Combine responsible reporting with good writing and you have the formula to effect change in a community. Communications professor David Loomis and his students plan to shed light on the growing Latino population in Alamance County.

Loomis spent the first part of the semester educating students in his Civic Journalism: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally class about the theories surrounding civic journalism—a type of reporting that emphasizes input from local community members.

In the second half of the semester, the class of 12 will begin traditional, shoe-leather reporting on some of the crucial issues and dilemmas facing the Latino population.

"On a community level, we hope to find new and different ways to raise community consciousness about our newest neighbors and, possibly, to influence this year's local-government elections," Loomis said.

Students will tackle the in-depth reporting project in different areas, including education, economics, media and religion.

Guest speakers from the community have come to provide some insight into the Hispanic population in Burlington. Officer Juan Sanchiz, a Latino/Hispanic outreach coordinator for the Burlington Police Dept., offered local community contacts and advice on where to find Latinos in the community.

Kirk Ross, a reporter for The Chapel Hill News, was one of the lead reporters on a 2002 series of stories highlighting Latinos in Orange County. Ross discussed the reporting aspects of the project with students. Last week Sylvia Munoz, director of the Spanish Center at Elon, spoke on the troubles of translating and approaching Latinos for interviews.

One of the challenges the group has faced is a tight time frame in which the project must be completed.

According to Loomis, the next challenge will be "establishing rapport with Latinos in the community so we can tell their stories in the newspaper.