Who wants to be on Latino news?
Monica Maldonado looked nervously at the camera, holding tightly onto a piece of paper with notes about the day's news. When the countdown started, she adjusted her microphone, took a deep breath, and said: ''Buenas noches, éstas son las noticias del día."
Maldonado, 28, was one of 81 people who arrived to the Brookline Arts Institute on a rainy Saturday afternoon last week to compete in an open casting call from WUNI-TV, Univision's local affiliate, hoping to become part of the staff of the only Spanish-language newscast in New England.
''We had a great response. It's pretty big considering that it's a minority channel," said news producer Ana Pereira. Reaching 350,000 Hispanic households throughout New England with a focus on general news from the Latino perspective, WUNI-TV celebrated its second year on air April 1 and now is looking to expand its staff. Its network programming also includes talk show, soap opera, and music entertainment.
''Our purpose is to identify professional Latinos who can contribute to the program. We believe that here in Massachusetts there are many immigrants with studies in communications that don't have an outlet to show their abilities," said Sara Suarez, news director and coanchor of Noticias Nueva Inglaterra. ''Many of those with education have worked in the media of their respective countries, but because of the lack of enough Spanish media, they have not been able to work in their field."
When the camera stopped recording, Maldonado relaxed and smiled. She stood up looking for a sign of approval but only heard a ''good" before the assistant removed the microphone. It was her first time in front of a camera.
Maldonado, a dentist in her native Colombia who works as a dental hygienist in Lowell where she lives, decided to go to the casting to try her luck. ''I want to do something different, and I have always been interested in the media. It's a good opportunity, and I may have a chance," she said.
The producers estimate that nearly half of the applicants had no formal education in journalism, but according to Suarez, they have a chance, too. ''The fact that they don't have an education on broadcast journalism doesn't mean that the doors are closed to them. They may have natural talent, and the camera may love them."
Suarez and the rest of the production team will review the screen tests in search of that talent. The best ones will start by working as freelancers.
Unlike Univision stations in New York, Miami, or Los Angeles, WUNI-TV produces its newscast with a staff of 13, only five of them directly involved in the editorial process. Other local stations employ as many as 20 or 30 people per show. ''It is a challenge, and that is why it is important to find the right people," said Pereira.
Although New England Hispanic reaches nowhere near the audience numbers of other big cities, there is room to grow. According to promotions manager Meg Goldin, in the coming years the station expects to increase its staff and have a live newscast at 11 p.m.
Maldonado's objective is to follow the footsteps of Ilia Calderon, a Colombian journalist who now anchors the Telemundo national newscast. Suarez, after four hours of interviews and tests, said she saw many good candidates with the potential to become successful reporters.
''It's a competitive market, but they are limited only by their aspirations."
