Meet Our New Voices Correspondents

Oakland Voices is a community journalism program that gives East Oakland residents basic journalism skills and training to tell the stories of their communities from their perspectives. The stories are posted on the Oakland Voices website oaklandvoices.us and sometimes run in the East Bay Times. This is the fifth year of the program and we’ve just chosen our next group of community correspondents. In addition to the training, they will hear veteran journalists talk about their careers, they will cover a range of stories about the organizations and individuals that make up their communities - from small businesses to non-profit community organizations to local heroes. This group has the opportunity to cover local candidates and issues in the November election. In addition, they will organize two forums on issues of interest to their community. But most of all they will uncover stories that are generally ignored or unseen. - Brenda Payton, Oakland Voices Coordinator

Marabet  Morales, 21, student, administrative assistant American Indian Model Schools

“It is my hope that I finish community college in May with my Associate’s and transfer to SF State to get my Bachelor’s in Creative Writing. To be honest if I could get a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing, Latin American Studies, and Music, I think I would be the happiest person on earth. I myself acknowledge that writing and music are a constant evolution of life.“

“I would like to write about immigrants from all over Latin America who are educated professionals but are unable to be successful here in the U.S. I would interview people who are close to me and would be willing to venture out to meet more people. For example, my mother is a doctor, yet money, time, and the formal examinations in another language can prove difficult.”

Kat Ferreira, 39, marketing and communications consultant

“When I’m not working, I try to stay active in the community by supporting local nonprofit organizations and neighborhood groups. Most recently, I volunteered for the 2016 Eastlake Music Festival.”

“What is the news media’s ethical responsibility when reporting about perpetrators and victims of sex crimes?  In 2016, two high profile crime stories presented the Bay Area news media with an ethics test and most failed miserably.”

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