O.C. Clerk-Recorder taps veteran Latino journalist for Spanish-language outreach

For years, Martin Plascencia helped bring the stories of local Latinos to broader audiences through his broadcast journalism.

He last oversaw Telemundo 52’s Orange County news bureau when he was suddenly laid off in 2020 during pandemic-era cutbacks by the company nationwide.

Months later, the county of Orange hired the veteran journalist in 2021 to help with Spanish-language communication and outreach efforts, especially as COVID-19 vaccination campaigns ramped up.

After serving in that capacity for the past three years, Plascencia is taking on a new but familiar role in helping the Orange County Clerk-Recorder better connect with local Spanish-speaking communities.

“My name and face may be familiar to some members of the Spanish-speaking community who have seen me on television news for three decades,” Plascencia said in a press release. “Now I have been offered the opportunity to continue serving the Hispanic community by promoting the many programs and services offered by the Office of Hugh Nguyen Orange County Clerk-Recorder to all of Orange County’s 3.2 million residents, including 34% of them Latinos.”

O.C. Clerk-Recorder Hugh Nguyen publicly announced Plascencia’s hiring on Monday as a community outreach manager.

“I wanted somebody who could feel comfortable with the Hispanic community to go out there and let them know about all the services that we provide at the Orange County Clerk-Recorder department,” Nguyen told TimesOC. “Plascencia has more than 30 years of experience in media with the community. He’s a familiar face.”

Nearly half of all O.C. residents over 5 speak a language other than English at home, according to the 2023-24 Orange County Community Indicators Report.

Plascencia’s role will entail networking with the Mexican Consulate, Latino organizations and colleges in helping to get the word out in Spanish about key services offered by the Clerk-Recorder’s office like vital records, wedding ceremonies, passport photos, fictitious business name filings and even an apostille pop-up in Santa Ana on May 29.

In this work, Plascencia joins another community outreach manager who focuses on the Vietnamese community.

“It’s going to be a big help,” Nguyen said, “because 3.2 million is a lot of people to try to outreach to.”