FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 11, 2020
(Washington, D.C.) – The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is appalled by the lack of representation and nuance in this week’s New York Times episode of The Daily. During the segment, host Michael Barbaro sat down with New York Times polling expert, Nate Cohn, about his reflections on 2020 polling, in which Cohn misrepresents an assessment on the Latino vote. As more results are revealed to the public on voter turnout this year, analysts and reporters alike have been scratching their heads at why certain demographics voted the way they did – particularly across Hispanic and Latino communities.
Year after year, NAHJ and its members vehemently advocate for news and media to study the diversity of political opinion within our community, and yet, bewilderment around “the Latino vote” persists.
Cohn admits that he’s “tossing out some ideas” about the election’s outcome and why things turned out the way they did. Polling estimates have been drastically off for two elections in a row, and Cohn notes that it is all speculation. It’s not in the public interest for two journalists to conduct such a speculative conversation because it perpetuates misinformation. Cohn also states the data collected on Latino voters has consistently been insufficient.
He points out that local journalism is critical to understanding Latino voters’ views because their perspective is generally excluded and misunderstood on a national level. That’s why it’s important to consult with knowledgeable voices when conducting analyses of diverse populations. More importantly, equal representation in America’s newsrooms provides a voice to disenfranchised populations instead of speculating about them. There are plenty of Hispanic, Latino and Latinx journalists who can accurately address this issue – acknowledging the diversity of thought and background in Latino communities across the U.S. It’s critical when conducting analyses of diverse populations that we consult with people who are knowledgeable about these communities.
NAHJ has encouraged The Daily, as we do with all news outlets, to engage the association for recommendations on appropriate journalists and contributors to speak intelligently and accurately about programming.
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About the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ)
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States and dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. The mission of NAHJ is to increase the number of Latinos in the newsrooms and to work toward fair and accurate representation of Latinos in the news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has over 3,200 members, including working journalists, journalism students, other media-related professionals, and journalism educators. For more information please visit NAHJ.org or follow on Twitter @NAHJ.
Media Contact:
BA Snyder
Veritas Group for NAHJ
512.630.6337
BA@VeritasAustin.com