Miguel Gutierrez Jr. is a multimedia producer and photojournalist with a passion for visual journalism. Holding a double M.A. in Journalism and Latin American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. in Latino Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Miguel has developed a diverse multimedia skill set in photography, video production and illustration.

Before joining CalMatters, Miguel was photo editor at the Texas Tribune in Austin, Texas. While there, Miguel traveled to the Texas-Mexico border to cover the migrant caravans, visited migrant shelters in Reynosa, Nuevo Laredo, Monterey, and traveled to Guatemala to cover the effect of President Trump’s immigration policies. During the height of the COVID pandemic, Miguel followed “last responders” and first responders in the Rio Grande Valley, and was present at the protests against police brutality and the death of George Floyd.

While at CalMatters, Miguel traveled to Utah, Arizona and Tecate, Mexico to help report how California exports its toxic waste to locations with less regulations. He’s also traveled to Northern California to note the effects that increasing electricity rates are having on average Californians. Miguel has also produced illustrations for CalMatters stories where photographs couldn’t capture the complexities of the stories being reported. Miguel has been instrumental in the production of the CalMatters voter guide. He’s produced proposition explainer videos, candidate videos and worked with illustrators to craft designs for the voter guide pages in 2022 and 2024.
Originally from Chicago, Miguel is currently located in Sacramento, California. The proud son of Mexican immigrant parents, he’s a first-generation college graduate. In his spare time, he photographs often, rides motorcycles and drinks way too much coffee.