Hope Muñoz

Hope Muñoz is a reporter at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism (2025-2027) and a summer 2026 editorial intern at Berkeleyside. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors from the University of Colorado Boulder in May of 2024. She has a Bachelor of Journalism degree with a Minor in Communication.

Hello! I’m Hope Muñoz, a journalist who is passionate about environmental reporting. In addition to writing, I’ve also done photography for multiple news outlets and class assignments. I am interested in covering a range of beats from local politics to arts and culture to education. Over the past few years, have reported in newsrooms in Colorado, New Mexico and California. I am originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico and transferred to CU Boulder in 2022. I stayed an extra year after graduating because of my love for the Rocky Mountains. Then, I made my way west and am currently attending UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism.

I consider myself a highly motivated and resilient individual who is always up for a challenge. My journalism career began at the University of New Mexico in 2020, the height of the pandemic. I was working full-time and lacked outside support. I always wanted to go to school out of state, but my dreams felt out of reach. Rather than give up, I took a chance and applied to the University of Colorado Boulder. Looking back, leaving my comfort zone was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The personal and professional experiences I had in Boulder are invaluable.

So, why journalism? We live in a constantly evolving media landscape, and some argue that anyone can be a journalist. While traditional journalism formats evolve, I’d argue that the need for reliable journalism now, more than ever before. Social media allows misinformation to spread like wildfire. Although we are in a new age, the issue of misinformation is not a new one. In school, we often spoke about the 1938 radio show, 'War of the Worlds,' which, in short, caused unintentional nationwide panic as listeners thought a Martian invasion had taken place. I bring this up because it shows the power of media. And with great power comes great responsibility and ethical dilemmas.

If you’re reading this, I would love to schedule a chat! As a student, I am proud of my accomplishments, but I also am open to feedback, constructive criticism, advice, and discussion with seasoned reporters — I am always trying to level up by working on my personal and professional attributes. I am currently looking for professional opportunities part-time during the 2026-27 school year, and full-time beyond. It’s an absolute dream to land a full-time reporting role.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! I hope we can talk soon.

-Hope Muñoz