Andrea Menchaca and Abraham Vázquez

Andrea Menchaca and Abraham Vázquez from Luminaria media - a new media outlet that recently became a Border Hub grantee - learned to request, organize, and analyze public information. While the two reporters started investigating their story based on a general suspicion about the problems in women’s healthcare services in Nuevo León, neither reporter had extensive experience using Mexico’s transparency system. The group worked with Daniela Guazo, who is an editor at the Border Hub and leads the data unit at El Universal newspaper. When discussing requests for public information, Menchaca stated “We did a lot of learning because neither of the two of us had previously solicited so much public information.” Vázquez concurred saying “You have to be very organized… have a lot of discipline to know when you requested information, when they have to respond, and if they don’t respond, being insistent with your requests.” 

Beyond requesting public information, the mentor also conducted a few hours of training on how to use Excel to organize and analyze data. Neither journalist had used that software before, but both expressed that it was a useful tool and skillset to cross reference information, track data, and develop stories. Finally, when asked about her learning experience producing a story with multimedia elements Menchaca stated: “We were in charge of photos, illustrations, the design, video production, the script… In other words, we had to do several things that we had not previously done, manage our time, and meet the deadlines. I think it was a great learning experience!” 

Investigation: Denuncias por aborto: Simulación institucional en Nuevo León