Houston Community Media Holds Second Annual Expo, Conference and Awards Ceremony
By Tariq Khan
Report prepared by Kainat Rajput | 15 October 2026
Houston, Texas — The Houston Community Media (HCoM) Second Annual Expo, Conference and Awards was held on 8 October 2026 at the Alief ISD Center for Talent Development in Houston, Texas. The event brought together community journalists, ethnic media representatives, public officials, communication specialists, advocates and digital content creators to highlight the importance of community media in connecting diverse communities and amplifying underrepresented voices. The awards ceremony was hosted by Antonio Hernandez, news anchor for Noticiero Telemundo Houston, and the programme featured keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops, networking opportunities, an expo and the awards ceremony. The event was supported by Houston Endowment, which has contributed to the organisation’s work over the past two years.
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Sandy Close and Nakia Cooper were the main attractions of the event from beginning to end.
Houston Community Media aims to strengthen community journalism by encouraging collaboration among ethnic media outlets, expanding professional training opportunities, offering paid fellowships that support independent reporting, and promoting equitable access to advertising resources. Founded by 16 members, the organisation has grown to represent more than 60 community media organisations, encompassing over 85 multilingual and multimedia news outlets.
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The conference featured several important panel discussions on public policy, communication strategies, immigration policy and the future of ethnic media. During the session titled “Elected Officials and Ethnic Media: The Issues We Care Most About”, Texas State Representatives Dr Suleman Lalani, Ron Reynolds and Penny Morales Shaw discussed issues affecting local communities and the importance of communication between elected officials and ethnic media. Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones also addressed attendees, highlighting matters related to community development, infrastructure, health and justice.
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Another session, “Communication Specialists: Strategies for Informing and Engaging Diverse Communities”, brought together professionals from public relations, business, nonprofit organisations, journalism and community outreach to discuss effective ways of reaching diverse audiences. Participants included Juan Alanis, Angie Dupree, Cesar Espinosa, Anabeth Guthrie, Laura Frnka-Davis, Genevieve Genest, Joy Langston and Cory Stottlemyer. The discussion was moderated by Cynthia Hurrington, a communications strategist with extensive experience in public relations and nonprofit communications.
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Immigration policy was another major topic at the conference. The session “Tracking Federal and State Immigration Policies” examined legislative developments, access to legal services, immigrant rights and the effects of immigration policies on Houston’s immigrant communities. Speakers included Anne Chandler, Chelsie Kramer, Zenobia Lai and Angelica Razo, with Martha Kattan, Vice President of News at Univision Houston, serving as moderator.
Sandy Close of HCoM and ACoM Founder and CEO of Ethnic Media Services
The conference also explored the future of ethnic media and the growing influence of digital platforms, social media and online storytelling. Marissa Fiala of Houston HotSpots, Yesenia “JJ” Razo of Yes JJ Media, Shawn Singh of The Food Sheep and Bell White of Totally Randie shared perspectives on digital journalism, content creation and engaging younger audiences. The session was moderated by Tabitha Israel, founder and CEO of Upstanding Enterprises.
Ruth Lopez Turley Director of the Kinder Institute for the Urban Research at Rice University .
A featured workshop, “How to Use AI in the Newsroom”, was led by Darla Cameron, a journalism and technology expert and former Chief Product Officer at The Texas Tribune. The workshop focused on practical applications of artificial intelligence in journalism, including AI literacy, newsroom security, ethical safeguards, transparency and maintaining audience trust as news organisations adopt emerging technologies.
Cynthia Hurrington : Principal Communications Stratagist, Elmore PR
The awards ceremony recognised outstanding work in community journalism. First place in the Best Youth and Education Coverage category was awarded to a team of young journalists from Shift Press for their story, “Students Speak Up, Call Out and Advocate for the Community”. The award recipients were Poojasai Kona, Aris Kian, Ariana Lee and Andrea Hernandez. Their reporting explored student journalism and censorship, the role of poetry in community advocacy, concerns surrounding the state takeover of the Houston Independent School District, and the relationship between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
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The event also recognised HCoM’s founding members and individuals who have supported the organisation’s development over the past two years. Among the 16 founding members acknowledged was Tariq Khan of Pakistan Publications, Inc. DesiTVUSA received an award for the second year in a row, having received the Community Visibility Award last year, alongside representatives of various ethnic media organisations serving Houston’s diverse communities. Special recognition was also extended to community leaders, nonprofit representatives, advocates and communications professionals who have contributed to HCoM’s mission.
The Houston Community Media Second Annual Expo, Conference and Awards highlighted the essential role of ethnic and community media in informing the public, encouraging civic participation, supporting professional development and bringing diverse communities together. Through its panel discussions, workshops, networking activities and awards, the event emphasised the value of collaboration and the importance of ensuring that local stories and diverse perspectives continue to receive meaningful attention.
DesiTVUSA and all of our newspapers will publish separate reports on each of the award recipients.
