about
Son of Mexican immigrants, Jesus J. Montero, is a Chicago native and first-generation college graduate.
He was the president and founder of the NAHJ DePaul, creating the largest National Association of Hispanic Journalists student chapter in Chicago. He also advised the creation of two Spanish reporting focus newsrooms La DePaulia and 14 East's Pueblo, while at DePaul.
At the height of the pandemic, while finishing his master's degree, he covered the civil unrest in Chicago, Cicero, and Kenosha in the summer of 2020. He has completed a VICE Media HEFAT course Provided by ACOS Alliance in crisis, safety, and responsibility trauma reporting.
He also has a deep background in entertainment and music reporting interviewing artists from Halsey to film stars like Gael Garcia Bernal and Samuel L. Jackson. Covering festivals like Lollapalooza for many years.
Jesus is currently serving as a board member for the Chicago Journalists Association (CJA). He is also an active member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, SPJ, INN, and Investigative Reporters and Editors. Jesus was the 2019 NBC News NAHJ Fellow for Dateline. He is the recipient of the 2019 Facebook Journalism Project Scholarship, a 2018 Ted Scripps Leadership Institute graduate, and an FAA-certified drone pilot.
jesusjmontero@yahoo.com