“I fell in love with broadcasting when I was 14,” said KJZZ Senior Field Correspondent Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez.

Arroyo Rodriguez was born in Puerto Rico to Puerto Rican and Belgian parents and grew up in La Villita, a predominantly Mexican-American community in Southside Chicago. The multi-cultural childhood helped her realize early on that “Latino” is not a universal term and has different meanings for the people who are often placed under this category. Her command for the Spanish language; however, gave her the means to immerse herself into a variety of “Latino” communities.

While her reporting career has taken several twists and turns over the years, her work over the last few has primarily focused on issues that affect Arizona’s Latino communities.  She began sharing her expertise with KJZZ listeners in 2008.

Arroyo Rodriguez embarked on her reporting career as a student of the Columbia College Chicago journalism program. After graduating in 1993 with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism, she remained in the city and became a general assignment reporter for Tribune Company’s Chicago and Television News, Univision affiliate WCIU-TV Channel 26 and WYCC-TV. One of her most memorable and exciting assignments to date was covering the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections.

Public broadcasting lured Arroyo Rodriguez away from her commercial reporting career due to time - time to research, to let stories unfold, to investigate and to share the story behind the headlines. 

When she and her family decided to move to Arizona, she found a home with Eight, Arizona PBS as a television producer and correspondent for the public affairs programs, Arizona Horizon and Horizonte.  

There’s more to life than reporting for Arroyo Rodriguez, who takes her public service duties very seriously as well.  She has served several departments of the City of Chicago, was appointed to the Chicago Mayor’s Advisory Council on Latino Affairs and served for a U.S. congressional district. She is now serving as the National Association of Hispanic Journalists Region 7 Director.

Paying it forward is important to Arroyo Rodriguez, evident in her mentoring of several KJZZ’s Youth Media students. Take a look at this YouTube video to learn more.

Life-long learning is also a priority for Arroyo Rodriguez, who recently attained a Master of Education from Northern Arizona University and is currently pursuing a Master of Advanced Study in American Film and Media Studies from Arizona State University.

As a sports fan, too, Arroyo Rodriguez was the Vice President of Community Outreach for the 2008 Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee.  Yes, she is still a die-hard Chicago Bears fan.

While her career and extracurricular activities keep her busy, the biggest priority of all for Arroyo Rodriguez is family and home.   

Contact Nadine Arroyo Rodriguez at 480-774-8232 or nar@rioradio.org.