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: want to write about. So, I don't know, can you 289 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: tell us more about that article and how it came 290 00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 1: to you that you wanted to write it, and how 291 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:49,760 Speaker 1: you put it together. Thank you for pointing the article out, 292 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:52,320 Speaker 1: because it's like it was definitely one of my favorite 293 00:18:52,320 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 1: pieces to write, and I'm definitely on the opposite side 294 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:58,160 Speaker 1: of the spectrum where like I know writers who hate 295 00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: the process of writing. And I think for me, it 296 00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:03,960 Speaker 1: was one of those articles that was swimming inside of 297 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: me for years, you know, And it was something that 298 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,440 Speaker 1: I overheard from friends and colleagues dating back to college, 299 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 1: dating back to like high school days when I would 300 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:17,080 Speaker 1: ditch and get in a car with friends to like 301 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:21,119 Speaker 1: track our way to Compton or to South Central for 302 00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:24,520 Speaker 1: a show. You know. Um, it was there was this 303 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:27,919 Speaker 1: feeling that like this needs to be documented in a 304 00:19:27,960 --> 00:19:31,520 Speaker 1: certain way, and I hope that us talking about it 305 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:35,200 Speaker 1: today maybe inspires other people to continue to do projects 306 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:38,440 Speaker 1: about that, because it's an ongoing conversation that a lot 307 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:42,120 Speaker 1: of punks and like people that have grown up going 308 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:44,760 Speaker 1: to shows feel. It's like there's a sense of healing 309 00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 1: in these spaces. And what's funny is that I I 310 00:19:48,119 --> 00:19:51,960 Speaker 1: pitched that article around everywhere last year and like, I'm 311 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,000 Speaker 1: grateful for places like l A. Tucko and specifically have 312 00:19:55,200 --> 00:19:59,320 Speaker 1: you had cabral who who took a chance on it 313 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: and who was just you know what, this is the 314 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 1: right place to do it, Let's do it, you know, 315 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:08,280 Speaker 1: and um. I wanted it to be a kaleidoscope of voices, um, 316 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 1: where I could have taken like a very honey for 317 00:20:10,440 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: Durac keep approach and been very memoir or reflective. But 318 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:18,639 Speaker 1: I also wanted to center like fem voices, um who 319 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,600 Speaker 1: who sort of talk about you know, these like ska 320 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 1: and punk shows as like places of safety and security 321 00:20:27,040 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: where like you can consent to a form of I 322 00:20:30,320 --> 00:20:33,399 Speaker 1: guess pain, you know. Um. And so it was it 323 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:36,000 Speaker 1: was fun to both talk to scholars and talk about 324 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 1: like there's people and ethno musicologists that have written about that, 325 00:20:40,640 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 1: and I've written about the various ways washing is ancestral, 326 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,159 Speaker 1: and there's like research that has shown that for action, 327 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:49,960 Speaker 1: for that, for not for actual that for like native 328 00:20:50,040 --> 00:20:53,960 Speaker 1: tribes across America. Like it's also another form of like healing, 329 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: um and expressing rage. Um. I'm gonna there's there's a 330 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: glory and a quote out there about like fem rage 331 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:05,920 Speaker 1: and about like how voicing that is a form of 332 00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:13,120 Speaker 1: of healing and a form of you know, placemaking. Um. Um. 333 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:16,360 Speaker 1: I know you know, I think you know this scholar 334 00:21:17,240 --> 00:21:21,920 Speaker 1: gaytres and Johnson like wrote about like spatial entitlement and 335 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: what music you know, Yes, that definitely check out that 336 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 1: book about spatial entitlement and um the Sonic Imaginary also 337 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:37,200 Speaker 1: so Gatrisa. Johnson an amazing scholar. Um. But also you know, 338 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:39,399 Speaker 1: Audrey Lord wrote a lot about the use of anger 339 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:45,000 Speaker 1: and um you know that justified rage. Um. So I 340 00:21:45,119 --> 00:21:48,320 Speaker 1: love that you're you highlighted that in the particular article 341 00:21:48,400 --> 00:21:52,640 Speaker 1: and also about consenting to some type of pain. Mm hmm. 342 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 1: I mean we we love it. We love it as Latinos, 343 00:21:56,800 --> 00:22:01,359 Speaker 1: we love our crooners. Shout out to Doris and Nae 344 00:22:01,640 --> 00:22:03,879 Speaker 1: who's like out here putting out music for us to 345 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: cry to, you know, like we love people that allow 346 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: us to feel and like cry and yell and scream. 347 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:13,920 Speaker 1: And I think as somebody grew up with so much 348 00:22:14,200 --> 00:22:17,880 Speaker 1: like trauma, you know, for me, I'm gonna be unapologetic 349 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:20,120 Speaker 1: about it, like being an immigrant and being a queer 350 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:23,680 Speaker 1: immigrant came with a couple of bruises and so to 351 00:22:23,760 --> 00:22:27,480 Speaker 1: be able to consent to them growing up and find 352 00:22:27,920 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: sanctuary and these shows has been really cool. So thank 353 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:34,439 Speaker 1: you for for bringing out the article. Is thing you're 354 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: dear to me? Yeah, I want to ask you about 355 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,119 Speaker 1: another article in particular, which is also why one of 356 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:44,879 Speaker 1: the reasons that we wanted to interview you today because 357 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:49,919 Speaker 1: you did a you interview to mayoral candidates candidates. Let 358 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 1: me go back. You interviewed to mayoral candidates Kevin the 359 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:57,359 Speaker 1: Leone and Karen Bass, who are arguably depending when you 360 00:22:57,400 --> 00:23:00,840 Speaker 1: asked the two front runners for the l A mayor race. 361 00:23:01,720 --> 00:23:05,000 Speaker 1: And I noticed, because I noticed lots of things that 362 00:23:05,080 --> 00:23:08,240 Speaker 1: happened on social media. Um, I noticed that when you 363 00:23:08,359 --> 00:23:12,199 Speaker 1: published the articles there was some pushback as if an 364 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:15,920 Speaker 1: interview is equates in an an endorsement. And I know 365 00:23:16,080 --> 00:23:18,720 Speaker 1: we've sometimes sometimes have been on the receiving end of it. 366 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 1: So I wanted to ask you specifically about journalistic integrity 367 00:23:22,720 --> 00:23:27,639 Speaker 1: and why it's important to interview people that are in 368 00:23:27,840 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 1: big positions of power that affect the lives of millions 369 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:33,679 Speaker 1: of people, and even if we don't agree with them, 370 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 1: even if we don't agree with their track record, like 371 00:23:36,119 --> 00:23:40,879 Speaker 1: why is it important to interview them specifically? For you know, 372 00:23:41,040 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 1: a mayor race, the biggest race in l A arguably, right, 373 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:48,119 Speaker 1: So the primaries in June, right, so a few folks 374 00:23:48,160 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 1: have already been getting their information in the mail, um, 375 00:23:52,440 --> 00:23:54,600 Speaker 1: and if you haven't, make sure you check that out 376 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:58,199 Speaker 1: right away. And so that when Javier and I were 377 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,960 Speaker 1: sort of plotting this, we knew we wanted to talk 378 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:03,320 Speaker 1: to the front runners, and we knew that we wanted 379 00:24:03,400 --> 00:24:07,640 Speaker 1: to really offer them a profile of like a one 380 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 1: oh one on who is this person outside of just 381 00:24:11,520 --> 00:24:15,440 Speaker 1: their policy priorities, and like what do they represent? How 382 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:18,080 Speaker 1: authentic are they to Los Angeles? Was kind of a 383 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:21,399 Speaker 1: big question, um, But I think I would argue as 384 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:25,920 Speaker 1: a journalist, I'm happy that there was sort of a 385 00:24:26,000 --> 00:24:29,720 Speaker 1: conversation because I want the journalism I do in the 386 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:33,560 Speaker 1: work I do to start conversation and to continue conversations 387 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 1: because there are other people, you know, like Austin Cross 388 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: and a lot of folks like um a Leen are 389 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:42,919 Speaker 1: lean at the l a time. So we're starting conversations 390 00:24:42,960 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: around the La County Sheriff. There are people you know 391 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 1: whose day job it is to like report on stuff 392 00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: and for it to live in the world. You know, 393 00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:54,400 Speaker 1: I would hate for something I do to just exist 394 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 1: within like only a small group of people or you know. 395 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:01,439 Speaker 1: And um, and so I'm one. I'm happy that there 396 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:06,600 Speaker 1: was both conversation and there was even pushedback, um, because 397 00:25:06,640 --> 00:25:10,439 Speaker 1: I know that like what I'm doing is is at 398 00:25:10,520 --> 00:25:14,480 Speaker 1: least hitting a heartbeat. And I think, Um, I'm glad. 399 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: And I think one of the things that I know 400 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:20,400 Speaker 1: that you all sort of relate to is like it's 401 00:25:20,440 --> 00:25:22,920 Speaker 1: not like your platforming people, right, there's like a big 402 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:26,119 Speaker 1: difference and saying like, oh my god, I love you, 403 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:28,680 Speaker 1: You're the best person out there. Let me send you out. 404 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,639 Speaker 1: And I think if you read the articles that I wrote, 405 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 1: you know there there's there's similar language in both articles 406 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:39,159 Speaker 1: where I was trying to really bring context to what 407 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:43,160 Speaker 1: the Democratic Party means in Los Angeles and how people 408 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:46,560 Speaker 1: genuinely feel about it. And then I offered space for 409 00:25:46,640 --> 00:25:49,600 Speaker 1: the candidates to talk about their legacy and who they are, 410 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:52,840 Speaker 1: and so it was more of like both candidates had 411 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:56,959 Speaker 1: the same template, and I offered contexts around the articles. Um. 412 00:25:57,200 --> 00:25:59,800 Speaker 1: But I'm also the big believer in like I did 413 00:25:59,880 --> 00:26:03,679 Speaker 1: the work. I sent it out, yeah check out well, 414 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 1: you know, like this was something I did before I 415 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:09,760 Speaker 1: started at KPCC and elist, and we sent it out 416 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:12,440 Speaker 1: there for it to live and breathe. But at that point, 417 00:26:12,560 --> 00:26:16,680 Speaker 1: like it's my byline, but the conversation has started, and 418 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: if anything, like, I hope people read through the article 419 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:23,040 Speaker 1: and they also read through the comments and we're like okay, like, 420 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:26,280 Speaker 1: and I hope that other journalists and other folks who 421 00:26:27,040 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: are covering the race see like, okay, we should talk 422 00:26:29,480 --> 00:26:31,720 Speaker 1: about these things, you know, um, And I hope it 423 00:26:31,760 --> 00:26:37,920 Speaker 1: continues a conversation about these candidates. Yeah, thank you for 424 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,560 Speaker 1: your work in that in that regard, because I think 425 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:45,920 Speaker 1: we forget sometimes that just because and the royal we right, 426 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:50,879 Speaker 1: uh it just because I know a ton about a 427 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:54,080 Speaker 1: candidate and I've made up my mind and I understand 428 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:56,880 Speaker 1: why I'm not voting for this person. Does not mean 429 00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:00,600 Speaker 1: I can withhold that information from other is because there 430 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:03,080 Speaker 1: are a lot of people who don't know that stuff yet. 431 00:27:03,280 --> 00:27:06,200 Speaker 1: You know, we have to give our audiences an opportunity 432 00:27:06,400 --> 00:27:11,120 Speaker 1: to learn why a candidate is problematic for themselves. It's 433 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:14,440 Speaker 1: the best way that I learned things is learning for myself, 434 00:27:14,560 --> 00:27:17,800 Speaker 1: reading it myself, hearing it myself, you know. And so 435 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 1: I appreciate the work that you do as a journalist 436 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:23,879 Speaker 1: in giving that information to the public and allowing people 437 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:27,239 Speaker 1: to become more informed decision makers. And You're right, an 438 00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:31,359 Speaker 1: interview and platforming are two very different things. Platforming is 439 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: like someone giving you tons of money and setting you 440 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 1: up on a press tour and giving you book deals 441 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:42,280 Speaker 1: and movie that's platforming, you know. But giving an audience 442 00:27:42,320 --> 00:27:46,639 Speaker 1: an opportunity to learn more I is just that it's reporting. 443 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:50,960 Speaker 1: And I'm really curious about how you um approach like 444 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:54,560 Speaker 1: your interviews with like Karen Bass and things in the future, 445 00:27:55,160 --> 00:27:58,760 Speaker 1: especially as we get down to some major elections that 446 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:04,840 Speaker 1: might like really contentious and like huge here in the city. Yeah, 447 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:07,680 Speaker 1: there's a lot of folks that both at Eliast and 448 00:28:07,720 --> 00:28:10,359 Speaker 1: the l A Times whose like day job is to 449 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 1: follow every single beat, every single endorsement when it comes 450 00:28:14,119 --> 00:28:17,720 Speaker 1: to these races. So I would definitely like look to 451 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 1: them and see them as like genuine resources where they 452 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,200 Speaker 1: have fact checkers on there and then they're doing the work. 453 00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:27,159 Speaker 1: I'm no longer on the mayoral beat, you know, I'm 454 00:28:27,200 --> 00:28:30,200 Speaker 1: working on a few shows right now for KPCC and ELIAST. 455 00:28:30,760 --> 00:28:33,800 Speaker 1: But I think what what I can say is that, 456 00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:37,840 Speaker 1: like as I said earlier, it's it's genuinely the start 457 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 1: of a conversation around it. And if anything, I'm inspired that, like, 458 00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: we're at a different place than we were five ten 459 00:28:43,920 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 1: years ago when we think about local elections. You know, 460 00:28:47,280 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 1: I think one of the reasons why we may have 461 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 1: had sort of candidates and elected officials pretty much gasslide 462 00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:59,840 Speaker 1: us is we didn't have this very public forum. We 463 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:02,360 Speaker 1: we had these resources, right, but we're at a different 464 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:06,360 Speaker 1: place where like we have the language do the writers, 465 00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 1: artists and journalists and movements, um. Everybody is in this 466 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:15,920 Speaker 1: pot together like trying to give each other language UM, 467 00:29:16,200 --> 00:29:18,480 Speaker 1: and trying to make the access to that information a 468 00:29:18,600 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 1: little easier than it was before. UM. And so there's 469 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:26,560 Speaker 1: a lot there's there's both folks. UM. I'll sort of 470 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:32,120 Speaker 1: keep shouting out Austin Cross at LAist because he's having 471 00:29:32,320 --> 00:29:37,120 Speaker 1: in depth conversations with the candidates UM every evening, and 472 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:40,800 Speaker 1: those are resources that are free for folks to use 473 00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:44,080 Speaker 1: and look at and learn about. Because he's also asking 474 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:47,719 Speaker 1: the candidates, which is different from my reporting, the direct 475 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:52,560 Speaker 1: questions around what their recent policies have done. For example, 476 00:29:52,640 --> 00:29:55,440 Speaker 1: I know that folks were upset that UM there wasn't 477 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:58,520 Speaker 1: a dedicated space in the Kevin Dyle on a profile 478 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:02,000 Speaker 1: to talk about the sweep Sea had done UM and 479 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:05,960 Speaker 1: so it wasn't an editorial choice to withdraw that. It 480 00:30:06,080 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: was definitely needing to balance Karen Bass's coverage UM. And 481 00:30:10,280 --> 00:30:12,680 Speaker 1: the point of both profiles, like I mentioned, was to 482 00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:15,960 Speaker 1: introduce the people on who they were and their sort 483 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:19,960 Speaker 1: of authenticity to Los Angeles UM and I wanted people 484 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:22,320 Speaker 1: to read both articles and get a sense that I 485 00:30:22,440 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 1: wasn't endorsing either of them and that they could sort 486 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:28,280 Speaker 1: of figure out who they liked best. UM. And that's 487 00:30:28,320 --> 00:30:30,640 Speaker 1: a conversation that Brittany Bravo and I had when we 488 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:32,800 Speaker 1: were on the ground with them, was like, we're gonna 489 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 1: come in not having an idea, you know, and we're 490 00:30:36,120 --> 00:30:38,120 Speaker 1: gonna come in really wanting to know who these people 491 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:44,160 Speaker 1: are and start a conversation and that's it. Thank you. 492 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:46,960 Speaker 1: So tell us a little bit about what you're working 493 00:30:47,040 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 1: on now. You have a new role at Elias Studios, 494 00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:54,080 Speaker 1: So tell us about where you're Investigative journalism has taken 495 00:30:54,160 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 1: you since. Yeah, So last summer UM I had pitched 496 00:31:01,120 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 1: Antonia said he will a show. You know, I was 497 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:07,960 Speaker 1: freelancing at the time and UM as an independent journalist, 498 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,479 Speaker 1: and I like was sort of I had already known 499 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:13,520 Speaker 1: about her work and the work that she was beginning 500 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:15,160 Speaker 1: to do at ELIST and I pictured her a show 501 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:18,680 Speaker 1: and very gracefully said to know, but she said no, 502 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:23,080 Speaker 1: But I think, UM, you know, sort of let me 503 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:26,200 Speaker 1: know about the recruitment and the work that was gonna 504 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 1: come at last UM and I started then in December, 505 00:31:30,520 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: And when I started, I started already on this show 506 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:37,320 Speaker 1: that was in production at the time, hosted by a 507 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 1: Locusman Lopez, where he's looking at a um a cultural 508 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:46,240 Speaker 1: icon and DJ and journalists at the time in the 509 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:51,440 Speaker 1: nineties named Oscar Gomez who passed away suddenly at instant 510 00:31:51,520 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: at you see Santa Barbara actually UM and who's who 511 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:02,000 Speaker 1: the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Departments that that pretty much 512 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 1: the case was unsolved, and so what other ful and 513 00:32:05,840 --> 00:32:08,240 Speaker 1: as as a team have been doing over the last 514 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:11,280 Speaker 1: few months, have been investigating like what happened to Oscar? 515 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:15,040 Speaker 1: What was Oscar's Oscar's impact, And so it's an investigative 516 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:18,840 Speaker 1: sort of noir show about the Chicano nineties, you know, 517 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: and the legacy that that brings. But it's also a 518 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:26,160 Speaker 1: hybrid memoir show about other focus on Lopez, which is 519 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: one of the first Latino public radio journalists of our time. 520 00:32:31,240 --> 00:32:33,959 Speaker 1: So I'm really excited for it because we're launching at 521 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,320 Speaker 1: the end of May and we're going to have a 522 00:32:36,400 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 1: few activations for it in June. But it's it's really 523 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 1: a beautiful show that that talks about the importance of 524 00:32:44,000 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 1: Latino journalism, the impact Oscar could have had in our community, 525 00:32:48,720 --> 00:32:51,480 Speaker 1: but also around the legacy of the Chicano movement and 526 00:32:52,240 --> 00:32:55,640 Speaker 1: how it's maybe alive or dead now. Um. And then 527 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 1: I'm working on two other shows, um, but I can't 528 00:32:58,880 --> 00:33:01,320 Speaker 1: talk a lot about But what I can say is 529 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:04,560 Speaker 1: that one of them is about a controversial figure in 530 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:09,600 Speaker 1: the yoga wellness community and conspiracy theories and the other 531 00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:12,840 Speaker 1: one is around the l A County Sheriff's Department. And 532 00:33:13,000 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 1: so that's all I can say about the two other shows, 533 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:20,360 Speaker 1: but they're slated for the summer in the fall. Hi, okay, wow, 534 00:33:21,800 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 1: we will be tuning in. We'll be tuning in for 535 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:29,240 Speaker 1: sure and see Scott. Thank you. Oh go ahead, go ahead, no, no, yeah, 536 00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:31,720 Speaker 1: I'm looking forward to seeing. How what do you guys think? 537 00:33:33,360 --> 00:33:35,880 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, we will be tuning in. Um, if you 538 00:33:36,760 --> 00:33:39,120 Speaker 1: would like to collaborate on a launch party, let us 539 00:33:39,200 --> 00:33:43,400 Speaker 1: know you know we love a podcast party. UM, but 540 00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:46,120 Speaker 1: we're thrilled for you. Were so excited for you. These 541 00:33:46,160 --> 00:33:51,120 Speaker 1: shows sound incredible. I need to know who these people are. UM, 542 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 1: when can we expect to like maybe see like a 543 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 1: trailer or a release date? So first o G show 544 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:03,440 Speaker 1: this month the month of May. UM, and I will 545 00:34:03,800 --> 00:34:07,440 Speaker 1: definitely bring you more details on the trailer. I'm not 546 00:34:07,560 --> 00:34:10,560 Speaker 1: sure exactly what they yet, but there's definitely gonna be 547 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:13,600 Speaker 1: some in person activations for it in June, so look 548 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:18,520 Speaker 1: forward to that exciting stuff. Francisco, thank you for stopping by. 549 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:22,879 Speaker 1: Look at our radio. Where can folks follow you? Read 550 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:27,200 Speaker 1: your work? Support? You give us all the plugs. Yeah, 551 00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:32,040 Speaker 1: please go ahead and follow me on on Instagrams, I'm 552 00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:35,600 Speaker 1: a at got frand I think that's why I post 553 00:34:35,719 --> 00:34:39,759 Speaker 1: most of my like photo video updates about the work 554 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:43,560 Speaker 1: I'm doing. Um. And then on Twitter, I'm mostly just 555 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:49,440 Speaker 1: talking about journalism, the news, um slight commentary, and then 556 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:54,799 Speaker 1: sharing all the malad jokes, all the diosa information as well. 557 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:59,400 Speaker 1: So at Fence sorry, at Francisco Underscore eight you know 558 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:03,239 Speaker 1: that's on Twitter. Um. Yeah, and then my website has 559 00:35:03,239 --> 00:35:08,240 Speaker 1: all of my work, which is just my name dot com. Amazing. 560 00:35:08,360 --> 00:35:10,520 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat 561 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:12,640 Speaker 1: with us today to share a little bit about your 562 00:35:12,760 --> 00:35:15,520 Speaker 1: story and the work that you're doing. We can't wait 563 00:35:15,600 --> 00:35:18,279 Speaker 1: to see all the shows and all the amazing work 564 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:20,239 Speaker 1: you have in store for the rest of the year. 565 00:35:21,200 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 1: Thank you both. It was really an honor to be 566 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: here with you all. Francisco