Jazmín Aguilera to join the L.A. Times as head of audio
The following announcement was sent on behalf of Managing Editor Shani Hilton:
I’m thrilled to announce that Jazmín Aguilera will be joining the Los Angeles Times in the role of head of audio.
We all know that The Times has made powerful, addictive podcasts, from deep narratives to smart and chatty interviews, and Aguilera will take us further. She describes herself as a “creative pragmatist” and blew all of us away with her blend of get-it-done spirit and out-of-the-box thinking. What I loved in meeting her is that she’s people-first; you simply cannot make great work without taking care of the colleagues who do the work.
A native of Santa Cruz, Aguilera developed her creativity, empathy and curiosity among the city’s celebrated buskers and eccentrics. At home, she competes with her STEM-centered family of rocket scientists and engineers, only to astonish them with her ambition, tenacity and success. Her imagination stays boundless, but she has a knack for crafting order from chaos. She has been described by former colleagues as “if a supercomputer and duct tape had a baby” and one of “the most generous and effective leaders.”
Aguilera starts Nov. 29.
Most recently, Aguilera hosted and produced “The Cut” at New York Magazine, where she created unique yet relatable episodes on pandemic weight gain, post-vaccination debauchery and the transferable life skills in professional poker. Before that, she worked as interim executive and senior producer at Conde Nast, developing, producing and scoring podcasts for magazines including Vogue and Pitchfork. She also worked at the New York Times, making episodes for “The Daily,” and at the beloved long-running show “Snap Judgment” as a producer. She is a two-time Third Coast Audio Festival competition winner, earning both gold in 2018 and silver in 2019 in documentary. She is an International Women’s Media Fund Grant winner and has earned top ranks on the best podcast episodes of the year lists from IndieWire and Spotify.
Aguilera’s assignment will be to help our daily news show, “The Times,” continue to grow and to support the amazing work of our producers, editors and reporters. She’ll also develop new shows, collaborate with outside partners and talent and find ways to amplify our work in audio. For those of you who have been pitching podcasts these last few months, and for those of you who have been thinking about pitching podcasts, Aguilera will be a powerful partner.
I couldn’t be happier to bring aboard someone who so deeply understands the podcast landscape, California and the audiences we want to reach most.
