Caplin students report on housing crisis in bilingual streaming series

As housing affordability continues to challenge communities across South Florida, students at Florida International University’s Lee Caplin School of Journalism & Media are stepping into the conversation with reporting that connects classroom learning to real-world impact.

The initiative, centered on a bilingual affordable housing series, brought together Caplin students and leading media organizations including Telemundo 51, NBC 6 South Florida, WLRN, and Miami Herald. The collaboration resulted in nine original student-produced stories that became the core of “No puedo vivir aquí /I Can’t Afford to Live Here,” a bilingual series examining the housing challenges facing South Floridians ages 20–29.

The project began last September following a visit to campus by Telemundo 51 and NBC 6 General Manager Jorge Carballo, who observed Caplin’s Spanish-language Newsbreak broadcast. What followed was a months-long collaboration that placed students inside a professional newsroom environment, working under real deadlines while balancing coursework, jobs and, for some, graduation.

Five Caplin students, Adrian Diazl-Alejo, Patricia Varas, Alejandro Marquina, José Carlos Rodriguez and Johane Sainti, reported, edited and produced the story packages, often working late nights and weekends to meet production timelines. Their work ultimately contributed to a dedicated streaming program produced by NBC 6 South Florida and Telemundo 51, which aired Saturday, May 16, across both platforms.

“What also made the project special is that several of the journalists guiding our students, Kathy Fernandez, Lianna Saldana and Patricia Perez-Hidalgo, are FIU graduates themselves,” said Manny García, who initiated the partnership and helped lead the project alongside professors Chuck Strouse and Alejandro Alvarado.

“When I arrived at FIU, my early goal was to partner with top-tier newsrooms, especially bilingual operations, where our students could produce original reporting and also learn from professional journalists,” García said. “The partnership with Telemundo 51 and NBC 6 is a win-win. Our goal is to provide original stories to local news partners that serve our community at the same time our students are learning from experienced journalists, and this is exactly the outcome that we hoped for.”

The collaboration extended beyond broadcast. WLRN published multiple stories and featured student reporting on air, while both English- and Spanish-language newsrooms at the Miami Herald published coverage produced by Caplin students. Additional contributors included Brianna Mantaras, Camila Bretas, Alvaro Acosta, Norma Huembes, and Lucas Bogardus.

The partnership itself was built on long-standing industry relationships, with guidance from Liza Gross of Montclair State University’s Collaborative Journalism Resource Hub and collaboration with Sergio Bustos of WLRN. Together, the initiative created a multi-platform reporting effort that expanded both the reach and impact of student journalism.

For the students involved, the experience marked a defining moment in their academic and professional journeys.

“I’m extremely grateful to Telemundo, my professors, and everyone who made this opportunity possible,” said Alejandro Marquina. “It’s something that will definitely help me and my career.”

The project speaks to the kind of opportunities the Caplin School prioritizes, ones where students are trusted to take on real stories, work alongside industry professionals, and see their reporting move beyond the classroom and into active news coverage.

By the time the streaming special aired on May 16, the work had taken on a different weight. What began as a student assignment became part of a broader conversation around housing affordability in South Florida, carried by outlets reaching communities directly impacted by the issue.