Liliana López Ruelas: Building Community in Tucson´s News Desert

On April 25, 2023, a phone call from an out-of-state number ended La Estrella de Tucsón, leaving the city without a Spanish-language newspaper. For Liliana López Ruelas, who had spent years as an editor there, it was a moment of frustration—but also of determination. Host Carlos Quintero speaks with Liliana about what happened next: a return to school, a master's degree at the University of Arizona, and the launch of Somos Tucson, a digital news outlet focused on serving Tucson's Latino community with útil, celebratory journalism. Born in Douglas and raised in Agua Prieta, Liliana shares her journey across borders, from Mexico City's political magazines to Tucson's newsrooms, and why she now embraces her identity as a Latina journalist. This is a conversation about community journalism, collaborative resistance, and the power of staying close to the stories that matter most.