On a TEDx stage, Mariana Atencio explained her role as a journalist is to “make people care.” Finding the facts is not enough for her; she has to establish an emotional connection between the subject and the viewer. And perhaps these emotionally raw narratives are the secret to her success. Now she’s taking her experience as a journalist and an author to a whole new project.
Mariana was born in Venezuela and, after staring at death in the eyes, moved to the US in 2008 to advance her career in journalism. Like many, she thought setting foot in this country guaranteed success. However, she soon learned it would take a lot of hard work for her to reach her goal of making it to mainstream TV. Still, she realized that to hold on to her passion and navigate the rough waters that came with it, she had to be true to herself.
Having learned to embrace the power of being real, Mariana published her book “Perfectly You” last year. This personal account of the author’s life is an inspiring tale for both immigrants and journalists. She brings the reader along her journey and shares her most intimate thoughts at her highest highs and lowest lows. But through it all, her resilience stands out and the reader is happy to learn she conquered her spot in front of the TV.
Known for her tenacious reporting, she has been named one of the top young voices in American newsrooms, and her awards include the Peabody Award for Investigative Journalism, the Gracie Award, and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists “Latino Issues” Award. After three years as an NBC News correspondent, Mariana left her post at the broadcasting company to start a production company alongside her mentor and business partner, Emmy Award-winner Mirna Cuoto.
GoLike—the name of the production company—will exclusively produce multimedia Latinx content. Earlier this month, they shot a TV pilot and pitched various projects at the Real Screen Summit 2020 in New Orleans. Her second book is also underway.
I hope you join us in rooting for GoLike’s success and follow Mariana along her journey to bringing our community’s voice to larger audiences. You can find Mariana on all social media platforms as @marianaatencio.
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