Posted by Laura Castaneda

Written by: Anthony Millican

Nearly 25 years after stepping away from daily journalism, I’m reconnecting with my roots—this time as an independent journalist. A former reporter at three major daily newspapers, I recently attended the 2025 NAHJ Conference in Chicago, which felt both like an industry homecoming and a professional reset.

Journalism has changed so much since I was chasing stories with a notepad and a tight deadline. Digital now touches everything. Fortunately, my time in public relations, advertising, and marketing has added photography, scriptwriting, video, and other skills to my toolkit—all of which are essential in modern journalism. I’ve also realized that news organizations and reporters often don’t do enough to market themselves, or to underscore the importance of their work. There’s a reason the First Amendment came first: a free press is critical to our democracy.

The NAHJ conference was a valuable opportunity for professional growth and creative renewal. My favorite sessions were From Surviving to Thriving as a Freelancer and The Art of the Interview—both featured amazing panelists who shared meaningful, practical insights.

I’ll admit, I felt some initial nerves about attending. Newspapers were king when I first entered the field as a reporter at the Los Angeles Times, and later at the Orlando Sentinel and San Diego Union-Tribune. Back then, I was often the youngest person in the newsroom. Today, so few of the journalists I knew from those days are still in the business. Even my primary mentoring organization, the California Chicano News Media Association (CCNMA), has undergone significant changes. I suppose sweeping change was inevitable given the explosive growth of the internet and social media.

But the energy, talent, and sense of purpose in the rooms at NAHJ were incredibly encouraging—even as I was reminded how much tougher it is today to be a Latinx journalist. That, too, was a shock.

The through line of my career has always been writing—that’s still what I enjoy most. Currently working in strategic communications, I’m excited to sharpen old skills, build new ones, and return to storytelling—this time with a digital edge. Always a writer, always sharpening the saw.

(Editor’s note: Anthony Millican is a former reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Orlando Sentinel, and San Diego Union-Tribune. He was a longtime member of CCNMA San Diego. He currently works in strategic communications in San Diego and is exploring a return to journalism as a freelance and independent storyteller.)