marcus cocova

DOCUMENTARIAN & MULTIMEDIA JOURNALIST

I began my work in journalism as the photo editor for Riverside Community College’s Viewpoints newspaper. I received Associate degrees in journalism, photography, and theater arts.

After transferring to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, I earned a Bachelor’s degree of science in journalism with minors in photo/video and environmental studies. As a digital manager for Mustang Media Group, I discovered my love for broadcast and digital journalism with KCPR, MNTV, and Mustang News.

I went directly to Emerson College, Boston, after completing my undergraduate study where I earned my Master’s degree of arts in journalism. I founded and managed Emerson College’s first graduate journalism publication, Intrepid Magazine, and acted as the publication’s editor-in-chief. I continued my work in multimedia journalism with The Berkeley Beacon as the multimedia managing editor.

Following graduate school, I moved from Boston, MA to Colorado Springs, CO where I worked for KOAA as a broadcast producer and digital content producer. In these roles I would regularly turn human interest/feature stories.

For 24 years, I lived an hour outside of Los Angeles, CA, in the Inland Empire, where my love for diversity and the working class was fostered by the community I was immersed in. As someone from a low-income background, I believe it is more important than ever to diversify newsroom perspectives by remaining open about where I have come from in the journalism spaces I now fill.

When I am not putting together stories for Q2, I am working on other journalism passion projects, documentary photography, and filmmaking. I collect films, records, comics, and books. I also enjoy all things labeled “conventionally reckless” like getting tattoos, riding motorcycles, and recreational shooting.

I aspire to be like journalists Anthony Bourdain, Hunter S. Thompson, and Gordon Parks.