Victoria Elena Valenzuela
Investigative Reporter, Audience Engagement
ABOUT
An empathetic listener and evocative storyteller dedicated to covering issues that perpetuate human harm and abuses of power.
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I particularly cover issues in the criminal justice system such as prison conditions, wrongful convictions, policy and the death penalty, but I am open to working on anything with a social justice angle. Accountability is a lens to report through, not a beat!
SKILLS & EXPERTISE
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Community building. I have a deep appreciation for community building — I think its one of the most unique, beautiful parts of the human experience. As a journalist, I aspire to connect and understand communities from all walks of life. I prioritize telling stories from underrepresented communities and making my sources feel comfortable and empowered.
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Multiplatform storytelling. I am dedicated to making news more accessible to all by endeavoring into using different platforms and strategies for telling stories and reaching audiences. As storytellers, it's our job to breakdown complex issues and help everyone understand in the most digestible format possible.
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Accountability Seeking. I have experience in identifying, formulating, sending, and obtaining public record requests and high-level interviews for long-form investigative stories.
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Lifelong Learning. Journalism is a vocation, not a job. Curiosity, inquisitivity, active listening, in-depth story-telling, and taking a stand for justice are all built into my personality, not just job skills. I love learning new things, going on adventures and having new experiences. There's always so much to do and see. The day I stop learning will be the day I die.
WORK EXPERIENCE
The Marshall Project, Intern
June 2023-Present
Write and publish seven distinct newsletters pertaining to topics of criminal justice. Aggregate and analyze nine years of newsletter data in an AirTable database. Pitch ideas and attend all staff meetings.
ScheerPost, Reporter & Deputy Publisher 09/21 - Present
Oversee criminal justice coverage. Train and manage a team of editors. Edit and upload articles to WordPress. Create a newsletter to 6K subscribers. Lead fundraising initiatives. Navigate reposting partnerships and licensing agreements. Create Instagram stories, posts and reels, write Twitter threads.
National Association of Hispanic Journalists, Intern 05/22 - Present
Assist NAHJ executive board in the creation of reports and research. Promote and assist in the coordination and organization of NAHJ panels and workshops. Lead outreach to community colleges.
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ProPublica, Emerging Reporters Fellow
10/21- 06/22
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Attended regularly scheduled workshops and programming about identifying and conceptualizing investigative ideas into complete stories. Complete tasks and learn skills for investigative reporting.
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BuzzFeed News, Inequality Intern & Freelance Writer
01/21 - 07/21
Conceptualized, pitched, and executed a long-form investigative project. Filed public record requests, developed sources, and conducted interviews with incarcerated people and government officials. Read and summarized contracts between prison administration and service providers.
EDUCATION
2021 - 2023
University of Southern California
Master's Degree in Specialized Journalism
Concentration in Investigations, Social Justice
Los Angeles, CA
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2020 - 2023
University of Southern California
Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing
Los Angeles, CA
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2018 - 2020
Río Hondo Community College
Associate's Degree in English
Whittier, CA
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS
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Recipient of the CCNMA Latino Journalists of California scholarship 2022.
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Recipient of the Los Angeles Press Club's Tony Ross Scholarship 2022.
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Recipient of the Annenberg Alumni Leaders Scholarship 2022.
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Recipient of the Geoffrey Cowan Scholarship 2022-2023.