In April, YCC en Español launched a program called “Pregúntale al Experto,” or “Ask the Expert.” Our goal with this project is to invite readers to ask questions about climate change that will then be answered by one of our experts. Our experts are Miami journalist Johani Ponce and University of Puerto Rico professors Rafael Méndez Tejeda and Luis Alexis Rodriguez. Since April, we've received more than 30 questions, ranging from how the Earth's rotation around the sun affects climate to how to keep dogs safe in sweltering conditions. Features Editor Pearl Marvell sat down with Johani Ponce to talk about the project's progress and why it matters.
This discussion has been edited and condensed.
Pearl Marvel: What do you think of our Ask the Expert program?
John Ponce: I think this is really important for the Latino community because, as we all know, it's one of the communities hardest hit by climate change and extreme weather events for a variety of reasons: the jobs we have and the places we live. It's normal for people to worry. But I think what's important in what we do is to be specific and specific about what concerns people have. By understanding people's concerns, we can write about them. We can dispel these doubts and view climate change not just in a negative or apocalyptic light, but as an opportunity to do the right thing. We want the community to be involved in changing the course of things, rather than having the community worry because people absolutely can do that.
That’s why I think it’s important for everyone to voice their concerns and doubts about what they want us to talk about—not just to be able to get things done, but also to combat misinformation. Because the only way to combat misinformation is good journalism; that's the only way. When we produce high-quality journalism, all misinformation is eliminated. That's why I think what we're doing here is so important.
Ask the experts
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pearl: What do you think about the questions we've received? Are there any topics that surprise you? To me, it's interesting because there are very different questions. We have very scientific questions and many more questions about what people can do in their daily lives.
John: Well, I like that the questions are varied and targeted at different experts. I really like that, as you said, there's some very scientific content, like some about pets, or young people's concerns about rising sea levels. To my surprise, I saw a very diverse, very diverse audience. It seems that some people are well-informed and skilled, while others just want to use the information to solve everyday problems.
I'm grateful for the questions because we're reaching an audience and it's interesting to see the diversity of people, the diversity of issues, which ultimately tells us that climate change, extreme events, and this whole crisis is affecting everyone.
pearl: Exactly.
John: We see climate change in our daily lives, in education, in the future, in the present, in everything. This is reflected in the questions we receive. As I mentioned, I really appreciate and enjoy this initiative and this exercise because there are things I don't always realize. For example, I love animals but haven't had the opportunity to own one and I realize the impact it has, animals do suffer a lot. We need to take necessary measures to protect them. This forces us to study and see different things and not always stay in that bubble, as I see with some climate journalists (or environmentalists) who are in an academic bubble and we want to deal with a lot Data and research, that's very important as well, but we have to communicate with our audience in a simpler, more direct way.
pearl: It’s a good representation of the different Latino communities that exist. We have questions from Arizona, Puerto Rico and other parts of the United States.
John: This is important because Americans often think of Latinos as a homogeneous group, but we are very heterogeneous. I've even seen it in Florida. Talking to a Latino from Miami is not the same as talking to a Latino (mostly Puerto Rican) living in Orlando or a Latino living in the northern part of the state. So imagine the difference between a Latino living in Miami, a Latino living in California, a Latino living in New York, a Latino living in Arizona, and a Latino living in Texas.
We need to find the formula to reach our audience and the only way to do that is to understand how they express themselves, what problems they have, how to reach them and what solutions need to be provided. That's why Spanish courses like this one are so important. It’s common to translate the same article from English to Spanish, but as journalists we also need to “sell” the product.
Marketers must conduct market research to target specific audiences when selling products. For example, whether they are young, middle-aged, white, African-American, Latino, etc. They must be well thought out for our target audience. We cannot lump all Latinos into the same category. That’s why I think it’s extremely important to write and produce these news articles exclusively in Spanish.
Another thing I find extremely important is understanding that we have historically viewed Latinos as victims.
Yes, we do suffer from many things and many inequalities, but there are many Latinos who are activists. Many Latina women are activists and are driving change and truly leading climate action. We need to change the narrative and let people know about all the positive things that are being done. There are many Latinas, many women, and many young people taking action. So I think it's important to focus not just on the issues, but on the actions our communities are taking and leading the necessary changes that are coming. We don’t know how long this will take, but big changes are coming and a major shift to clean energy has already begun. Highlighting the work we are doing, the work we Latinos are doing, is critical.
READ: Venezuelan-American journalist promotes climate change awareness to Spanish- and English-speaking audiences
pearl: We recently published a study on climate change that showed Latinos are the most willing to work together to effect change at the government level (63%). It's important to talk about this, talk about the community and what these activists are doing. This may be because they are not getting the government support they need. The Latino community is very resilient because they know how to get things done on their own. It's important to me to cover this topic in our reporting because it's happening in places like Miami, Puerto Rico, and there seems to be more community efforts to mitigate what's happening.
John: Yes, because people have to understand that this goes beyond political parties and agendas. When a hurricane comes, as someone said a few days ago, it doesn't say, “Look, I'm going to make landfall where the Republicans are” or “I'm going to make landfall where the Democrats are.” The hurricane destroyed everything in its path.
Climate change and the climate crisis are not just reflections on the planet; It’s about thinking about our children, our children’s children, and the future. Because if you do the analysis (which Rafael Mendez and Luis Rodriguez can explain better), the Earth adapts. The Earth will adapt to the coming changes, but humans will not. So it goes beyond that. This is something beyond that and we have to think about the future.
Of course, people need to take measures in their daily lives. This is what we've been talking about: taking climate action and informing others about what's happening. But perhaps the most immediate action is to vote for the agenda that people believe is best for their future and their communities.
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