The Martha’s Vineyard Times has been honored by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) for its continuing coverage of immigration and how stepped up enforcement by federal agents has impacted the Island’s Brazilian community.
Brazilian journalist Paula Moura, a contributing writer for the MVTimes, was awarded The NAHJ New England chapter’s first place for its category recognizing investigative work for a small news outlet.
The NAHJ specifically noted her reporting of the immigrant community including her efforts to interview and profile Brazilian immigrants who had been detained by U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement on the Island in May.
Moura said while she is honored for the award, it was the bravery of immigrants to speak out that deserves recognition.
“It was thanks to a collective work that we were able to reach and identify immigrants who were arrested and talk to them even inside the detention center,” Moura said. “And thanks to the migrants who were brave enough to tell their story; some of them told me they hoped sharing would help others in the immigrant community. I’m happy to see that the MVTimes’ approach to covering the Brazilian community with respect and genuine interest has been recognized.”
MVTimes publisher Charles Sennott said, “We are proud to have Paula Moura as a part of our team as we continue to focus on the challenging issue of immigration and how it plays out in our small Island community. Paula is from the same part of Brazil that is home to so many Brazilian immigrants in our community, and the community trusts her. She has earned their trust by speaking their language, and telling their stories in a way that makes their struggle more human. She is literally enlightening our community by putting a face on our neighbors who are struggling with a life in the shadows,”
Moura, a former reporting fellow at PBS FRONTLINE and a reporter for WBUR public radio in Boston, is currently a fellow with MIT’s Knight Science Journalism program.
Congratulations on the well-deserved NAHJ award. Your timely, thorough — and these days, courageous — reporting on matters impacting our island’s immigrant community is much appreciated. I’m curious whether there is a plan to follow up on the story published in the February 5, 2025 MV Times, wherein local Brazilian community organizer, Meiroka Nunes, is quoted as saying that she “believe[s] 70% of the island’s Brazilian community supports Trump.” Subsequent articles highlight the fear and anxiety that the community is experiencing as a result of the strategies being pursued by ICE to purportedly detain undocumented immigrants with criminal records. Readers may be interested to learn whether the community’s support of this administration has shifted in any way.
Brilliant courageous reporting and also giving honor to the courage of others who spoke out. Journalism at its finest. Congratulations.
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