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5 ways immigration reporters can build trust with community, readers
By Holly Butcher Grant
For journalist Arelis Hernández, covering immigration means resisting easy narratives.
“There aren't heroes and villains here. There are just people,” she said during an Institute panel on covering immigration with care. “And as much as we see — or want to see the world in certain ways — there are surprising stories when we flip our own perspectives and our own understandings of how these things are at play.”
Hernández, an immigration reporter at The Washington Post, also emphasized the importance of embedding within a community to deepen relationships with sources and tell more nuanced, human stories. This is how journalists build trust during times of uncertainty and fear.
Joining Hernández on the panel were The Bulwark’s National Immigration Correspondent Adrian Carrasquillo; Minnesota Public Radio Senior Reporter Jon Collins; and LA Public Press Editor-in-Chief Michelle Zenarosa.
A throughline of their conversation was trust, which requires steady relationships with community leaders, candid conversations about the risks associated with going on the record, and a demonstrated commitment to accuracy and accountability.
Here are five strategies from the conversation to help journalists build trust beyond a single breaking news event:
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Embed before the crisis. Build relationships with religious leaders, educators, small business owners, and activists before breaking news hits. Show up when you’re not on deadline and listen without immediately asking for something on the record. Trust earned in quieter times will pay off during urgent situations.
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Be transparent about the risks of speaking with journalists. Explain clearly what “on the record” means. Offer off-ramps and let sources know they can decline questions or even withdraw a statement. Be clear about what you can protect (anonymity options like limited identification) and what you cannot. Transparency reduces fear and strengthens credibility. (Go deeper: Zenarosa shared this guide for navigating media interviews during ICE operations without putting sources at risk.)
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Distinguish your reporting with context, not speed. Don’t just amplify a viral video or official statements in order to be the first outlet to publish. Verify footage by interviewing eyewitnesses and looking at the metadata. If a law enforcement agency has a documented history of misleading claims, include that context. Take the time to report with accuracy.
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Humanize without exploiting. Avoid publishing immigration status or identifying details unless they are essential to the story. “I always came from a place where I want every detail. I want anything that’s going to make it more powerful,” Carrasquillo said. “But now, I always lean toward protecting the person.”
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Follow up after publication. Send sources the published story. Unless it will cause more harm or is unmanageable, check in weeks or months later. Revisit families to report on the long-term impact of the story. If a mistake happens, correct it transparently. Trust grows when communities see that you don’t disappear once a story is published.
Watch the full conversation:
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