Testimonio as Praxis for a Reimagined Journalism Model and Pedagogy

The differences between journalism and testimonio are stark: One is premised on verifiable truths (Mindich, 1998), while the other treats truth as fractional, relative, subjective, and communal (Arias, 2001; Binford, 2001; Delgado Bernal, 2006a; Latina Feminist Group, 2001). Nonetheless, Chicana/o journalism students developing a raced-and-gendered conscious journalism practice have merged the two by utilizing a Chicana feminist inspired testimonio to fashion a journalistic practice that resonates with the racialized experience of communities of color. By examining how student journalists describe their practice, their interviewing and editing techniques, and their published content publish, this essay documents the four ways that testimonio informs these newsgathering efforts. They include: (1) personal vignettes, (2) rhetorical devices that foster transparency, (3) confianza (trust) and reciprocity with interviewees, and (4) collaboration with sources. Consequently, testimonio bolsters efforts to pursue traditionally neglected stories, incorporates reciprocity into newsgathering, and empowers student journalists as agents in the representation and transformation of their communities. It also raises concerns about academic privilege—the advantage college-going Chicanas/Latinas have to edit, frame, collect, and represent stories from their communities. Lastly, it establishes Chicana feminism as a foil for the academic biases in regards to truth and facts and reorients journalists as subjective storytellers rather than impartial beings.