Denver's Lori Lizarraga named new co-host of NPR's "Code Switch"

Local listeners of NPR's "Code Switch" will hear a familiar voice over the airwaves later this year.

Driving the news: Lori Lizarraga — a former 9News journalist now based in Philadelphia — has joined the prestigious podcast as co-host, a role in which she will explore how race shapes American society.

• The first-generation daughter of Ecuadorian and Mexican immigrants plans to elevate Latino voices and stories and offer a fresh perspective she hopes will resonate with Spanish-speaking communities.

Why it matters: Lizarraga, an award-winning journalist, has been a champion for more diverse representation in the newsroom.

• Last year, she called out her former employer, 9News, over alleged discrimination after she and two other on-air Latina reporters were laid off without adequate reason.

What she's saying: Obstacles that have come with challenging the media industry have "all been building blocks to get to this point … and a crucial part of what has qualified me for the role," she told Axios Denver.

We caught up with Lizarraga about what makes her tick:

📱 First tap of the day: The shared family album on her iPhone, to peep the latest photos and videos of her nephew, Liam (with whom she usually starts the day over FaceTime).

🥬 Morning fuel: Green juice blended with spinach, romaine, celery, cilantro, lime and "whatever fruit is in season."

🎧 Podcast queue: "Suave," a Pulitzer Prize-winning podcast that tells the true story of a minor sentenced to life in prison who was released and suddenly gets a second chance. "I have been profoundly moved," Lizarraga says.

📖 Reading list: "Trejo: My Life of Crime, Redemption, and Hollywood," by Danny Trejo with Donal Logue, which Lizarraga stresses is "really, really good."

🍸 Favorite sips and eats in Denver: Uncle for dinner and The Bar Car for a cocktail.