Laura Castañeda

Laura Castañeda is an Associate Professor in the Radio and Television Department at San Diego City College and an independent producer. She most recently completed her first documentary titled “The Devil's Breath,” the account of the undocumented people who perished in the 2007 San Diego wildfires. She also produces and hosts her own show titled “Stories de la Frontera,” which airs on several PBS affiliates in the southwest United States. Laura has also handled press and media relations for the San Diego Latino Film Festival.

Prior to her solo career, Laura reported for Channel 4 Cox Cable's “San Diego Insider” news magazine show and KGTV Channel 10, where she previously worked as a general assignment reporter and fill-in anchor from 1995-1999. Laura is a contributing writer for publications such as The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, San Diego Metropolitan Magazine, El Sol, and The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Magazine. Prior to coming to San Diego, Laura was a reporter and fill-in anchor for four years at KGUN-TV, the ABC affiliate in Tucson, AZ. There, she covered law enforcement as well as a variety of assignments along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Laura Castañeda began her television news career in 1987 as a production assistant at WLS-TV, ABC in Chicago, her hometown. She is an alumnus of the University of Illinois-Urbana with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor in Sociology. The recipient of numerous professional awards, Laura was most recently honored by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) with a second Emmy for her “Stories de le Frontera” program. She's also been awarded by the San Diego Press Club for a report on children and immigration. In 1998, Laura was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for investigative reporting. In 1997, she was nominated again by NATAS and earned a first place award by the San Diego Press Club for a series of reports on immigration.

Laura is a board member for Unity, a national, non-profit organization advocating fair and accurate news coverage about people of color, and challenging the industry to reflect its staff with the nation's diversity. She also is a member of the California Chicano news Media Association for which she served as president of the San Diego chapter from 1997-2000. She is also a member of NALIP (The National Association of Latino Independent Producers), NAHJ (The National Association of Hispanic Journalists), BINACOM (Bi-national Organization of Teachers in Communication), IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors) and a member of the University of Illinois-Urbana Alumni Association.

Laura Castañeda can be reached via email.