The LA Local is proud to share that Boyle Heights Beat is a finalist for the Online Journalism Awards’ Gather Award in Community-Centered Journalism, a national honor recognizing journalism that puts community listening and collaboration at the center of its work
This recognition honors Por communidad, para communidad: Covering ICE enforcement in Boyle Heights and reflects something that has taken years to build: deep trust with residents and a newsroom that listens to its community before, during and after moments of crisis.
When immigration enforcement activity began disrupting daily life in Boyle Heights in 2025, the Beat was already there. Reporters documented neighbors reviving rapid-response networks, mobilized youth journalists to cover student walkouts and worked to correct misinformation as residents sought reliable information about what was happening around them.
Behind that response is more than 15 years of community-rooted journalism. What began with high school students reporting on LA’s Eastside has grown into a newsroom of professional and youth journalists that continues to train the next generation of community-based storytellers and cultural translators.
That foundation allowed the Beat to do more than report on a crisis. It listened and responded. When residents said they needed mental health resources, the Beat amplified local services, created resource guides and convened conversations with experts. When businesses described the economic toll of immigration enforcement, reporters documented their experiences and brought greater attention to those impacts.
That same approach runs throughout the Beat’s journalism. Its reporting and community engagement have helped draw attention to the needs of immigrant students and contributed to the restoration of accessible voting centers in Boyle Heights, where more than 2,000 residents ultimately cast ballots last year.
For The LA Local, this recognition is especially meaningful because the Beat’s model helped shape the organization we are building across Los Angeles County: journalism that begins with listening, earns trust over time and gives people useful information to navigate their lives, make informed decisions and hold power accountable.
We celebrate the Boyle Heights Beat team and the residents, youth journalists, community partners and others who make this possible. Support their work today.
Learn more about this achievement.
