FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 19, 2021
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Editor honored with 2021 NAHJ President’s Award
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Saturday evening, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) honored Gilbert Bailon, editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, with the 2021 Presidential Award during its Hall of Fame broadcast on Telemundo Noticias. The bilingual live show produced by NAHJ was hosted by Nacho Lozano. The renowned anchor addressed top issues such as ongoing assaults on press freedom and the importance of dynamic storytelling to document the legacies of those overlooked by mainstream history. The program included the posthumous induction of two pioneering journalists into the association’s Hall of Fame – Jovita Idár and Jesús Colón – and featured remarks by award-winning writer Ed Morales, and a performance by Emmy-Nominated Singer-Actress Madison Reyes with the debut of the artist’s new single, “Te Amo.”
Gilbert Bailon’s career in newspaper management began as executive editor of the Dallas Morning News and as the founding editor/publisher of its Spanish-language newspaper, Al Dia. Bailon resigned after 21 years at the Dallas Morning News to become an editorial page editor for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. More than four years later, he took on the role of editor, overseeing all print and digital news coverage, including the paper’s award-winning photography of the police shooting in Ferguson and the social unrest that followed. Bailon received the Editor of the Year Award from the National Press Foundation for the newspaper’s coverage of the unrest in Ferguson in 2014.
“Hard-working and humble, Gilbert Bailon’s mentorship and support has paved the way for the success of countless young journalists,“ NAHJ President Nora Lopez stated live Saturday evening, “ I have been so incredibly fortunate — as I know its unusual — that for most of my professional career I have had the privilege of working for Latinx bosses. And the first one was Gilbert.”
Bailon has received several honors throughout the years from the national association for his exemplary leadership and journalistic competence, including induction into the NAHJ Hall of Fame and the Ñ Leadership award.
“We are thrilled Gilbert is being recognized for this prestigious award,” said St. Louis President and Publisher Ian Caso. “His expertise and leadership is not only recognized by his newsroom colleagues, but throughout the St. Louis community.”
In addition to his professional career, he has served as president of NAHJ, the American Society of News Editors and Unity Journalists of Color. His advocacy efforts to further Latino involvement in journalism have garnered him much respect within the news industry.
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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