Inside the NNS newsroom: Meet Ana Martinez-Ortiz, community engagement reporter | Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
December 7, 2020
Ana Martinez-Ortiz keeps you informed on events happening in the community through the popular “5 things to do and know” columns. (Photo provided by Ana Martinez-Ortiz)
Name: Ana Martinez-Ortiz
What I do at NNS: I am the community engagement reporter. In short, my job entails engaging the community. This means physically being in the community (see our family room couch project) and it means building a relationship with community leaders and members through outreach, social media and more. My responsibilities include resource lists, how to articles, “5 things to do and know for the week” and “5 things to do and know for the weekend.”
How long I’ve worked here: I started in August 2018.
Why I love NNS: So often people have an idea of what Milwaukee is and at NNS, we show that Milwaukee and its residents are more than a single generalization. We strive to cover 13 neighborhoods in the City of Milwaukee, and in doing so, we’ve become a part of the community. Our stories aren’t limited to a single lens, rather we strive to celebrate, illuminate and educate. In other words, we don’t just focus on the lows or the highs, we go beyond that to show the people and organizations who make up the rich and diverse fabric of Milwaukee.
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What are you most proud of? I am most proud of how NNS has become a trusted voice in the community. We’ve worked really hard to build relationships with community leaders and members and it shows in the work we do.
Following the death of George Floyd in May, many protesters took to the streets, chanting “defund the police.” I spoke with Liberate MKE, a coalition under the African American Roundtable. Since 2019, the organization has been working to educate community members on the police budget and what it means to “defund the police.”
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