Samanta (no “h”) Helou Hernandez is a bilingual freelance multimedia journalist, photographer, and producer covering culture, identity, gentrification, and gender issues. She is published in the LA Times, Playboy, KPCC, and Curbed LA, among others. 

This year, Samanta launched Making A Neighborhood, a weekly newsletter about what it means to make a neighborhood, which she runs with Ali Rachel Pearl and J.T. The L.A. Storyteller. The project was profiled by Gustavo Arellano in the LA times.

In 2017, she created @ThisSideofHoover, an on-going visual archive of gentrification and resilience in East Hollywood. The project was featured in L.A. Taco , Hyperallergic, and at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

She’s worked as an associate producer for: Tremolo, Morgan Neville’s company, where she spearheaded research on two docuseries; and A Woman’s Work: The NFL’s Cheerleader Problem a feature documentary about wage theft in NFL cheerleading that premiered at Tribeca in 2019.

Samanta is an IWMF fellow and holds an M.A. in Journalism from USC. Her multimedia thesis explored the historical significance of the downtown LA bar “La Cita” under the close guidance of MacArthur Fellow and professor Josh Kun. 

Her photography has been exhibited at the International Center of Photography in New York City, Grand Park LA, and the Mexican Consulate’s Dual Vision: 35 Artists Under 35.

She is available for assignments and production opportunities. You can contact her via email or probably find her dancing cumbia at La Cita.

Email: samantahelou@gmail.com

Photography clients: LA Times, LA Times IMAGE Magazine, Eater, KPCC, KCRW, KCET, Hyperallergic, San Cha, Doris Anahi, James Irvine Foundation, Color of Change, Civic Nation.