www.negociosnow.com
February 2017 41
Founder La Villita Facebook Page.
Jackie Serrato is a local
journalist and a media curator
for the Little Village neighbor-
hood. She launched the La Vil-
lita, Chicago Facebook page
before other major news outlets
switched to digital platforms or
hyperlocal coverage, and her
page reached 100,000 followers
in August 2016.
The La Villita page is popu-
lar for embracing the language
of the internet and the voice of
the people. With the help of fel-
low community residents, Ser-
rato started to report on gang
shootings and other hyperlocal
happenings that normally took
a long time to make it into the
mainstream media. She also
made sure to report on the posi-
tive aspects of the Little Village
community, including business
successes, community events
and good work being done by
nonprofits and churches. The
GoFundMe fundraiser for Don
Fidencio, la Villita's elderly pal-
etero, went viral in large part due
to the support of Serrato's Face-
book page. Don Fidencio's Go-
FundMe raised $384.000.
She attended Chicago Pub-
lic Schools and later graduated
from Colgate University in New
York, where she majored in Latin
American studies and minored
in Spanish-language literature
with an emphasis in anthropol-
ogy.
Jakie won a fellowship to work
at WBEZ Chicago Public Radio,
has freelanced for DNAinfo and
Chicagoist, and is currently help-
ing to produce a TV documen-
tary about the Pilsen community
at WTTW Channel 11. The team
behind the Little Village Face-
book page won the Community
Advocate Award from the Little
Village Chamber of Commerce
in 2014. Jackie Serrato has also
led online campaigns to pro-
mote the vote on behalf of the
Latino Policy Forum and rally
for a $15 minimum wage for fast
food and retail workers with the
Fight For 15.
"I
n these times of greed and
"alternative facts", telling
your truth is a courageous act."
Jackie Serrato
Little
Village's
original
hyperlocal
journalist
Jackie Serrato, 29
Little
Village's
original
hyperlocal
journalist
