Posted December 16, 2013
By AXEL TURCIOS
Newspapers, online news websites, articles, phone calls and coffee are part of a daily routine for a journalist. In fact, that is how Luis Alfonso Fernandez, America TeVe news reporter and anchor, handles his daily job.
Fernandez was born and raised in Venezuela. Since a very young age, his passion and joy to communicate were stronger than those of his friends.
Luis Alfonso Fernandez, America TeVe news reporter and anchor (Photo courtesy of America TeVe).
“I loved doing presentations in all of my subjects,” he said. “My teachers began to complain because I used to talk a lot.”
He started to think about a career in which he could utilize all of his intense proactivity and then his interest in journalism and serving his community grew.
“I wanted to look for stories, convey them, but also investigate deep from the bottom to learn what caused the problem and who was affected.” Fernandez said.
The journalist studied communication in La Universidad Central de Venezuela (the Central University of Venezuela) in Caracas, Venezuela.
In his first semester in college and at age 19, he was offered to work as a production coordinator at a Caracas radio station.
“I think it was the high energy, effort and passion that I forged since the beginning of my career that paved my path.” Fernandez said.
Months later, he was promoted to producer, but soon after a big opportunity knocked at his door when one of the largest Venezuelan TV networks, Venevision, became interested in him.
“I started working as a producer and days later I started doing news packages for the national newscast,” he recalled.
Because of the national government’s constant restrictions and oppression of the news media, Fernandez decided to move to the United States. Today he lives in Miami, and works for the Hispanic TV station America TeVe Channel 41, where he covers Venezuelan politics as well as local and international issues.
He says that it has not been easy to get used to new things. However, he thinks that the only thing that has always maintained him alive and optimistic is his ideal to dream.
“I think that our dreams depend only on us. If you are passionate for something that makes you happy, you have to be constant to make it a reality,” he said. “Communication is a big power; we can set our own barriers, but we are the only ones who can destroy them.”
Fernandez says that somebody going into a journalism career must be prepared for a variety of challenges, specially now in the beginning of a new technological era.
“For instance, the computer systems erased the typewriters and changed the way we communicate and many more things. Today they are being changed to welcome new communication tools,” he offered. “New and advanced challenges are ahead.”
As an Hispanic, Fernandez is sure that the TV market is becoming more competitive in all aspects. He thinks that the growth in the Hispanic population, the Spanish language and fusion with English, have all caused the Hispanic TV channels to grow and attract more audience traffic than English stations.
“Hispanics will become the biggest minority in the United States. In fact, this will have a great and positive impact on the Latino TV market,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez says that being an immigrant in a new country is a big challenge; however, he states that he is highly motivated to succeed and that has given him a clear vision of what he wants for his future.
“Until now, I’m loving my experience as a news reporter in Miami. However, in less than 10 years, I can see myself anchoring my own opinion show,” he said.
“For now I have already fulfilled my biggest dream. I do what I love,” Fernandez added.