Reyes Ramiro Gamez Barboza
Reyes Ramiro Gamez Barboza is a reporter with decades of experience working in print and television media outlets. After many years of working on daily news stories, Reyes joined the Border Center’s training workshop on conducting daily news coverage while working on investigative reports. During a recent interview, the journalist mentioned that the training helped present information differently. Instead of quoting a public official and asking citizens about how an issue impacts them, Reyes learned to use hard-facts to provide more background and contextualize issues for readers. The reporter also began requesting public information so that he could present a proposal to the Border Hub’s fellowship program.
Reyes received a three-month fellowship to investigate public funding programs addressing the issues of persons with disabilities in the state of Nuevo León. According to the journalist, the Border Hub mentors helped him improve the narrative and structure of his story. He stated, “I would turn in a draft, and she would say, ‘No, move this paragraph here because it will have more impact.’ I would push back saying that it would take more effort to explain, to which she would respond ‘It doesn’t matter, take more time but the story will turn out fine.’” As a result, Reyes learned to be more clear and precise in the way he presents information to the reader. In addition, the reporter is applying what he learned to his team at Tercer Sector magazine, where he has tried to improve the content and structure of daily news stories.
Investigation: Nuevo León no sabe dónde quedó el dinero para personas con discapacidad