Meet Graciela Ibáñez: A Veteran Journalist Covering The Intersection Of Faith And Culture
Journalist Graciela Ibáñez can spot a story anywhere — and often, they are hidden in plain sight.
In a recent feature story for Religion Unplugged, she recounted the evolving history and modern struggles of a prominent church in La Paz, Bolivia, founded in 1549, centuries before the country fought for and gained independence from Spain.
The building bore scars from wartime occupations, extensions built during its host city's heyday, and graffiti from modern-day vandalism. San Francisco church is both a witness to the history of the city and an institution still shaping its neighbors' lives and identities.
It’s a story that is familiar to cities and communities around the world. Religious institutions, including their buildings, leaders, beliefs, practices and rituals, fundamentally shape communities and their cultures — and Ibáñez wants to document it all.
The veteran reporter and journalism professor covers Chile and the surrounding regions for foreign media outlets. Recent articles for Religion Unplugged included articles about the Catholic Church’s role as a political mediator in Bolivia; minority Sufi muslims' preparations for Ramadan in Chile; and on an overseas trip, she brought back stories of a concert for peace in Gaza.
“Religion Unplugged covers religions around the globe, giving you a broader view of faith,” she said. “In my reporting, I look for religion in art, culture and politics. Religion is more present in our lives than we sometimes think, and it can change our decisions.”
Before writing her news articles, Ibáñez interviews locals, experts, and other stakeholders to understand the story's angles and perspectives and the deeper history behind current events. This often means traveling to the story's location and spending hours conducting background research.
She then carefully writes each story, relying on the facts she has learned, and crafts it so that readers outside the region can readily understand and appreciate the complex interactions among religion, government, and culture.
This in-depth reporting takes time and money. Religion Unplugged is proud to publish articles by such skilled reporters as Ibáñez, but we need your help to continue this work. Please consider donating to our NewsMatch fund.
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Cassidy Grom is the managing editor of Religion Unplugged. Her award-winning reporting and digital design work have appeared in numerous publications.