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Redefining Media

Mike Madriaga is an award-winning multimedia journalist who has created content for various media outlets, including newspapers, television, magazines, radio stations, and blogs.

Mike is a writer, photographer, videographer, reporter, social-media editor, and video editor. In 2017-2021, his Mike Madriaga byline was attributed to over 400 articles worldwide.

With society’s demand for instant gratification at its fingertips, Mike has the knowledge and experience to document an event or subject and create a professional and timely multimedia package for your audience.

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Lil Maru wants his own Beatlemania

“Lil Maru” Macias is among the most lit rappers in San Diego — at least, judging by the 19-year-old’s social media. A combination of melodic rapping, singing, and mumbling has pulled the hip-hop artist some staggering internet numbers: as this piece goes to print, his TikTok vids have earned over 12 million plays. “After TikTok, […]

2 months ago

Jeepney Guy rolls around the Valley serving flavors of the Philippines

When metro Phoenix residents hear of Filipino food, most think of lumpia, pancit, adobo and lechon — traditional Filipino fare. But chef Dennis Villafranca refers to his creations as atypical, not because he serves obscure dishes from his family’s homeland of the Philippines, but due to his unique style of cooking. “Traditionalists comment and say I’m […]

2 months ago

Dine on Dim Sum this Lunar New Year at a Classic Chinese Restaurant in Metro Phoenix

One of the largest and oldest traditional holidays in China is the Lunar New Year, which this year starts on January 22. The first day of the celebration varies from year to year, depending on when the moon lines up with the sun and the Earth. After that, the festivities go on for 15 days. […]

2 months ago

El Cajon license plate cameras nab 18 in August

On September 7, the El Cajon Police Department received an automated license plate recognition notice of a stolen 2016 Hyundai Sonata by Mollison Avenue and Chase Avenue. The officers in the vicinity spotted and stopped the vehicle driven by a 17-year-old male on probation for auto theft. The day before, the police received similar notices […]

3 months ago

Are wheelies a problem in San Diego?

On August 12, a motorcyclist popped a wheelie on the I-5 freeway heading northbound, then wiped out and fell to the pavement feet away from a fast-moving car — as depicted on an Instagram video uploaded by @sandiegoville. The California Highway Patrol commented about the Friday afternoon motorcycle crash, relayed by 619newsmedia. “It occurred around 3:40 p.m. […]

3 months ago

Still raves under San Diego freeways

On August 13, ravers took to the TikTok platform to post about a recent underground rave in town. An underground rave is an illegal electronic dance music (EDM) party. While the location on the video posts was undisclosed, the partygoers, who looked as if they were in their teens and 20s, accessed the rave via […]

4 months ago

North County homeowners try everything to keep fire insurance

Steve Sedio noticed a few brush fires in his Valley Center area in the last three weeks. “We did have one fire that alerted us quickly because it was very close to my [PurpleAir] sensor,” he said. “It was even closer to the CalFire Valley Center Fire Station on Vesper.” Then, according to fire officials, there […]

4 months ago

Golden Hill ring camera finds pet-sitters not honest

Caryn White of Point Loma was heading to a concert recently, she hopped online to find a dog sitter for her four-month-old puppy. “I was only going to be gone for four to five hours,” she told me on July 16. White requested the dog sitter to remain in her house as the puppy was […]

5 months ago

Marble guerrillas invade San Diego

Shooting marbles nowadays is not the same as when we’d flick them at our opponents’ marbles in the 1980s. Nowadays, glass-marble play is for more than keeps. Throughout June, local vandals shot marbles at car windows and businesses around San Diego County – leaving a trail of shattered glass and thousands of dollars in damage. […]

5 months ago

This Chandler ramen restaurant now serves a taste of Hawaii

“Hoomaka hou” means new beginnings in the Hawaiian language and represents chef Turbo Zha’s quest at Hawaiian BBQ Nishikawa Ramen in Chandler. Zha moved to the metro Phoenix area last year from Hawaii and is bringing a taste of the islands and his heritage to the Valley. “I stayed on the Big Island, Maui, and Oahu for 13 […]

6 months ago

No limit to College and Rolando spring break ragers?

Urinating students, pounding-bass music, snarky comebacks, and matching green thongs by SDSU were the last few straws pushing College and Rolando neighbors — many fellow SDSU alums — over the edge. College-area resident Cindy Sonboleh lives near a frat house. “The partying has gotten worse,” she told me over the weekend. “I looked out my […]

8 months ago

Is a closed O.B. Pier such a bad thing?

San Diego lifeguards locked up the partly damaged Ocean Beach Pier due to safety concerns when the January waves destroyed its railing. Now, locals say, people keep cutting the locks and opening the gates leading into the pier. “This is the fourth time this has happened,” local Jim Grant said. “Not exactly sure what the […]

9 months ago

January near misses in Tourmaline, Windansea, Sunset Cliffs surf

Last month, San Diego’s gnarly surf kept lifeguards busy towards the tail end of January. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department lifeguards even helped rescue folks from a plane that landed on the surf. On January 19, before 8 am, Dan Schade was walking by South Carlsbad State Beach when “a plane passed me along the […]

10 months ago

Where Weed and Wrestling Meet

By Mike Madriaga Pro wrestler “Grand Slam” Watson was on a good trip at the recent Cannaval music festival and cannabis expo at the Phoenix Events & Entertainment Complex. Not because the Phoenix-raised 5-foot-11, 205-pound Arizona Wrestling Federation (AWF) Tag Team champion just smoked a fat blunt. But because reality had just kicked in. “I’ve […]

1 year ago

Study: Pot Draws More Than Booze in 2021 Tax Revenue for Arizona

By Mike Madriaga Last year, Arizonans spent more money in sales tax on pot than booze, a new study shows. In 2021, adult-use cannabis excise taxes in Arizona reeled in $105 million, surpassing alcohol excise taxes of $92 million, according to an Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) report. ITEP, a nonpartisan and nonprofit […]

2 years ago

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