FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
BA Snyder
Veritas Group for NAHJ
BA@VeritasAustin.com
512.630.6337
NAHJ addresses concerns with CBS News following two recent reports
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) discussed concerns about two recent reports that aired on CBS News platforms.
On Tuesday, NAHJ President Brandon Benavides and Executive Director Alberto B. Mendoza spoke with Vice President of News Kim Godwin and Standards Editor Al Ortiz. They shared concerns regarding the “Stash House” report which aired Thursday.
Benavides communicated the organization’s points about not blurring out the faces of migrant families facing deportation. The report blurred the faces of the undercover border patrol agents.
Godwin and Ortiz explained the intent behind the report to humanize the story and ensure that it did not become a ‘faceless’ story. However, both added the story did not go through the standard editorial process and if it had, the perspective would most likely have been challenged.
Immediately following the aired report, CBS News executives reached out to fellow leadership and colleagues to address shared concerns they recognized internally.
Another error discussed on the call was the announcement Sunday morning of an incorrect presidential candidate in Mexico’s election. Although the mistake stemmed from a different issue, it was acknowledged again that proper editorial process would have remedied the issue. The call participants spoke about the quality of these checks and balances being greatly increased with diverse representation throughout the newsroom.
In addition to the immediate concerns, NAHJ commended CBS News on their commitment to extensive coverage on the border crisis and immigration. The network has overall demonstrated quality storytelling and these types of dialogues are imperative to ensure representation of Latino communities is nothing less than fair, accurate and responsible.
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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 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 news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has approximately 2,200 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.