34 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 12-18, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com FACE TO FACE If you watch television news in Spanish, you know Adriana Frederick Sutton. Reportedly the only reporter covering Monterey County in Spanish full time, she must be here, there and everywhere stories happen—in neighboring counties, as well. The award-winning journalist came to Central Coast’s Univision in 2002 following stints on public radio in Chico, the Sacramento newspaper El Hispano, as well as the capital’s Univision station and Telemundo in San Jose. A native of Bogotá, Colombia, Frederick Sutton studied at Universidad Externado de Colombia, earning a degree in journalism, although she considered courses in psychology—briefly. “But—hmm—I think there’s something else,” she recalls thinking. Frederick Sutton’s husband, real estate attorney Dean Sutton, also has a media presence, hosting a radio program “Law of the Land.” More importantly, she says, “He’s my number-one fan.” Weekly: You say your husband is your biggest fan, but can you walk into a grocery store without being noticed? Frederick Sutton: Sometimes I try no makeup or a ponytail, but people will say, “You’re on television.” This is who I am. Ultimately, I’m so glad they recognize me. It’s very flattering. It’s not a glamorous job. I’m just the face of the story. It’s journalism—not glamorous. When I started it was high heels and makeup. I had a photographer. He carried the camera and tripod. There was an assignment desk. They told you what you were covering that day. Now I carry the camera. It’s a one-person show. That has been the biggest change. But I always wanted to do my own thing. I choose the stories, I do the interviews, I edit. I’m makeup, driver—everything. I go to Paso Robles, to Santa Maria. The communities, they feel represented. Limited resources, big coverage. Do you sing in the car? Oh, yes. I have XM radio, ’80s and Latin music. But I also call my sisters and friends. Driving is my time to connect. I use my time wisely. Is it a burden to cover such a large area? I wouldn’t call it that. It’s a responsibility. I don’t do this because it’s a job. I do this because it’s kind of a mission. Spanish-speaking communities sometimes don’t get the information they need. I get them the information. I give them a voice. There was a student from Monterey High that had a challenging youth. Now he’s going to Princeton. You can overcome things. I like stories of success. But my favorite stories expose injustices. We keep the community informed. Immigration, education— people need to know that there are resources. It’s important to cover all of that. It has an impact on my community. I really love what I do. What’s a typical day like? I wake up at 6 in the morning. I have a husband and a dog. I take care of breakfast, of the house—all of that. At 9am I start doing interviews. Believe me, I get 50 emails a day. I can’t cover all the stories. It’s the ones that have the most impact. We cover breaking news, yes. But what affects the community? I’m at it from 8am to 4:30pm, then I disconnect for a couple of hours. I come back to the office to post stories to the internet. A reporter is not 8-to-5. In your time off, you...? Well, I work hard, but I live life, I love to do things. I go to the beach, I walk the dog, I love good movies, I love dancing. I’m from Colombia—when you’re 3 years old we’re dancing salsa. Dancing, living, sharing community, it’s very important for me. One of my dreams is to go to Iceland to see the aurora borealis. We’ve been traveling a lot. We saw the pyramids, Italy, Nepal, Scotland, Jerusalem—very nice memories. Nepal is so mystical. I want to keep traveling. I visit Colombia with my sisters, Pilar and Constanza. Every year we go to a different place, just the three of us. I was raised with a loving family. We didn’t have much, but we had a lot of love. Family has always been important for me. My parents are my inspiration—Pablo and Ethel. They were amazing. If you’ve been raised with love, you give love. I try to put care and love into everything I do. Let me guess what you want to do when you retire… Travel. But I also want to help nonprofits, give something back—immigration, kids, elderly. But I don’t plan to retire anytime soon. I want to keep doing more stories, one day at a time. I don’t want to miss stories. I hate that. News Maker Univision reporter Adriana Frederick Sutton brings information to a Spanish-speaking audience. By Dave Faries Not only does Adriana Frederick Sutton report local news, she also lugs the camera and frames the shot. For more than 20 years Frederick Sutton has been a leading source of information for Spanish-speaking audiences. 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