Hi, I'm Raul Garcia Jr, a Journalist from Mercedes, Texas.
About Raul Garcia Jr
Raul Garcia Jr. is a Mexican American award winning [1] multimedia journalist at The Mercedes Enterprise, and is currently the editor. Among other posts, he has been the general assignment reporter for the Valley Morning Star and sports reporter at The Monitor and Mid Valley Town Crier.[2] His work has been picked up by the Associated Press [3] and been published in The Brownsville Herald, New York Post [4] among others. His news coverage ranges from investigative reporting, community news, local politics, high school, college and professional sports.[5] Garcia's entrepreneurial journalism sense led him to the founding of Valleywood Magazine, a monthly news magazine established in 2007 about the South Texas community, business and culture. He is also the editor of multiple community online news website serving the Rio Grande Valley. In addition to his reporting he presents his news reports with photograph, audio and video nonlinear multimedia news journalism style. He has a Masters Degree in New Media Journalism from Full Sail University. [6] He earned a bachelor's degree in Business Management from Spring Arbor University. He also studied journalism at Michigan State University, Lansing Community College, Austin Community College and Univ. of Texas at Brownsville.
Selected Works
Voted best Sports Coverage & Photography by Texas Press Association, 2022
Voted best News Sports Layout Design by Texas Press Association, 2022
AP Award for Best Video, 2016
Click image to read feature story about the Texas Press Association Awards I received. The story is written by my college newspaper where I served as editor in chief and wrote sports and investigative journalism at Lansing Community College.
Voted Best General Excellence Newspaper
MuckRuck Newspaper Portfolio CLIPS
Texas Press Association 2022 Awards
Photo Journalism
Photo Gallery of the Mercedes Livestock Show Downtown Parade
Photos by Raul Garcia Jr.
Editor & Publisher of Six Weekly Community Newspapers
Weslaco World
Donna News
Mercedes Enterprise
Harlingen Times
La Feia Journal
South Padre Island Post
Community Journalism
I founded Valleywood Magazine, a monthly hyper-local community publication in 2007. The first edition published in March and continues online and in special editions promoting Rio Grande Valley events. Its main focus now has moved into offering each town in the Rio Grande Valley their own community newspaper in print and online.
New Design & Photography
Awards & Recognition
2002 Outstanding Works in Journalism, Michigan State University School of Journalism Symposium
2003 Outstanding Works in Journalism, Michigan State University School of Journalism Symposium
2004 Cesar Chavez Essay Contest, 3rd place, Michigan Cesar Chavez Commission
2016 Third Place Best Video news story longer two minutes, Texas APME
2018 Team Effort,Texas APME
2018 Best Newsroom, Texas APME
2018 Honorable Mention Best Online Multimedia Package news story, Texas APME
2018 Police reporting, Harlingen Police
2022 First Place Online Live News Coverage, Texas Press Association
2022 Second Place News Photography, Texas Press Association
2022 Fourth Place General News Excellence, Texas Press Association
2022 Fourth Place Sports News Coverage, Texas Press Association
2022 Fourth Place Sports Photography, Texas Press Association
2022 Fourth Place News Design, Texas Press Association
2022 Fourth Place Feature Photography, Texas Press Association
2023 Second Place Editorial Writing, Texas Press Association
2023 Second Place Headline Writing, Texas Press Association
2023 Fourth Place Page Design, Texas Press Association
2023 Fourth Place News Photography, Texas Press Association
2023 Fourth Place Best Website, Texas Press Association
2023 Second Place Editorial Writing, South Texas Press Association
2023 Third Place Headline Writing, South Texas Press Association
2023 Third Place Sports Coverage, South Texas Press Association
2023 Third Place Display Advertising, South Texas Press Association
2023 Fourth Place Page Design, South Texas Press Association