During more than 33 years I worked as a professor at four major U.S. universities and as visiting professor in Latin America (Brazil, Chile) and Europe (England, Germany, Russia, among others). Currently, I’m retired—but in salary only because from my home in Austin, Texas, I’m still very engaged with mentoring, some teaching and lots of research. My ongoing research and writings are now focused primarily on the media and politics in Puerto Rico, mi querida patria. I’m also collaborating in the development of Boricua Media, a multi-platform news and information initiative for the Puerto Rican diaspora in Florida and elsewhere.
When was your first introduction to NAHJ?
If my memory is not wrong, it was at the organizational meeting in San Diego in 1982 or shortly after. At the time, I was at my first job as a professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara and was already conducting research about Latinos and media issues. Since then, I’ve been an NAHJ member and in 2011-2012 served as the first academic representative on the Board of Directors.
Do you have any stories or memories you can share relating to NAHJ?
The most positive memories are about the opportunities to teach and mentor NAHJ campus students from various universities learning about the complexity of Latino demographics and culture, including issues related to the representations of Latinos in news and entertainment media. Getting inducted into the NAHJ Hall of Fame in 2017 was a great honor.
How has NAHJ impacted you?
As mentioned in the previous point, NAHJ offered a space to share so much of what I have studied and learned about Latinos and media. It was also great to be a researcher and co-author of various NAHJ supported studies (2004, 2005, 2014) about how Latinos are portrayed in television network news. Sadly, those studies have not been continued, nor have the networks made significant improvements in those portrayals.
Can you tell me a little bit about your books?
The books are The News Media in Puerto Rico: Journalism in Colonial Settings and in Times of Crises (Routledge, 2020) and the updated and expanded Para Entender los Medios de Comunicación de Puerto Rico: Periodismo en entornos coloniales y en tiempos de crisis (Ediciones Filos, 2022). Co-authored by Sandra Rodríguez-Cotto and Jairo Lugo-Ocando, they are the first to extensively document (with hundreds of references) how the Island’s media system contributes to the colonial status of Puerto Rico. The books also present an overview of the recent history of the news media and the transformations they underwent after Hurricane Maria in 2017 and the earthquakes in early 2020. The texts include opinions offered by 60 journalists regarding the challenges faced by the news media, their profession, and journalism education in Puerto Rico. The history of journalism education in Puerto Rican universities is also presented and the final chapter makes many recommendations for the much-needed studies and research about the Island’s media.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
Professors can be fantastic sources for news stories and for mentoring students and professionals. I recommend that NAHJ members reach out to the good ones who are willing and able to offer their guidance when asked. The most senior among us have many years of knowledge we enjoy sharing and passing on to the younger generations of aspiring journalists and communication professionals. By the way, check out the forthcoming report NAHJ members in U.S. journalism/media education, co-authored by Zita Arocha, Lourdes Cueva Chacón, Jessica Retis and myself. Zita and I will present it on July 14 during the NAHJ conference in Miami. Find more info here.