Stephanie Ochoa works as an anchor and reporter for Telemundo 44, which airs on WZDC, the local station serving the Spanish-speaking community in the Washington, D.C., area. Ochoa is part of the consumer assistance and protection unit Telemundo 44 Responde. In 2021 she was awarded as an "Emerging Leader" by the Washington Academy of Political Arts and Sciences. Prior, she worked as a national correspondent in Washington, D.C., for the Colombian channel NTN24. She covered the 2020 presidential elections and the protests against police brutality in the United States, as well as the assault on the U.S. Capitol in January 2021. Her work was recognized in the women's photographic archive journalists in-risk coverage, chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). She also did special coverage on the U.S. border with Mexico about the migration crisis. Previously worked as a presidency reporter in Mexico for the ADN40 television channel: wrote for El Financiero Bloomberg journal and tv channel, and Grupo Milenio in Mexico City, where she covered the anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party in 2016. Her work has crossed the Western Hemisphere to report other events such as the elections in Catalonia, Spain, during 2018.

As a foreign correspondent, how did your journey begin in the U.S.?

Since the end of 2019, most foreign and American news outlets were getting ready to cover the most significant political event in 2020: the presidential election. However, only weeks after the election, there were two other historic events that changed the course and pace of reporting: the coronavirus pandemic and the murder of George Floyd. This is when NTN24-RCN, a Colombian news channel, put an eye on me and hired me as their national correspondent in Washington, D.C., to amplify its presence in the Mexican community, from its diverse team of journalists. Almost two years later, I took a big step forward in my career and joined the Telemundo 44 team in the local station as an anchor and a consumer reporter covering the areas of Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C..

What does it take to become a foreign journalist in the U.S.?

Coming from Latin America, I would say bravery and confidence. There are a couple of obstacles in this journey, like having a language barrier that requires you to put an extra effort in your reporting by hiding your fear of speaking and interviewing others in your second language, and translating government voices and reports as well as even writing and covering a story in English. Confidence in yourself is needed, since no one but you will believe in your own capacity, intelligence, and will.

Is there a unique perspective a foreign journalist can provide in analyzing the news from the United States?

We are in the city where the biggest decisions in the world are taken every day, and their impact on our Hispanic communities must be told clearly. I can’t stress enough the fact that I am coming from Mexico, meaning that I deeply understand the Latin American region and the Latino, Hispanic, and immigrant community in the U.S. When it comes to breaking down a major news event or story and making it more accessible to this audience, I know how to do it because I am part of it. As a foreign journalist passionate about politics, I can understand its complexity but also explain it in more understandable terms to others.

In your experience, what are the most challenging aspects of being a foreign journalist in the U.S.?

Once you move to this country it is mandatory to realize we are starting to work in a different system, with different guidelines, processes, and protocols. Having to understand the system involving media and communication is essential in order to have access to important news outlets and key sources. Especially when being a correspondent means you do not have a big team helping you with the daily duties, and your work implies developing numerous skills that not every journalist has, such as production, editing, booking, and others.

How does it make you feel that you needed to start your career from scratch as a foreign journalist in the U.S.A.?

It is all about the natural instinct of being a journalist and the understanding of the importance of our profession as an elemental feature of our democracies. We are responsible to give a voice and help others to create a personal opinion about the world's biggest issues. I feel privileged. I am proud of what I have done in this country and all the historic events I have covered. It was not only a challenge but an entire swift in my life, I had to learn and develop plenty of new reporting skills impossible to find in the books.

What lessons have you learned over the years of working as a foreign correspondent?

Once you get the first sight of how U.S. politics are, your perspective changes 180 degrees, and you get that every step has a strategy behind it which may change the entire world pace. A journalist can’t be seated just behind a desk catching the information through the Internet. A reporter must go out and be able not only to inquire officials, but to record, report, and create stories on their own. We also need to understand and tell the stories from our communities' perspectives.

How do you define success in your work as a foreign correspondent?

Living in a foreign country, with dignity and reporting, is a success for me. It requires much studying, ambition, and to love the profession, and even though it may look easy and so enjoyable, it can be tough at the beginning. The experience of working, especially in Washington, is like studying a master in politics that you can only get on the field.

If aspiring foreign correspondents from around the world wish to work in the United States, what advice would you give them?

Humanity will always experience difficulties and hard times, such as the pandemic, police brutality, or the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As difficult as it may be, these are unique opportunities for you to report the stories in a humane way that will set you apart from others. Additionally, never underestimate the power and importance of networking! Connecting with people and creating a network will open the doors to a number of opportunities that you most likely won’t find any other way.

What message would you like to share with the rest of the foreign-correspondent community in America?

We all share the same goal, and the best way to elevate the value of journalism is being a colleague always willing to help those who are starting in the profession outside of their home country.