A unique binational news collaboration will begin publishing stories this week about significant issues facing El Paso and Ciudad Juárez.
The partnership, called Puente News Collaborative, will begin with a two-week series of stories that look at how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our region. This month is the first anniversary of the arrival of COVID-19 in our region, as well as the resulting restrictions on border crossings that disrupted life in our region.
The Puente News Collaborative includes news organizations from both sides of the border: La Verdad in Ciudad Juárez; and ABC 7, El Paso Inc., El Paso Matters, El Paso Times, Univision 26, KTEP public radio and Borderzine as part of the UTEP multimedia journalism program in El Paso.
The collaboration is made possible by financial support from Microsoft as part of its efforts to preserve and protect journalism and local newsrooms. In December, partners in the collaboration shared an El Paso Times story about the Trump administration’s “Remain in Mexico” program that was published in both English and Spanish.
Because Ciudad Juárez and El Paso are so closely linked, the Puente News Collaborative will approach stories from a binational perspective. We will look at how events impact our region and look for binational approaches to addressing events and issues.
In the coming months, Puente News Collaborative will explore immigration, drugs, security and other issues that impact our region. The partners also will work together on important breaking news stories.
We believe this binational, collaborative approach to news will provide border residents with a deeper understanding of the issues in our region. It will strengthen journalism and enhance democracy on both sides of the border.
Cover photo: The Paso del Norte Bridge seen from Ciudad Juárez’s Presidencia Municipal, with New Mexico’s Mount Cristo Rey in the background. (Corrie Boudreaux/El Paso Matters)
