About Me

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New York, NY, United States
Maria Santana is a New York Correspondent for CNN en Español, a Turner Broadcasting Company. Before CNN en Español, Maria worked as the NY correspondent and Bureau Manager for SBS Broadcasting's Mega TV. She also worked as a producer and assignment editor for Telemundo WNJU in New York. Maria is a Graduate of Wesleyan University, and an Alumnus of the Connecticut School of Broadcasting program.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

I'm Coming Out...over the web!

July was a busy month, but I think it can be best described as my "coming out party" over the world wide web.

Throughout June/July, I was featured on a Latino Gossip Site called Guanabee, in their Hottest Latino Journalist Contest.

It was entertaining, though at times, intense. It was hilarious the way my friends and family campaigned urging their friends and families to vote for me despite some serious competition. I was up against some very well known (and probably favored) journalists. I actually won the contest, and along with a really cool music journalist from Texas named Paul Saucido, was named Guanabee's Hottest Latino Journalist 2009. I'm still waiting for my trophie ;-), but in any case, I love the picture with the princess crown.


Later that month, the wonderful people at tikitikiblog.com asked me to guest write a piece on interviewing Latino celebrities. I was honored to do so. Their site is really great, and speaks to a lot of issues I myself can relate to.

I wrote about what I've experienced with celebrities like Aventura, Gael Garcia Bernal and Sofia Vergara. They even featured one of my videos on their site.

I love working with other Latino sites and blogs. There are some really good ones out there in alternative media. I especially like crossing over into "Latinos in English" sites because I don't get to do so on Mega TV, which is all in Spanish.

I think the future of Latino media will be somewhere in the middle, where websites, blogs, and television converge. Right now they are merging on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. The Latino community is taking advantage of this medium very well.

I've already interviewed people I've met via twitter, like Cristina Mella, who presented her Judge Sonia Sotomayor inspired product line of apparel and things like buttons and coffee mugs.




These are exciting times for reporters and journalists who take full advantage of the multi-media strategy. The internet, social networking, and easy distribution channels allow people like me to interact and coordinate with a whole new host of individuals. Look out web-world - I'm coming out!

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