FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2021
NAHJ Disappointed by Cronkite School’s Failure to Include Diverse Journalists in Fellowship Program Focused on Underserved Communities
(Washington, D.C.) – The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is disappointed by the lack of diversity among this year’s selection of student journalists from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism of Mass Communication at Arizona State University who are participating in the summer fellowship News21 national investigative reporting project. The fellows will produce an investigative project on the impact of COVID-19 on marginalized communities. While we commend the nine students selected for this fellowship, the vast majority of the journalists chosen are white students with only one person of color. This is particularly concerning considering that Hispanics comprise nearly a third of Arizona’s population while Native Americans represent 5.3% and Blacks or African Americans 5.2% of residents). Native American and Latino-a communities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 throughout the state during the pandemic.
NAHJ calls on the incoming journalism dean, Dr. Battinto Batts Jr., to review programs and departments to create a more inclusive space where journalists of color can have the same opportunities to work on these types of projects, especially when they report on marginalized communities. The selection of fellows for the Carnegie-Knight national reporting project and decision by the Cronkite school demonstrates a broader problem with the lack of diversity at academic institutions — particularly when it comes to who participates on investigative projects — and inequity in communities of color.
While NAHJ applauds this effort to cover health inequities in communities of color, those managing the fellowship project have failed to recognize the value of including Black, Latino and Indigenous voices on their team. This oversight is unacceptable. An academic institution that boasts a diverse program and studies underserved communities should, at the very least, make space for those who reflect the diversity of the communities they are investigating and studying.
The lack of representation across the journalism industry (6.89% of Hispanics, 7.1% Blacks, 0.37% Native Americans are part of the workforce in American newsrooms) directly stems from inadequacies rooted in our academic institutions. NAHJ has contacted Cronkite ASU to determine how and why this oversight occurred, and looks forward to acting as a resource for incoming leadership to identify solutions to address this matter.
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About the NAHJ
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists 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 3,300 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@TheVeritasWay.com