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Building the Trust: Meet Sandra Hernandez, part of the next generation of local news reporters proudly reporting for her hometown
The National Trust for Local News’ mission comes to life through the work of the teams on the ground at each of our state trusts. In our ongoing Building the Trust
feature, we highlight the people at the forefront of constructing a new model for local news.
For Sandra Hernandez, covering her hometown isn’t just a job. It’s a chance to tell the stories of the people, businesses and neighborhoods she has known all her life – while introducing a new generation to the value of local, print news.
“Social media is another way people get their news nowadays or through TV, but I think that print is how it all started, and it's something we should maintain,” Hernandez said.
A 2024 college graduate, Hernandez now works for her hometown paper. She covers the City of Perry for the Houston Home Journal, with day-to-day coverage that she believes only a community news organization can provide.
“It's important, and it will always be important because local communities deserve local news,” Hernandez said. “Everyone knows about national headlines, but decisions that impact people’s neighborhoods and everyday lives are equally as important.”
Hernandez said she always wanted to be a journalist. Recalling her younger years, she remembers her family reading Que Pasa (translated to “What’s Happening”), Middle Georgia’s first Spanish-language newspaper. She also remembers feeling inspired during a trip to Atlanta when her family toured the former CNN Center.
“I think that was kind of the seed that planted everything,” she said.
While she has an affection for print, Hernandez embraces digital products and social media, and approaches her work with a digital-first mindset.
In high school, she started sharing news on Facebook she thought people should know about, which is how she discovered she wanted to be the one finding and investigating stories for a career.
Hernandez grew up in Warner Robins, a city known for its military heritage as the home of Robins Air Force Base, Georgia’s largest single-location employer. While she was a student at Middle State Georgia University, she learned of a job at the Houston Home Journal in Perry, about 15 miles from Warner Robins. The newspaper, founded in 1870, is part of the Georgia Trust for Local News, an affiliate of the National Trust for Local News that is dedicated to strengthening community newspapers across the state, fostering local engagement and building more connected communities.
While she continued her studies and served as the editor-in-chief of her student newspaper, Hernandez also took on that part-time job at the Houston Home Journal in 2023. She transitioned to full time after she graduated in 2024. Like any community reporter, Hernandez covers” a little bit of everything,” from city council meetings and local politics to breaking news and features about the people who give the community its character.
Hernandez also values representing the growing Latino community in Houston County and writing stories about the issues impacting families like hers, as well as covering news about Hispanic American businesses.
“I grew up living the best of both worlds with a Mexican mom and a Salvadoran dad,” Hernandez said. “There are so many stories that deserve to be shared, and from the beginning, it has been very important for me to reach that growing audience and tell those stories.”
Her colleagues praise her work ethic and her commitment to ambitious reporting. Most recently, Hernandez contributed to one of the newsroom’s biggest and most-read projects of the year: a comprehensive look at data centers and their potential impact on Twiggs County.
“When you talk to her, you get the sense she cares,” said Don Moncrief, publisher of the Houston Home Journal. “She has a deep connection to the community.
“Young staff members like Sandra are a big asset,” Moncrief said. “They're in touch with tech and social and have the ability to reach young people. They can help us bridge that gap and make subtle changes."
What Hernandez enjoys most about the area she covers is how involved and engaged the community is. As a lifelong resident, she also has a front-row seat to the vibrant growth of Houston County and its transformation over the years. “There are many more opportunities here now compared to how it was when I was little,” she said. “So being able to celebrate those achievements and see how much this area has grown and changed and improved is exciting. That background also helps me connect with people and help make their voices heard.”
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