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Expressing Mil Gracias for Revolucionario Awards Nomination

11:35 am By Maegan La Mala · Media|VivirLatino · Comments Off

28 Feb 2012

I was very surprised and humbled upon waking up to the news that I was nominated for a Revolucionario Award in the New Americano category.

I honestly don’t know who nominated me and I don’t even know much about the Social Revoluticion who is leading the effort and the award process. Apparently the outcome will be decided at SWSX Interactive on March 12. More information on the awards are below and como dicen por alli, it’s an honor just to be nominate.

So how do you define an award-winning Revolucionario?

They can be an individual, group, organization, or brand with the ganas to inspire change online and off. They seamlessly represent dos mundos and are constantly redefining what it means to be Latino as trendsetters and innovators. They utilize the newest online tools to engage la gente in their networks and mobilize them to take action. Whether they have 10 followers or 10,000 fans, The Revolucionario ignites change and, with that, embodies the cry of the The Social Revolución!

Nominations for the Revolucionario Awards fall under three categories:

The New Americano

These individuals, groups, organizations, or brand are trendsetters, impacting the Hispanic market online and off. By utilizing social media strategies they are recognizing the cultural shifts happening within the Latino community, are redefining what it means to be Latino, and are influencing their online community from their multicultural perspective.

The Innovator

Whether it’s a new app or website, this movement is redefining how we reach Latinos now and in the future. El Innovator can be an individuals, groups, organizations, or brand who has developed a new online tool to connect with the Latino comunidad. They’ve engaged their network with revolutionary ideas and technology that is authentic to the different facets of the Latino market.

The Mobilizer

Through social media tools and platforms, these individuals, groups, organizations, or brand mobilize their international and local causes online and off. Uniquely, they foster communities and spread positive change by connecting and educating an audience who they may have never met. Their social mission is to inspire people to take acción and spread change.

Explaining the Sudden Hiatus

1:26 pm By Maegan La Mala · VivirLatino · 8 Comments

8 Feb 2012

Before I start jumping right into posting analysis and commentary, I wanted to take a moment to explain the sudden extended silence on the site.

My dear aunt, who was fighting cancer for over three years, took a turn for the worse and transitioned from this world last week. She is the second of my mother’s sisters to pass away from breast cancer and the fifth death in our family within the last three years, making the loss more devastating to the family.

I felt the need to make the personal public since this occurred around the same time the Komen controversy broke (there will be a separate post on that mess) and because my Titi Migdalia was a fan and regular reader of VivirLatino.

In her honor and memory, I’m ready to jump back in.

Thank you for your understanding.

M. la Mala

VivirLatino 2012 : Resolutions, To Dos and To Cover

9:00 am By Maegan La Mala · Media|Politics|VivirLatino · 3 Comments

2 Jan 2012

Trying to get back into a regular posting groove here is one of my personal resolutions for 2012. I’m starting with a relatively manageable goal of three posts per week.

I would like to get back into regular book blogging – writing reviews and what I’m reading.

I may drop music blogging and film blogging unless something particularly moves me.

With the new year comes more attention on the upcoming presidential elections and the campaigning to get there. So I would like to have one post a week on that.

For what my third weekly post will be, well that I am still up in the air about. Maybe I should leave it open for my personal editorial/rants/reporting things of interests.

One of the things that has been in the plan for a while, even before we were down to one captain, is a reader poll to get an idea of what you, the readers, would like to see more and less of (and you cannot say you want less of me – sorry haters).

So consider this an informal polling of sorts : What would you like to see more of/less of here at VivirLatino?

2011 – El Año Que se Va/ The Year that is leaving

6:48 am By Maegan La Mala · Media|VivirLatino · 5 Comments

28 Dec 2011

Back in October, when VivirLatino had its 5th birthday, I wrote about how much the blogging landscape had changed, especially for independent, political, Latino blogs. In the five years since the site’s birth, we have contracted, not expanded and this has been the tightest year yet. This year, VivirLatino had one of its founding editors move on, leaving one person in charge of the entire operation and as that one person; it was and remains the biggest challenge. The changing nature of ethnic political blogging is one side of the coin. The other side is more personal.

I could go on and talk about how hard it has been financially to keep this space alive. I could go on and talk about how the need to do other various jobs, some within the publishing/writing world, some not, has felt so exhausting that it has left me with more moments of hopelessness than I would like to own. Throw in single mami’hood and having to leave my apartment and you have a drop in motivation.

But it is not all negative. How else to explain why, despite wanting to throw in the towel many times and watching my close circle of fellow bloggers get smaller as they stop producing, move to new spaces, or (let’s be real) are co-opted, I still find value in this space. I have been blessed by opportunities because this space exists – visibility has expanded to local and national media – ethnic and with a broader audience. This space gives me voice and in turn gives the world I am a part of voice, and does so unapologetically, even if that ruffles some feathers or makes people uncomfortable. Scratch that, especially if it ruffles some feathers and makes people uncomfortable. More than anything however, I am truly humbled by the people I have met and continue to meet through the work of having this space. Our communities are filled with amazing, beautiful people with rich lives, not just stories for consumption. What I have been blessed to witness and be a part of because of this space has given me so much love which I am compelled to return in whatever small way I am capable. All the hate mail, attack press releases from orgs, and under the table moves I have experienced pale in comparison to the amount of support I have felt. I am still here because you are still here – whoever that you that has placed your granite de arena is.
So, I close this year at VivirLatino, acknowledging the struggle that 2011 has been professionally and personally. But I also close the year open to possibilities, (real) change, and so much hope. My modest desire for the new year is to make media that reflects my values and voice honestly.

Maegan Ortiz

Always the Mamita Mala

Publisher

6 Years of VivirLatino – Still Causing Trouble as Latin@ Blogging Shifts

1:27 pm By Maegan La Mala · Media|VivirLatino · 6 Comments

12 Oct 2011

I started today thinking about how difficult it has become to maintain VivirLatino and keep it up and running the way I want to. 6 years ago today, this site went live and it has three editors (of which I was one) and owners who had the best of intentions but who also wanted to capitalize on what was to become the “Latino internet boom”.

That was never my interest and it still isn’t. I, having already been personally blogging about my experiences as a single Rican activist mami in nyc, was and still am interested in the way life/struggle was (is) a reflection of larger social and political issues. This means that I rarely look at page stats, am a bad hustler/marketer, and have sacrificed a certain level of “success” because of my refusal to sell out to trends and/or organizations, because I don’t mind being confrontational if that means keeping it real.

6 years later, there are two editors (including me) and I own the site. My intentions, my integrity, my politics, and my passions have no changed but the face of Latino blogging has. I have witnessed a shift away from critical analysis and a move towards marketing our experiences. In the post Obama election period, I have seen the beltway (Washington d.c.) shift in terms of the level of engagement they (represented by both politicians and non-profit orgs) are willing to have with spaces like VivirLatino. We are not the “traditional” media and thus can be shut out in a way that mainstream media cannot. I have also seen a steep decline in revenue, mostly because as the recession get deeper and deeper orgs didn’t have the money so many of us independent bloggers struggled to get. As a result the field of independent (meaning not tied to an organization) Latino political/activist bloggers has gotten smaller and smaller. Dear and talented voices have gone silent (online- their work continues in other spaces) and trust me – when you are a space like VivirLatino – you need all the allies you can get.

On the Slow Down of Updates to the Site

10:48 am By Maegan La Mala · VivirLatino · 2 Comments

1 Oct 2011

Good Morning! As VivirLatino approaches it’s 6th anniversary – this Hispanic/Latino Heritage month has been marked by a sharp decline in posting. What used to be a site updated up to four times a day, now sometimes gets updated once a week.
It is not a situation I am happy about but it is a situation.

I am working on a post detailing, how from my point of view, as a mujer who has been online for many years, the landscape of blogging, particularly activist Latino blogging has changed.

Some of it for the better, some of it for the worse.

I remain grateful to all who continue to see this space as valuable and I hope that you will continue to support the sharing of news, ideas, and actions towards building communities we want to live in as whole people.

Com amor y en lucha,

Mala

Mala Goes to Netroots Nation Next Week

9:38 am By Maegan La Mala · Immigration|Minnesota|Netroots Nation|VivirLatino · 6 Comments

9 Jun 2011

Thanks to some of your votes, Democracy for America, and America’s Voice, I will be in Minneapolis, Minnesota next week – from June 16th to the 19th – attending the Netroots Nation conference.

This will be my third year attending and those who have followed my participation before know that my coverage is complicated and controversial but also interesting and informative (and fun!).

I will be blogging here, tweeting on both the VivirLatino twitter and my own personal twitter account, as well as posting pictures, probably on our Facebook page. The hashtag is #NN11 and I will also be personally using #MalaDoesNN.

I haven’t had a chance to really plan my time there – I do know I will live-tweet/comment on the Taking Back Your State: Responding to Restrictive Immigration Legislation scheduled for Saturday, June 18th 1:30 PM – 2:45 PM (Minneapolis time).

While the DFA and America’s Voice Scholarship cover airfare, hotel, and registration, I am requesting support for , childcare, ground transport and food costs. So if you appreciate the work that VivirLatino does, consider making a small donation or if you are gonna be at the conference – I accept drinks and food .

Gracias!

And We’ve Moved!

7:02 am By Maegan La Mala · VivirLatino · Comments Off

16 Feb 2011

Apologies to those who came online looking for your daily dose of VivirLatino only to get a funky error message. Many of you know that we were fundraising to be able to migrate the site from one server to another after way too many problems ranging from downtime to exceedingly expensive fees. Well it has been done. Last night the site was migrated and we couldn’t have done it without you, donations and support. There will be thank you cards going out.

I (Mala) couldn’t have done it without help (because I was having tech anxiety). So thank you tech angels from above. No, really they are North of VL HQ.

Please let us know if there are any bugs, as that sometimes happens when sites move.

Will Be Attempting Site Migration Today : Expect Downtime

8:49 am By Maegan La Mala · VivirLatino · 1 Comment

13 Feb 2011

Feliz Domingo VivirLatino readers, amig@s, and watchers.

At some point today, I will attempt (or if I get completely freaked out and scared by the process, which is likely, some dear friends will help) to migrate where this site is housed/served.

So if the site starts acting up or if you don’t see it, never fear, it’s just me trying to get techy and save some $ and stress.

While the site is down, you can keep up with us on Twitter, Facebook, or Tumblr.

Thank you all for your love, support, and patience.

Huff Po, Open Left and VivirLatino

9:52 am By Maegan La Mala · Media|media justice|Politics|VivirLatino · 1 Comment

9 Feb 2011

There are interesting happenings in the online blogging world that just happen to coincide with big changes here at VivirLatino.

The first was the AOL – Huffington Post merger, which on twitter I proclaimed was a sign of the need for more support of REAL independent, radical/left media makers. You see HuffPo launched the same year that VivirLatino launched (HuffPo beat us by a few months). I don’t know how much it cost to get VL online, as I started here as just an editor, but certainly it did not have the backing of millions of dollars. And yet, my personal/political blogging, which I began doing in the late 90′s before it was called blogging, has gathered attention. I have covered major political and entertainment events. I am not saying this because I want some big company to buy me out but rather as a parallel. HuffPo, where I think one of my pieces was published once upon a time, became known for taking posts from independent media makers and using the talents of writers for free while it raked in millions. The new merger, according to some, threatens to widen that gap.
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