Border Journalism NewsMatch

Borderzine is a bilingual, online news magazine covering life on the U.S.- Mexico border that is powered by UTEP multimedia journalism students. Based at The University of Texas at El Paso Multimedia Journalism Lab, the award-winning program gives students real-life experience with content reporting and production skills needed in the communications industry.

An elective UTEP broadcast news class celebrates the end of the semester in the makeshift studio they created in a classroom.

At Borderzine, we cover the often-untold stories of our border community as we train and support the development of the next generation of talented multilingual, multicultural journalists. And now, as many newsrooms are cutting back on internship and job opportunities for students to further develop their skills, Borderzine is needed more than ever to prepare job-ready media professionals. 

The challenges facing the news industry make our work even more vital to help fill the training gaps for young journalists as we continue to tell the stories of our region. 

We have an incredible opportunity this year to TRIPLE donations we receive to continue to build our program. The first $4,000 donated before Dec. 31 will be matched, thanks to NewsMatch, a national grassroots campaign to support non-profit news in the U.S. In addition, Borderzine has been selected to receive up to $4,000 in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) partner matching funds from NewsMatch for our dedication to serving communities of color in the Paso Del Norte region. This bonus was made possible with support from Knight Foundation and the Heising-Simons Foundation. Join them and triple your support for Borderzine’s mission with a gift today.

Borderzine student journalists learn as they report stories for TV, radio, newspapers and online media on a range of topics from immigration and government to health, education, border economics and culture. They learn how to use public records and data analysis skills for the kind of insightful reporting communities need to be well informed.

As news deserts continue to expand, many communities around the country are left without critical access to reliable information. Information that’s backed by sources, facts and research. You can count on us to deliver accurate reporting that brings our community together and gives our students quality experience and skills that they will take to their professional careers representing the borderland at home and across the nation. 

Our fundraising helps us to provide production equipment and professional experience, as well as access to conferences and learning opportunities for student journalists and faculty to make the UTEP multimedia journalism program a leader among Hispanic-serving Institutions in supporting well-trained and diverse newsrooms. 

Borderzine is building a national reputation for developing a pathway of job-ready multicultural student journalists, contributing to diverse news media and informed reporting about life on the U.S.-Mexico border. Graduates of the program work in local media and at major news outlets including the Associated Press, Univision, Telemundo, CNN, NPR, Time, ESPN, Dallas Morning-News, Houston Chronicle, Austin-American Statesman and many others.

If you value the work we're doing in this challenging time for the future of quality journalism, please donate today.

"We need voices of the Border to tell our community's story more accurately and completely. I'm proud to support Borderzine, which is training the next generation of journalists to tell our stories." —Bob Moore, Founder and CEO of El Paso Matters

*Matching funds awarded per gift level are dependent on the remaining pool of matching funds.