Eileen Rodriguez covers COVID-19 recovery and the Latino community in Forsyth County, North Carolina for WFDD and La Noticia, a collaboration of a public radio station and the state’s biggest Spanish-language newsroom. Most recently, Rodriguez interned as an audio production assistant for the Financial Times, working on podcasts about global business and culture. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez holds a bachelor’s degree from Baruch College in New York City, where she reported for Dollars & Sense, the online student publication. As a Walker Communications fellow for Audubon magazine, Rodriguez traveled across the U.S. to report stories that focused on environmental justice in marginalized communities. During this time, she also freelanced for Acuris, which specializes in news for financial professionals, and The New York Times, as a reporter, translator and transcriber.
Beat: COVID-19 recovery and the Latino community in Forsyth County, NC
In Winston Salem, N.C., the Latino community has been hard-hit by COVID-19. In Forsyth County alone, Latinos accounted for 66 percent of cases at its highest point, even though they represent only 13 percent of the population. The beat focuses on how the coronavirus is affecting Latinos in the region, including labor, financial, and community challenges. Both newsrooms collaborate to publish and broadcast stories developed by a bilingual reporter.