COLORLINES - Jorge Rivas

Jorge Rivas

Multimedia Editor / Pop Culture Blogger
Los Angeles, CA

Jorge Rivas is multimedia editor and pop culture blogger for Colorlines.com. A firm believer in the power of visual communications to inform and move people into action, Jorge uses multimedia presentations to help readers build stronger connections to stories. Jorge has covered the public housing crisis in a post-Katrina New Orleans, the effects of deportation on families, and brought live images of the President Obama's inauguration to Colorlines.com readers.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jorge started in broadcast as an intern at the age of 16 and since worked in the entertainment industry and on international advertising campaigns. Jorge received his B.A. in Raza Studies from San Francisco State University where he studied immigration, healthcare perspectives and the interrelationship of culture, community, and the internet. Prior to joining Applied Research Center (ARC) and Colorlines.com in 2005, Rivas worked on a living wage campaign in Brooklyn, NY through the Minority Activist Apprenticeship Program (MAAP).

Jorge uses his media and ethnic studies background to deconstruct representation of people of color in pop culture, illustrating how pop culture can shape opinions, perceptions and even public policy. Jorge's work has appeared on Elle.com, Essence.com, Racialicious, The Root, Alternet, and Feministing.

Check out Jorge's media appearances here.

Follow Jorge on Twitter at @thisisjorge.

Rush Limbaugh Is Out of National Advertisers for Next Two Weeks

by Jorge Rivas on March 14 2012, 8:30AM

It’s been close to two weeks since Rush Limbaugh called Sandra Fluke a “slut” and the controversy isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Topics: /NOW Blog, Politics

After 20 Years SXSW Finally Gets First Official Latino Event

by Jorge Rivas on March 13 2012, 7:10PM

Throughout the history of South by Southwest Latinos have organized unofficial “meet ups” to convene but after twenty years Latinos finally got an official event at SXSW.

Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog

ACLU Sues School that Outed Native Teen’s Pregnancy

by Jorge Rivas on March 13 2012, 2:59PM

The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of New Mexico filed a lawsuit last week behalf of Shantelle Hicks, 15, who was initially kicked out of middle school and then publicly humiliated at an assembly by the school director because she was pregnant.

Topics: Gender & Sexuality, /NOW Blog

98 Major Advertisers Say No to Limbaugh and Other Right Wing Radio Shows

by Jorge Rivas on March 13 2012, 11:17AM

Afraid of potential controversies corporations are pulling out of any show that could potentially spark controversy.

Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog

Campaign Uses Homeless Katrina Survivor as Wi-Fi Hotspot at SXSW

by Jorge Rivas on March 12 2012, 3:30PM

Meet Clarence. He’s homeless and selling wi-fi outside of the bigguest internet innovation conference but doesn’t have access to the internet himself.

Topics: Economy, /NOW Blog

Colorlines.com & ColorOfChange.org Meetup in Austin for SXSW [Photos]

by Jorge Rivas on March 12 2012, 12:42PM

Colorlines.com and ColorOfChange.org host meet and greet in Austin!

Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog

‘Nutella Face Paint’ That’s What MTV Calls Blackface Incident on ‘Battle of the Exes’ [Video]

by Jorge Rivas on March 8 2012, 4:36PM

On Wednesday night’s episode of the MTV reality challenge show “Battle Of The Exes” the last black contestant almost went home not because he lost a challenge but because his own teammate/ex-girlfriend mocked him with “one of the most offensive pranks” in MTV Challenge history

Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog

As Election 2012 Nears, Hate Groups at Record High

by Jorge Rivas on March 8 2012, 10:43AM

For the third year in a row, the American radical right expands dramatically, led by the antigovernment ‘Patriot’ movement.

Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog

Child Sex Abuse Reported at Shelter for Undocumented Youth

by Jorge Rivas on March 8 2012, 9:52AM

A former case manager at a shelter for undocumented youth caught crossing the border by themselves is being accused of sexually abusing six teenagers while he was supervising calls they made to relatives in Central America.

Topics: Immigration, /NOW Blog, Schools & Youth

Love for the 92-Year Old Lakota Grandma Who Stood in Front of Keystone Pipeline Trucks

by Jorge Rivas on March 7 2012, 6:43PM

One of the women who stood in front and blocked the giant big rigs carrying Keystone XL pipeline was a 92-year-old grandmother.

Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog

MPAA Says No to Teen Who Delivered 200k Signatures to Change ‘Bully’ Rating

by Jorge Rivas on March 7 2012, 6:23PM

Katy Butler, a 16-year old from Ann Arbor, Mich., delivered more than 200,000 signatures to the Motion Picture Association of America on Wednesday urging them to change the rating of the documentary “Bully” to PG-13 so more young people can see it.

Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog

Rush Limbaugh Loses 42 Advertisers, Says ‘Everything’s Cool’

by Jorge Rivas on March 7 2012, 5:40PM

According to ABC News Limbaugh has lost 42 advertisers but he told his listeners today that “everything’s cool,” that those advertisers have little if any impact on the show’s revenues.

Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog

New York’s WNBC is Getting Rid of Anchorwoman Sue Simmons After 32 years

by Jorge Rivas on March 7 2012, 4:51PM

After more than three decades, NBC’s New York affiliate WNBC/Channel 4 is getting rid of anchorwoman Sue Simmons.

Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog

Atheists in Pennsylvania Use Slavery Image for Billboard

by Jorge Rivas on March 7 2012, 4:30PM

A billboard portraying a black man with a metal collar around his neck has sparked controversy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, according to PennLive.com

Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog

Steve Jobs’ Widow Has Supported the DREAM Act for Years

by Jorge Rivas on March 7 2012, 4:14PM

The wife of the late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs has been a supporter of the DREAM Act for years.

Topics: Immigration, /NOW Blog, Schools & Youth

Dollar Shave Club Video Goes Viral with an Awkward Former Unemployed Latina Moment

by Jorge Rivas on March 7 2012, 2:41PM

This Dollar Shave Club commercial (that takes confidence cues from the Old Spice man) had me until they introduced Alejandra.

Topics: Arts & Culture, /NOW Blog

Petition Demands Timecard Data for Apple Employees Who Made New iPad

by Jorge Rivas on March 7 2012, 1:49PM

Almost all of the 30 million iPads sold last year were manufactured overseas and a consumer watchdog isn’t convinced Apple is doing everything they can to improve labor conditions in those factories.

Topics: Economy, /NOW Blog