KRWG-TV reporter and producer Simon Thompson is originally from Australia. With his own international background, he has taken a particular interest in immigration issues in the United States, and now that interest has led to a report by Thompson with a nationwide audience.
His TV segment, “This New Mexico school welcomes families who live across the border,” aired nationally on PBS NewsHour Feb. 28. The story is about children from Palomas, Mexico, who commute to Deming, New Mexico, to attend public school.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about southern New Mexico and life along the border, and this was an unusual chance to explore the region’s layered cultural identity and unique spirit,” Thompson said. “It was a lot of work to give this story the depth and coverage it deserves. I was extremely honored to get some more meaningful New Mexico news coverage on national TV.”
New Mexico State University alumnus Jesse Walden helped with the production. He was a student at the time he assisted Thompson, but he graduated in December with a bachelor’s of creative media and a minor in theatre arts.
Thompson originally produced the segment as part of KRWG’s “Newsmakers.” Hosted by Fred Martino, the program explores people and issues affecting New Mexico and Far West Texas. It was also produced as part of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting project “Fronteras,” which brings together stations between San Antonio, Texas and San Diego, California to cover the border region and issues.
Some of Thompson’s work has also been featured on KPBS in San Diego, NPR Marketplace and NPR News. He’s been part of the KRWG-TV team for almost three years.
The segment may be viewed at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/new-mexico-school-welcomes-families-live-across-border/.
Information from NMSU