MediaJustice has appointed Jacinta Gonzalez as its inaugural Head of Programs.
Gonzalez brings more than 15 years of experience building powerful movements. She joins MediaJustice’s team at a time when the organization shifts into a new era that seeks to defend communities from unprecedented threats lodged by Big Tech and Big Media, bolstered by the state. As a member of the Executive Team, Gonzalez will optimize MediaJustice’s strategic framework while ensuring its programmatic areas are aligned with the organization’s new direction. She’ll also build and strengthen key alliances with external stakeholders. Gonzalez will report to Executive Director Steven Renderos.
Before joining MediaJustice, Gonzalez was Policy Director for Mijente, where she served in various leadership roles since its founding in 2015. There, she organized across Mijente’s membership to block racist immigration policies, expose corporations harming communities, and challenge the use of surveillance technologies by federal law enforcement agencies. Through the groundbreaking No Tech for ICE campaign, Gonzalez disrupted Palantir’s ability to recruit on college campuses across the U.S.
Prior to Mijente, Gonzalez was the Lead Organizer at the Congress of Day Laborers, where she built worker power in post-Katrina New Orleans. Gonzalez was a 2012 Soros Justice Fellow and a 2007 New Voices Fellow.
“Jacinta is a brilliant, experienced, and well-respected organizer whose dedication to community building is paralleled by her persistent interest in the way technology and media shape and reshape our lives,” Renderos said. “Her presence at MediaJustice will elevate the caliber of our campaign efforts and I’m confident we’ll achieve tangible impact with her on our side.”
Gonzalez’s experience developing alignment across internal teams, anticipating emerging threats in the field, and fostering collaboration with partners adds exceptional value to the organization at a time when communities are more fully grasping the overarching risks posed by technology and media conglomerates.
“In an increasingly hostile political terrain, organizing across movements, asserting a clear vision for what we’re fighting for, and educating our communities on reclaiming media and technology are the interventions we need most,” Gonzalez said. “As Head of Programs I look forward to providing the strategic leadership needed to further bolster MediaJustice’s Movement Building, Narrative and Communications, and Political Education work.”
