Vanessa Maria Graber
Tell us about you and your work.
I am a movement journalist and community organizer born and raised in Philly with over 20 years of experience as a radio/TV producer. For most of my career, I have worked to use media as a tool for social movements and to build local media infrastructure. That has involved working to ensure our communities have access to important information and communications tools, raising awareness about important social justice issues, making sure we (Latinxs) are represented in media, and changing narratives to shift policy. I currently work at Free Press as the News Voices NJ Manager. In this role, I work with journalists and community members to address information inequity, which has become especially critical to Black and Latinx communities during the pandemic. My collaborators and I facilitate community conversations about news and information in three communities (Camden, Atlantic City, and Newark), and we organize to support community-centered local news projects. Before that, I was an organizer working in a national coalition to pass the Local Community Radio Act, which facilitated the largest community radio expansion in the U.S. In 2016, I co-founded WPPM-LP FM, a community radio station at PhillyCAM, where I served as the Station Manager. There I trained volunteers from the community to produce music and public affairs programs. At the center of my work has always been the desire to tell authentic stories that lead to our collective liberation.
What does community mean to you?
Community is everything. When we move in solidarity with one another and work together to deliver mutual aid, we build more sustainable communities. If we want to survive and thrive, we must work together. Community gives us support, inspiration, and hope for a better world.
Favorite film
Historical films and dramas are my favorite. I love Gladiator and the Motorcycle Diaries.
Favorite song
One Day - Matisyahu