Live Radio
As part of our collaboration with Santa Rosa's KBBF bilingual radio station, we're presenting portions of their "Informe KBBF" news call-in program about health.
This initial program introduced different topics that may come up during the project: housing, immigration, nutrition, poverty, gang violence, infrastructure, open space and education.
Informe KBBF host Mariana Almaraz reviews last week’s topics and introduces the topic of housing with Dr. Gonzalez.
This hour-long show tackles how housing insecurity and high rents affect Roseland residents’ health. Host Mariana Almaraz is joined by Dr. Enrique Gonzalez. Mariana plays audio from her conversation with Nora Villanueva, a KBBF volunteer who conducted street interviews in Roseland earlier in the year.
Nora says every person she spoke with was concerned about housing. Interviewees share grievances about the high cost of rent and lack of options .Mariana and Dr. Gonzalez discuss health impacts of poor housing conditions. One caller urges caution when when looking for housing – landlords can take advantage of the tight market and rent properties in poor condition.
Host Mariana Almaraz and Dr. Enrique Gonzalez spend this two-hour program discussing nutrition. The show begins with an interview with Adia White, a KRCB journalist. White reported on food insecurity in Roseland -- 90 percent of children in the district receive free or reduced lunches.
Patricia Moreno, a mother to a 13-year-old girl, joins the conversation. She says the district does offer healthy food, but she sees students throw away vegetables and kick around apples. She says parents need to help children understand that food is sacred. A caller said they wanted to know how big companies influence what schools serve. Dr. Gonzalez said traditional diets hold a lot of wisdom; together, beans and corn are a complete protein. He mentioned the importance of reducing the consumption of meat and sugar.
Host Mariana Almaraz is joined by Steve Mencher, news director at KRCB. Steve says he was urged to cover Roseland Creek Park, which is in development, by many nonprofit leaders and city administrators. There is tension between how some community members want to use the park and what the nearby homeowners want.
Steve reminded listeners that there are upcoming community hearings and to participate to make their voice heard. A caller talks about the expense of paying for youth sports fields, and wonders if the park will include a soccer field. Steve replies that it likely will not. Three volunteers with the Roseland Community Building Initiative (CBI) join the program to talk about their work to prevent youth delinquency, support all-age activities and beautify Roseland.
They also invite listeners to an upcoming community clean-up in Roseland. Local activist Ana Salgado wonders why volunteers have to keep streets clean when the city should also bear responsibility. Ana reminds listeners that there’s a city app for reporting overflowing trash bins, graffiti and more.
- Listen to a conversation about this Roseland Health project between KBBF Program Director Edgar Avila and KRCB news director Steve Mencher
- Read about the project on the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism blog.
- Also at USC: Two community radio stations team up to tell an urban story as residents see it.
