Recent Graduate Producing CNN Content in Washington D.C
Recent Graduate Producing CNN Content in Washington D.C.
Written by Jessica Razo
A new location, a new job, and a new chapter. Dominic Torres, a recent College of Communications graduate, recently earned a position at CNN in Washington D.C. Covering daily news regarding the White House and the presidential elections, he works consistently to produce content for CNN. For Torres, his position at CNN is incredible, but he knows he has years ahead of him to stimulate a strong career as an international correspondent. Torres’s journalism journey has not been easy but his focus, passion, and drive, have led him to where he is today.
With challenging communication classes, on-campus news programs, and helpful communications professors, Torres gained skills and developed a strong work ethic during his time at Cal State Fullerton.
Torres was in the specialized reporting class that required students to report from the U.S. southern border. College of Communications professor Jesus Ayala, who taught the specialized reporting class, noticed Torres’s ambition and accepted him into the class. When the class was at the border, the migrant caravan occurred. Professor Ayala seized this opportunity to break news and Torres realized he had a responsibility to use his journalism platform to highlight the voice of the migrants. As a Latinx male, Torres felt privileged to tell news stories like the migrant caravan.
Torres said, “I felt like I had the responsibility to be there for my people.”
The following summer, Torres ventured to his next reporting trip in Spain along with Professor Ayala. He chose to report on Venezuelans seeking asylum in Spain but struggled to find and use reliable sources. Professor Ayala was close to stepping in to help until Torres found sources and completed the news story strong.
Speaking on the obstacle, Professor Ayala said, “I think part of learning in journalism is when you kind of hit that wall and you have to pivot. Like okay, what’s plan b, plan c, plan d. That’s when the really important learning comes and if I had solved it for [Torres] he would not have learned that process.”
Torres did more than just migrant reporting, he also avidly participated in a variety of news publications on-campus such as Al Dia, Titan TV, the Daily Titan, and Tusk TV. Vania Patino, Torres’s close friend and alumna turned assignment news editor at Telemundo/NBC, has worked with Torres before on a project. She said Torres is not afraid to do what he wants to create a news story.
Patino said, “He’s very detailed-oriented, he really knows what he wants.”
Torres and Patino both attended the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) conference before they graduated last December. They both networked to the fullest connecting with prospecting employers and at the same time boosted Torres’s opportunity to be noticed and eventually led to his recruitment by CNN.
When the College of Communications Professor, Frank Russell heard about Torres’s recruitment by CNN he was excited for Torres.
Professor Russell said, “It’s not only an excellent place to start, but it’s also an excellent time for him to be starting there.”
Torres said Professor Russell assisted him with scholarships to help cover the costs of his Spain trip and offered the same advice he gives other student journalists: to start at a news publication far from home. Torres followed this advice and took the offer from CNN and started his career in Washington D.C. Torres continues to stay in touch with Professor Russell and Professor Ayala.
Throughout his time at Cal State Fullerton, Torres worked eagerly on his journalism craft and after, he stayed strongly connected with his closest peers and professors. Torres’s dedication to his work would beat the odds of not only leaving his hometown San Bernardino but to also make a name for himself and landing a position at CNN.
Torres advises student journalists working in the field: “My rule of thumb, my saying, is when in doubt, to shoot and that goes for anything. When you’re doubting it, just do it.”
