Shaira Arias: The Emmy-Winning Journalist Bridging Communities in Philadelphia

When Shaira Arias steps in front of the camera each evening on Noticiero Telemundo62, she’s doing more than just delivering the news—she’s building bridges. As one of the few bilingual multimedia journalists seamlessly navigating both NBC10 and Telemundo62 in Philadelphia, Arias has carved out a unique space where language barriers dissolve and communities connect. Her journey from the bustling streets of the Bronx to earning an Emmy Award reflects a deeper story about representation, resilience, and the power of storytelling in today’s divided media landscape.

But who is the woman behind the microphone? What drives her passion for amplifying unheard voices, and how did a Dominican-American girl from New York become one of Philadelphia’s most recognizable faces in journalism?

From Bronx Roots to Broadcast Dreams

Shaira Arias was born and raised in the Bronx, New York, immersed in the vibrant tapestry of Dominican culture that shaped her worldview. Growing up in a supportive Dominican family, she witnessed firsthand the challenges immigrant communities face—language barriers, cultural disconnection, and the struggle to have their stories told authentically. These early experiences planted the seeds for what would become her life’s mission: giving voice to the voiceless.

Her path wasn’t always straightforward. Before becoming a journalist, Arias explored her heritage through an unexpected avenue—competing as a candidate for Miss Dominican Republic USA in 2014. This experience taught her invaluable lessons about public speaking, cultural pride, and connecting with diverse audiences. It was a chapter that revealed her natural ability to command attention while remaining grounded in her community’s values.

“I saw how powerful representation could be,” Arias later reflected on her pageant experience. “Seeing someone who looks like you, speaks like you, and understands your story—it changes everything.”

Education: Building the Foundation

Shaira pursued her broadcasting dreams at California State University, Fullerton, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications with a concentration in Broadcast Journalism. The West Coast campus provided her first serious training ground, but more importantly, it placed her in one of America’s most diverse media markets. Southern California’s blend of cultures, languages, and stories became her classroom beyond the classroom.

During her college years, Arias didn’t wait for opportunities—she created them. She sought internships, volunteered at local Spanish-language stations, and honed her craft by covering community events that mainstream outlets often overlooked. This hunger to learn and serve would define her entire career trajectory.

Career Timeline: From L.A. to the City of Brotherly Love

The Los Angeles Chapter (Early Career)

Shaira’s professional journey began in Los Angeles, where she worked at KMEX-TV, one of the nation’s premier Spanish-language television stations. Here, she wore multiple hats—field producer, freelance reporter, and assignment desk editor. The fast-paced environment of L.A.’s media landscape taught her to think on her feet, work under pressure, and understand the technical and editorial sides of broadcast journalism.

Working behind the scenes at the assignment desk gave Arias a strategic advantage that many on-air reporters lack. She learned to identify compelling stories before they broke, understand news cycles, and anticipate what audiences needed to know. These skills would prove invaluable as her career advanced.

WUVP-TV: Stepping Into the Spotlight

After her Los Angeles apprenticeship, Arias moved to WUVP-TV, where she served as a multimedia journalist for two years. This role marked her transition from behind-the-scenes work to on-camera reporting. As a multimedia journalist, she wasn’t just reporting—she was shooting, editing, and producing her own stories. This hands-on approach deepened her understanding of visual storytelling and gave her complete creative control over her narratives.

It was during this period that Arias began developing her signature style: compassionate, thorough reporting that centered on human experiences rather than just facts and figures.

NBC10 and Telemundo62: Finding Her Home (2020-Present)

In February 2020—just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic would upend the world—Shaira Arias joined NBC10 and Telemundo62 in Philadelphia. The timing couldn’t have been more challenging or more crucial. As the pandemic disproportionately affected Latino and immigrant communities, having a journalist who could authentically connect with these audiences became essential.

Today, Arias anchors and reports for Noticiero Telemundo62 at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m., delivering crucial news to the region’s Spanish-speaking population while also contributing stories to NBC10’s English-language broadcasts. This dual role exemplifies her unique value—she doesn’t just translate stories; she tailors them to resonate with each audience’s specific concerns and cultural context.

“I love the diversity in its residents; there are people from all over the country that live in Philadelphia,” Arias explained in a recent interview. “The stories in Philadelphia are constantly making national headlines, which challenges me every day as a journalist.”

The Emmy Award: Recognition for “Cosecha Sin Frutos”

Every journalist dreams of earning an Emmy, but few achieve it by shining light on society’s most vulnerable. In 2019, Shaira Arias received the Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Award in the Human-Interest category for “Cosecha Sin Frutos” (Fruitless Harvest), a powerful investigative piece about immigrant agricultural workers.

The story exposed the harsh realities faced by those who pick America’s crops—backbreaking labor, minimal wages, dangerous conditions, and constant fear of deportation. What made Arias’s reporting stand out wasn’t just the facts she uncovered but the humanity she captured. Viewers didn’t just learn about agricultural workers; they met them, heard their struggles, and understood their dreams.

“Cosecha Sin Frutos” represented everything Arias believes journalism should be: unflinching in its honesty, compassionate in its approach, and committed to giving voice to those society often ignores. The Emmy wasn’t just personal validation—it was proof that authentic, community-centered reporting still matters.

Arias has been nominated numerous times for her work, suggesting that her Emmy win wasn’t a fluke but rather the first of what will likely be many accolades throughout her career.

Personal Life: Balancing Passion and Purpose

Is Shaira Arias Married?

While Shaira Arias maintains a relatively private personal life, focusing public attention on her professional work rather than romantic relationships, she has not publicly disclosed information about a husband or marriage. Like many journalists who cover sensitive community stories, Arias appears to prioritize privacy around her personal relationships—a boundary many public figures maintain to protect their loved ones from unwanted scrutiny.

How Old Is Shaira Arias?

Specific details about Shaira Arias’s age and birth date haven’t been publicly disclosed, reflecting her preference to let her work speak louder than personal demographics. Based on her career timeline—graduating college, working in multiple markets, and achieving Emmy recognition—she appears to be in her 30s, at the prime of her journalistic career with decades of impactful storytelling ahead.

Height, Physical Appearance, and Heritage

Shaira Arias embodies the beauty and diversity of her Dominican heritage, though she rarely emphasizes physical attributes in her professional profile. What stands out more than any measurement is her on-camera presence—confident, warm, and approachable. She represents a generation of journalists who prioritize substance over superficiality, letting their reporting skills and community impact define them rather than appearance-based metrics.

Her Latina identity isn’t just part of her background—it’s central to her journalistic mission and the unique perspective she brings to Philadelphia’s media landscape.

Life Beyond the Camera

When she’s not chasing breaking news stories across Philadelphia, Shaira Arias lives a life rich with experiences that inform her reporting. She’s passionate about traveling, which broadens her cultural understanding and provides fresh perspectives on the communities she covers. These journeys aren’t just vacations—they’re educational experiences that deepen her empathy and global awareness.

Family remains central to Arias’s life. Those supportive Dominican relatives who encouraged her dreams continue to ground her, reminding her of the values and struggles that shaped her worldview. Spending quality time with family isn’t just personal fulfillment—it reconnects her with the immigrant experience she frequently covers in her reporting.

Shaira also dedicates time to volunteering at local community events, living out the principle that journalists should be participants in their communities, not just observers. Whether she’s attending cultural festivals, supporting youth programs, or engaging with civic organizations, Arias demonstrates that authentic journalism requires genuine community investment.

Movies provide her creative escape—a chance to see how other storytellers craft narratives and evoke emotion, skills she brings back to her own reporting.

Impact and Legacy: Building Bridges in a Divided Era

What sets Shaira Arias apart in Philadelphia’s competitive media market isn’t just her bilingual skills—it’s her philosophical approach to journalism. She views herself as a bridge builder, creating connections between English and Spanish-speaking communities that too often exist in parallel worlds, sharing geography but not understanding.

In an era when trust in media has eroded and communities feel increasingly isolated, Arias’s work matters more than ever. She doesn’t just report on Philadelphia’s Latino community for English-speaking audiences or translate English news for Spanish speakers. Instead, she finds stories that resonate across cultural lines, revealing our shared humanity beneath surface differences.

Consider her coverage of Philadelphia’s diverse neighborhoods—from the Italian Market to Kensington, from West Philadelphia to the Northeast. Arias approaches each community with curiosity and respect, finding stories that challenge stereotypes and reveal complexity. Her reporting acknowledges struggles without reducing people to their problems, celebrates achievements without ignoring ongoing challenges.

Where Is Shaira Arias Working Now?

Currently, Shaira Arias continues her work at NBC10 Philadelphia and Telemundo62, appearing nightly on Noticiero Telemundo62’s evening broadcasts at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. She also contributes bilingual reporting to NBC10’s various platforms, ensuring important stories reach the widest possible audience regardless of language preference.

Her role has evolved beyond traditional anchoring—she’s become a multimedia journalist in the truest sense, leveraging social media, digital platforms, and community engagement to meet audiences where they are. In today’s fragmented media landscape, this adaptability ensures her journalism remains relevant and accessible.

The Future: What’s Next for This Emmy Winner?

At this stage in her career, Shaira Arias has already accomplished what many journalists spend lifetimes pursuing—Emmy recognition, respected positions at major market stations, and genuine community impact. But her trajectory suggests she’s just getting started.

As newsrooms nationwide grapple with representation gaps and seek journalists who can authentically connect with diverse audiences, Arias represents the future of American broadcast journalism. Her success proves that bilingual, culturally competent reporting isn’t niche—it’s essential in a country where over 41 million people speak Spanish at home.

Future possibilities could include:

• Expanding to national network platforms
• Developing documentary projects that explore Latino experiences in greater depth
• Mentoring the next generation of bilingual journalists
• Leading diversity and inclusion initiatives in broadcast news

Whatever path she chooses, Shaira Arias has already secured her legacy as a journalist who didn’t just report the news—she expanded what the news could be and who it could serve.

Summary: Shaira Arias at a Glance

Working Alongside Excellence: Meet Her NBC10 Colleagues

Shaira Arias is part of a talented team at NBC10 Philadelphia, working alongside veteran journalists and rising stars who collectively serve the Delaware Valley. Her colleagues include anchors like Jim Rosenfield and Jacqueline London, investigative reporters such as Nefertiti Jaquez, and meteorologists like Bill Henley.

This collaborative environment allows bilingual journalists like Arias to shine while contributing to the station’s comprehensive coverage. The synergy between NBC10’s English-language team and Telemundo62’s Spanish-language broadcasts creates a unique media ecosystem that serves Philadelphia’s diverse population more effectively than siloed operations ever could.

Sources

This biography draws from verified information including:

• NBC10 Philadelphia official staff biography

• Telemundo62 official announcements

• Mid-Atlantic Emmy® Awards records (2019)

• California State University, Fullerton alumni information

• Published interviews and public statements by Shaira Arias