FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 23, 2022
(Washington, D.C.) – As the news industry continues to layoff journalists and downsize staff, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) calls on newsrooms to commit to ensuring that newsroom diversity and equity remain a top priority. While the business needs and economic challenges facing newsrooms are acute, we are also keenly aware of the impact that such layoffs have on journalists of color, and Hispanic journalists in particular, as a result of the ongoing downsizing.
“Amid tough economic times, the importance of increasing and maintaining diversity cannot be overstated, particularly because newsrooms continue to lack adequate Latino representation,” said NAHJ President Yvette Cabrera. “If we are to achieve newsroom parity, we must not reverse what little progress we’ve made in recent years.”
Latino journalists account for only 9.1% percent of newsroom staff in television news, according to the latest study by RTDNA and Newhouse School at Syracuse University.
Regrettably, the CNN network lost news veteran Javi Morgado and CNN En Español visionary Juan Andres Muñoz in recent layoffs. Both journalists have contributed in remarkable ways to the representation of Latinos in news and media. While former NAHJ President’s Award recipient Jim Acosta remains in his anchor role, his show has been significantly impacted by the elimination of team members and resources. With CNN anchor Ana Cabrera departing the network, NAHJ will be closely monitoring CNN’s support for the two remaining Latino anchors, Acosta and Boris Sanchez.
“We are seeing real effects of these cuts on our members,” said NAHJ Vice President of Broadcast Julio César-Chávez. “A tumultuous industry continues to make it difficult for Latino journalists to gain access to or remain in the field, resulting in the loss of our voices and representation.”
As the nation’s largest organization for Latino media professionals, NAHJ will continue to monitor the situation and remains steadfast in its support of newsrooms’ efforts to diversify their ranks by offering resources and tools to help achieve these goals. As CNN reorganizes, NAHJ urges its leadership to remain committed to ensuring that journalists in front of and behind the camera represent the diversity of the communities they cover.
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About NAHJ:
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States and is dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. 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 news media. NAHJ has over 4,300 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