Overview of the Parity Project
The Parity Project is part of a five-year strategic plan that NAHJ adopted
in October of 2002 in Washington, D.C. That same year, NAHJ called on the news industry to increase dramatically the employment of Latino journalists during the next five years.
The plan is NAHJ’s first comprehensive strategy that marshals
its resources to address the momentous changes in the U.S. media
since the group’s founding in 1984.
In May 2004, the The McCormick Foundation awarded NAHJ $1 million over three years for the Parity Project. Read the press release.
Why NAHJ's Parity Project Works
By Peter Roghaar
Director of News and Broadcast Operations
WPTV NewsChannel 5 (owned by E.W. Scripps Company)
West Palm Beach, Fla. |
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Roghaar discusses the impact that NAHJ's Parity Project has had on his station and the Latino community in West Palm Beach.
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What is the NAHJ Parity Project?
The Parity Project involves NAHJ’s work with selected English-language news organizations that serve large Latino communities, but that do not have a representative percentage of Latino journalists in their newsrooms.
Through the Parity Project, NAHJ helps these organizations to accomplish two main goals: 1) to find and hire more journalists who happen to be Latino for their newsroom job openings. And 2) establish even stronger ties than they might already have with Latino leaders and groups in their areas that can offer ongoing guidance when it comes to coverage of Hispanics.
NAHJ’s partnership with these newsrooms through the Parity Project is a commitment of at least five years with each.
How Does the Parity Project Work?
Online Surveys
NAHJ attempts to ascertain the opinions of the Latino community and newsroom employees about the partnering media company's coverage of Latino-related issues.
Newsroom Cultural Awareness Sessions
NAHJ brings in experts on Hispanic issues to conduct cultural awarness sessions with the news staffs of partnering organizations. The goal is to provide greater awareness to Latino issues and to generate story ideas.
Town Hall Meetings
NAHJ and partnering media companies co-sponsor a town hall meeting with Latino leaders to discuss concerns about covearge of the community.
Community Advisory Committees and Latino News Sources
Partnering media companies form a Latino advisory committee following the launch and meet on a regular basis to discuss coverage of the community.
Creating Latino Journalism "Pipeline"
NAHJ helps news organizations develop a "pipeline" of future journalists by creating partnerships with local high schools and colleges that have large Latino enrollments.
Continuous Results
After the project's launch, NAHJ develops a custom-tailored plan of recommendations with specific qualitative and quantitative goals on how partnering companies can reach newsroom parity in five-to-seven years and improve news coverage.
Why is the NAHJ Parity Project important?
Despite decades of diversity efforts, Latino newsroom representation remains dismal.
Latinos make up only 4% of newsroom personnel at all daily English-language newspapers.
American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE)
Latinos make up only 6% of all newsroom staffers at English-lanugage TV news outlets.
Radio-Television News Directors Association & Foundation (RTNDA)
Latinos make up 15% of the total U.S. population. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that one in every four Americans (25%) will identify themselves as Latino by the year 2050.
Newsroom diversity is a means to imporve the quality and credibility of journalism in the United States. To achieve this, the NAHJ Parity Project stresses that Latinos must play a vital role in fulfilling that mission.
NAHJ has launched the Parity Project with the following media companies:
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