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Estefanía Pinto Ruiz

@estpin19

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Reportera de democracia, inmigración y comunidades rurales para @enlacelatinonc
@report4america corps member.

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Más que una corona: el certamen que busca empoderar a latinas en Carolina del Norte.

Miss Empodera-Te Latina ( @empoderate.latina333 ) busca ir más allá de la pasarela y ayudar a mujeres latinas a descubrir sus capacidades, fortalecer su confianza y celebrar sus raíces.

🔗 Lee el reporte completo de Estefanía Pinto @estpin19 haciendo clic en el enlace de nuestra bio. by @estpin19

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a month ago

Actualización profesional

Hace un mes me uní a Enlace Latino NC como Reportera de Democracia, Inmigración y Comunidades Rurales.

Este trabajo significa mucho porque me permite informar a mi gente y a mi comunidad latina, especialmente en un momento en el que tener acceso a información clara, útil y en nuestro idioma es tan necesario.

Me alegra poder ser parte de esta misión y hacerlo de la mano del equipo de periodistas de Enlace Latino NC, que comparte ese mismo compromiso con nuestras comunidades.

Career Update

A month ago, I joined Enlace Latino NC as a Democracy, Immigration, and Rural Communities Reporter.

This work means a lot to me because it gives me the opportunity to inform and serve my people and the Latino community, especially at a time when access to clear, useful information in our language is so important.

I’m grateful to be part of this mission and to do this work alongside the team of journalists at Enlace Latino NC, who share the same commitment to our communities.

@enlacelatinonc @report4america by @estpin19

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a month ago

I just realized that today—the Fourth of July—was my last day reporting in the field in the Quad Cities.

I couldn't have asked for a more meaningful way to say goodbye than covering a day that brings this community together.

Two years ago, I arrived here without any ties to this place. Today, I'm leaving with countless memories, lifelong friendships, and a heart full of gratitude.

It has been an incredible honor to serve this community as a local news reporter. I've shared in your celebrations, your heartbreaks, and your everyday moments. That's the beauty of local news—our audience isn't just viewers; they're our neighbors.

Today, I cried a little. But I guess if you cry, it's because something truly mattered. And these past two years have meant more to me than I can put into words.

Thank you to everyone who welcomed me into your homes—through your TV screens and by opening your front doors to share your stories with me. Some of you even invited me to spend the holidays with your families after only just meeting me. That kindness is something I'll carry with me forever.

Thank you for trusting me with your stories. Thank you for letting me be part of your lives.

I'm leaving the Quad Cities with a full heart, unforgettable memories, and endless gratitude.

It has truly been the honor of a lifetime. ❤️ by @estpin19

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3 months ago

About half of grain-bin accidents are still fatal.

After losing his father in a grain-bin accident, Cory Ritter is sharing his family's story in hopes of helping other farmers stay safe.

"He always told me the job will get done. The important thing is to come home to your family every night."

Tap the link in our bio to read the full story and learn more about grain-bin safety. by @estpin19

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4 months ago

A while back, I learned that I had received an honorable mention for my journalism work. Recently, I received it in the mail, and I wasn’t expecting it at all. At first, I wanted this post to simply be about how happy and proud I felt.

But with everything happening lately to immigrant communities, I don’t want to stay silent.

I am from Colombia. I am an immigrant, a green card holder, and a journalist. I have lived in this country for almost 10 years.

Immigrants are hardworking people. We contribute. We sacrifice. We leave behind countries, families, cultures, and everything familiar in search of opportunity and a future.

People often talk about immigrants as if we are taking something from this country. But the immigrants I know — whether they are living here legally or without legal permission — are working hard every day and contributing to their communities and this country.

At the same time, we are often doubted. Our skills are questioned. Our accents are judged. Our worth is debated by people who do not know our stories.

This honorable mention means so much to me because I earned it as a Colombian immigrant, writing in my non-native language, early in my journalism career, on a complex environmental topic.

Yet I was able to earn this recognition while still learning, adapting, and navigating spaces where people underestimated me simply because they were not used to someone like me.

And I wrote this story for American farmers — no matter their politics or beliefs — because they were experiencing injustices, and it was the right thing to do.

A Latina immigrant did that for you.

So I hope people can see who immigrants really are. Even while many of us are being judged or pushed away, we are still showing up and doing what is right.

And I hope the people seeing what is happening to immigrants choose to speak up too — not because of politics, but simply because it is the right thing to do.

This is who immigrants are. We are not taking from this country. We are giving so much to it. by @estpin19

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4 months ago

Today, I received the news that I earned an honorable mention in the news category from the North American Agricultural Journalists for my story, “Pesticide manufacturers ask lawmakers for immunity from lawsuits by sick farmers.”

Thank you to the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk and to my editor, Irina Zhorov, for their support in covering this story, and to all my sources who helped build it. I am especially grateful to Ray and Margarette Bickel for sharing their story.

I am so honored to receive this recognition and very grateful for the opportunity to cover the farming community and to be an agricultural reporter.

Story at the link in bio or here: https://www.kwqc.com/2025/05/21/pesticide-manufacturers-ask-lawmakers-immunity-lawsuits-by-sick-farmers/

@agwaterdesk @report4america by @estpin19

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6 months ago

@estpin19 @report4america reports

Link in bio. by @estpin19

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9 months ago

Experts from Iowa State University say weather events in the state, like the Derecho in 2020, are causing insurance companies to raise prices and, in some cases, leave Iowa altogether.

@estpin19 @report4america reports

LINK IN BIO. by @estpin19

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9 months ago

I grew up in Bogotá, Colombia — a metropolis of 8 million people — and I didn’t know much about farming. But life has its twists and turns and brought me to Iowa, and after a year and a half covering agriculture and talking to farmers, I’ve come to see the hard work farmers put in to feed all of us.

It’s essential work, yet it comes with countless stressors — most of them completely out of their control: weather, markets, prices, isolation. And still, farmers often don’t receive the recognition they deserve. This past year and a half has shown me how important it is to highlight their stories and acknowledge the weight they carry.

Support your local farmer. Thank them for their service — just as we do with the military — because they put everything on the line to feed us.

I feel so honored to be a journalist and to have the opportunity to give back to the community and contribute in my own small way.

This Farmers and Mental Health story exists thanks to Emma and the legacy of her father, Tim, who died by suicide. His experience reflects the difficult realities many farmers face, including the high suicide rates in rural communities. Emma’s courage in sharing their story helps shed light on these challenges and opens the door to necessary conversations about mental health in agriculture.

📖 Read the full story at the link in my bio. by @estpin19

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10 months ago

As farmers face historic headwinds and market hardships, calls to the national Farm Aid hotline and the Iowa Concern hotline — where farmers can get support in times of mental health crisis or need — are increasing.

This fall the Iowa Concern hotline saw four to five times the number of calls it had in the same months last year, said Tammy Jacobs, the hotline’s manager.

The Farm Aid hotline is also seeing a change in the urgency of calls.

"We're seeing more established farmers calling in — people who know how to play the game and how to access programs. They're calling more often now, because even with all that institutional knowledge, they're still running into issues for the first time that are more complex and difficult to solve," said Lori Mercer, a Farm Aid hotline operator. “The system that's in place is simply letting them down. There's just no further safety net."

Research shows farmers die by suicide at least twice as often as people in the general population, so there’s urgency to address the uptick in need.

New reporting from Estefanía Pinto Ruiz and @kwqcnews at the link in bio.

Farmers can reach out to the 988 Lifeline or 1-800-FARM-AID for help. Help is also available in Spanish. The Iowa Concern hotline is available 24/7 via chat, email, call, or text at 800-447-1985.

Image 1: Tim Yerkey with his daughters Emma (baby), Claire (on top step), and Allison Yerkey (on bottom step) at their family farm. Photo courtesy: Emma Yerkey

Image 2: Emma Yerkey and her dad, Tim Yerkey, with the ribbon-winning calf they raised together. Photo courtesy: Emma Yerkey by @estpin19

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10 months ago

One of the best things about being an environmental reporter? The constant contact with animals 💚
Meet Tubbs — a tiger salamander at the Environmental Center in Muscatine, Iowa! He’s Iowa’s most common salamander, found throughout the state.
And to everyone out there: find a partner who looks at you and makes you smile like Tubbs does — it’ll be a win! 🤣 taken in Environmental Learning Center by @estpin19

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a year ago

The Mississippi River stretches 2,400 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Every year, a handful of paddlers take on the full journey, which starts with pristine waters at the headwaters, navigating pollution, barges and the possibility for close encounters with wildlife.

For some, like Shawn Hamerlinck, it’s a personal test of endurance and a chance to connect with nature. For others, like the five friends of the Drift South Expedition, it’s a way to conduct citizen science, raise awareness, and inspire change.

Read more of their stories from @estpin19 at @kwqcnews through the link in our bio.

📸#1: Five friends – from left to right, David Collison, Coby Bassin, Trevor Dralle, Charles Lampman, and Morgan Skinner – just started on their paddle down the Mississippi River. They’ll be doing citizen science, education and fundraising along the way. (Photo courtesy of Morgan Skinner)

📸#2: After paddling 12 to 14 hours a day, Shawn Hamerlinck spent his nights in his tent, watching sunsets. For him, the connection to nature made the journey worth it. (Photo courtesy of Shawn Hamerlinck) by @estpin19

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a year ago