Comstock's magazine 0919 - September 2019 | Page 91

special supplement Cristina Mendonsa is working on the third season of a hyperlocal video series about Folsom. H ers is a familiar face and voice — with good reason. For more than 20 years, Cristina Mendonsa was a re- porter and anchor for Sacramento’s ABC10. After parting with the station in 2017, the Greater Folsom Partnership approached Mendonsa to produce a hyperlocal digital news series to cover business, education, innovation, recreation and tourism in the city of Folsom. And she did. Launched in September 2017, Mendonsa hosts and produces “Fol- som Focus,” and her company, Mendonsa Media, shoots and edits it. Mendonsa, who is a morning co-host for News 93.1 KFBK, has called Folsom home for 23 years. She says the project is solely funded by Silicon Valley new media investors, and while she collaborates with the chamber on topics, she was given a lot of latitude to design the series. She’s com- pleted two seasons consisting of 30 video and 19 podcast episodes that are available on YouTube. She recently spoke with Comstock’s about the series and life in Folsom. What about “Folsom Focus” has excited you the most? From the start, “Folsom Focus” was creat- ed to inform residents. I was tasked to ask the hard questions and objectively tell sto- ries. As an example, one episode discussed the issue of homelessness in our commu- nity and examined what the city and local agencies are doing to combat the issue. The goal has always been to give residents a full picture of what the city is doing, which is why from the start I have been so excited to work on this project. What are some surprising things you have learned about Folsom in making this series? I would have to say how much global reach the city has. There are so many innovative companies here in Folsom, and those com- panies have had an incredible impact on the community, our resources and education. We’ve also seen Folsom transform into a high-tech community, with a number of Silicon Valley companies building satellite offices here in Folsom. What would you like to see changed or added in Folsom? I know our city officials consider health care a big priority and would like to see more hospitals added within city limits. Personal- ly, I am probably the most curious about the city’s growth and to see how that growth will impact the city’s development and services. What was your favorite episode to film? Several come to mind. We shot a really fun episode out at Folsom High School about a couple that runs an innovative drama pro- gram for students. Another great one was about the drones Intel developed here in Folsom that were used in the (2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea). We also did a great piece on how the city came together and gathered supplies to support the vic- tims of the Camp Fire in Paradise. What do you think makes Folsom stand out as a city? Folsom offers an abundance of innovation and recreation opportunities. We are home to some of the best biking and running trails in the country. We also have a very innova- tive chamber and elected city officials who are committed to Folsom’s growth and long- term success. … I don’t know of another city that would hire a journalist to dig into their issues without a guarantee that the results would be positive. Not only has the city been so open, they’re paying me to do this work! What influence do you think the series has had on the community? Resources in news can be scarce, which is why many people have turned to community-based news platforms for local news. Residents often send me ideas for “Folsom Focus,” and after our first season, we developed a great fanbase. People talk to me about the series all the time and have really engaged with receiving their local news via this platform. What’s next for the series? The first two seasons of “Folsom Focus” launched in the fall, so we are currently preparing for season three. Folsom is such a great place to live and a great place to tell stories. I’m excited to continue pushing this initiative forward and bring the city more “Folsom Focus” stories in the very near future.” n Christina Kiefer is a communications consul- tant and freelance writer based in Sacramento who specializes in public relations, copywrit- ing, content marketing and strategy. September 2019 | comstocksmag.com 91