Jessica Retis

Associate Professor, Journalism
Director, Master's in Bilingual Journalism
2021 CUES Distinguished Fellow
retis

Note: Title was current at time of award and may have changed.


Bilingual Journalism Education in the United States: Development, Implementation and Assessment

To date, there is no pedagogical research about bilingual journalism education in the U.S. This project seeks to fill this gap by bringing together and building on related research about bilingual education and language policies as well as critical perspectives in journalism education. The project will contribute to an area of study that has remained veiled as it moves between sociolinguistics, language policies, journalism studies, political economy of the media, and culturally responsive pedagogies in higher education. It focuses on learner-centered teaching and community academic praxis and seeks to contribute to scholarship on faculty adoption of innovative pedagogies. It also aims to develop the understanding of bilingual journalism education at a Hispanic Service Institution (HSI), specifically at the new Master’s in Bilingual Journalism Program at the University of Arizona. The project will offer a ground-breaking pedagogic model and collect useful information that will also serve other bilingual journalism programs in the country.

Publications 

Retis, J. (Accepted/Forthcoming). The critical understanding of Latina/o/x/s and the News Media in the global scenarios. In Rodriguez, C., et al. (Eds.), Mujeres de la Comunicación, Bogotá: Ebert Stiftung FES Comunicación.

Retis, J. & Cueva, L.M. (Accepted/Forthcoming). The Routledge Companion to Latino/a/x Journalism. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Cueva Chacón, L.M. & Retis, J. (Accepted/Forthcoming). ¿Qué pasa with American news media? Digital Latinx media serving communities information needs using messaging apps? The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

Arocha, Z., Cueva Chacón, L.M., Retis, J., & Subervi-Vélez, F. (2023). NAHJ members in U.S. journalism and media education. National Association of Hispanic Journalists

Sanchez Muñoz, A. & Retis, J., editors. (2022). Communicative Spaces and Media in Bilingual Contexts: Discourses, Synergies, and Counterflows in Spanish and EnglishAbingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Puente, T., Retis, J., Aguilar, A. & Ayala Rico, J., editors. (2022). Reporting on Latino/a/x Communities: A Guide for JournalistsAbingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Presentations 

SEP 2023: The Latinx Media Landscape in 2023, Hosted by Business Wire and Impremedia, Virtual.

SEP 2023: Investigative journalism and bilingual journalism in the United States (Invited Keynote Speaker), Cumbre Border Hub 2023, Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

MAY 2023: The Right for Bilingual Voices in Communicative Spaces (Panel Organizer), 2023 Latin American Studies Association (LASA) Conference, Vancouver, Canada.

MAR 2023: Latino/a/x Cultures and Media: Going GlobalWonder House at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2023, Austin, TX.

NOV 2022: Hablamos Español: Shaping Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in Bilingual Latinx Online Course Developments, 2022 Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Accelerate Conference, Orlando, FL (with Jessica Zeitler).

NOV 2022: Communicative Spaces in Bilingual Contexts, Book Presentation, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, Virtual.

OCT 2022: Social Narratives: New Ways of Communicating and ParticipatingInternational Seminar: Bridges for Communication, University of Lima, Peru.

OCT 2022: Bilingual Journalism in the Borderlands: A Novel Approach to Teaching, Learning and ScholarshipCUES Inside UAZ-Funded Scholarship Series, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.

OCT 2022: Covering Latino/a/x Communities: A Guide for Journalists, Reception, Book Launch, and Discussion, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Los Angeles, CA.

SEP 2022: Freedom of Expression and Democracy: Current Situation and Debates towards the FutureLatin American Association of Communication Researchers - XVI ALAIC 2022 Congress, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

SEP 2022: Academic Research on Latino Media Consumption Patterns2022 Latino Media Summit California, Los Angeles, CA.

AUG 2022: Opportunities and Challenges Ahead for Bilingual Journalism Programs in Higher Education Institutions, 2022 National Association of Black Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NABJ-NAHJ) Convention & Career Fair, Las Vegas, NV.

JUL 2022: Bilingual practices in transnational contexts: A glimpse into the challenges for digital-native Latino media in the United StatesIAMCR 2022 (International Association for Media and Communication Research) Conference, Beijing, China.

MAY 2022: Communication Research From the U.S./Mexican Border RegionICA 2022 (International Communication Association) Conference, Paris, France.

MAY 2022: Latinx Studies: A Look Back at the Discipline in the Pandemic EraLASA 2022 (Latin American Studies Association) Virtual Congress, Virtual.

APR 2022: Enhancing the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning through Mentor-Supported Research DesignCUES Inside UAZ-Funded Scholarship Series, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.

APR 2022: Bilingualism and Connecting with Hispanic AudiencesALMMACR 2022 Virtual Conference: (Re)solutions: Trust and Empowerment Through Communication, Virtual.

MAR 2022: A Critical Review of Bilingualism in the Context of Media and Journalism Practices, Guest Lecture, Hunter College, New York, NY.

MAR 2022: TV Bilingual Spaces in American News Media: Understanding translanguaging and media practices, Guest Lecture, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York, NY.

FEB 2022: Media and bilingual audiences: Bridging the gap between linguists and journalists9th National Symposium on Spanish as a Heritage Language, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL.

FEB 2022: Culturally Responsive Pedagogies and Servingness in Times of Changing DemographicsUNESCO Conference: Reimagining the Futures of Higher Education towards 2050, Virtual.

FEB 2022: The Missing Part of the Narrative: Hispanics in the US Media IndustryHosted by the Bilingual Journalism M.A. and the Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Initiatives, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, Virtual.

Broader Engagement

JAN 2023: University of Arizona School of Journalism and NBCUniversal News Group (Project-based Partnership).

  • This multi-year partnership will bring together UArizona Bilingual Journalism students, UArizona faculty members, and NBCU professionals in collaborative projects for both NBC and Telemundo.