MAGIC VALLEY — After attending a singing contest hosted by La Voz Radio Station, Isneida Valenzuela was asked to host one of their events, igniting her involvement with the station.
"One day the host of the event couldn't attend, and they told me, 'Isneida we have this opportunity,' and I said, 'oh my gosh' it was going to be for a couple of days, but I said ok I'll throw myself in the ringer. And from then on, they invited me back, and I said, 'why not'" Valenzuela said.
This was not her first time working at a radio station. In Mexico, Isneida studied mass media and worked for other stations. She says radio stations are necessary for Latinos and are a part of their culture.
"Latinos out of habit, listen to a lot of radio. In the small amount of time that I have been here since I moved here from Mexico, I've noticed that radio stations are more practical here. It's an economical way of being on top of the news, music, and what's going on in our community," Valenzuela said.
Most Latinos have had to rely on getting their information about the pandemic through radio stations, mainly because of the lack of Spanish-speaking news stations. And Isneida says she is proud to be able to volunteer her time to provide the Hispanic and Latino community with the information they need.
"It's a pleasure. It's not a waste of time. For me, I'm investing my time because you're filled with a lot of good vibes and energy," Valenzuela said.
Since being a host for the station, she has noticed how important her role is in the community. And how radio hosts are looked at as reliable sources, especially for the Latino community.
"It's not only the radio station they are trusting. They are trusting the people they put in the radio stations. For outsiders, we are people they can trust, people that won't lie to them. People who are giving out information in the most authentic and correct way and that we are going to try and be frank and direct and be able to give them all of that information in the language they speak," Valenzuela said.
