Fuente Latina

From classrooms to newsrooms, Fuente Latina, a nonprofit organization, aims to reshape Hispanic media narratives of Israel and combat antisemitism in the Spanish-language press.

It does so by ensuring that Spanish-speaking journalists and influencers around the world can access the tools and stories necessary to provide accurate coverage of Israel, the Middle East, and the Jewish world, regardless of geographic location.

The fellows included five non-Jewish Hispanic journalism students from around the U.S.-all from campuses that have experienced notable pro-Palestinian and antisemitic activity in the past. The cohort included local student Esteban Balta (pictured), who attends Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. During the fellowship, Balta wrote about Latino immigrants in Israel.

JUF’s Israel Education Center has worked in partnership with Fuente Latina, and consulted with them on the fellowships in Israel. “The mission of Fuente Latina meets a significant need,” said Emily Briskman is Vice President of JUF Campus Affairs and Executive Director of The Hillels of Illinois. “Having more journalists who can speak from an informed perspective, who have met real Israelis, Palestinians, Druze, Arabs, Christians, and others is critical. They are key to building bridges and cultivating better understanding of Israel’s unique value in this world.”

During their visit, the cohort met with families of Hamas hostages, visited kibbutzim attacked on October 7, attended military briefings, and interviewed Palestinians in Gaza who blamed Hamas for their plight.

In just a few days, these five Student Media Fellows, with the help of Fuente Latina, published more than eight accurate news stories in mainstream Spanish-speaking media outlets.