FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2021
José Díaz-Balart Joins MSNBC As Only Anchor to Host News Programs on Both Cable and Broadcast Television in English and Spanish
Washington, D.C. – The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is elated over the announcement that José Díaz-Balart will join MSNBC to host the 10 a.m. hour of MSNBC’s José Díaz-Balart Reports. José will be the only journalist in the country to anchor both cable and broadcast television networks simultaneously and deliver breaking news to English-speaking and Spanish-speaking audiences. With more than 30 years of journalism experience, he has been an influential voice and a key source of information for Latinx communities worldwide for decades.
His new program premieres September 27 on MSNBC. Additionally, Díaz-Balart will be taking on a broader role at TELEMUNDO, including anchoring monthly specials and breaking news events. A former recipient of the 2015 NAHJ Presidential Award of Visibility, Díaz-Balart will also continue to anchor “NBC Nightly News Saturday” on NBC News and take on a broader role at Noticias Telemundo, where he will anchor monthly specials and breaking news events. He will also anchor special coverage on several platforms, including Peacock. Given his expanded responsibilities across the networks, Díaz-Balart will move on from his current role as anchor of Telemundo’s nightly newscast “Noticias Telemundo” at the end of the month.
“José is a beacon for our members and the next generation of Latinx journalists,” commented Nora López, NAHJ President. “His rigorous preparation and commitment to covering stories about the Latino community in Spanish and English exemplify what it means to serve others — especially on network television where so many people and their communities benefit from seeing such visibility with regard to issues they face every day.”
Most recently at the 2021 NAHJ International Training Conference and Career Fair, Díaz-Balart led a fireside chat sponsored by NBCUniversal on The Art of Bilingual Reporting, where he and Axios Reporter Russell Contreras discussed how bilingual reporting maximizes audience reach while creating space for multiple communities. They also highlighted why this form of journalism is crucial in today’s diverse, multilingual society. Díaz-Balart’s award-winning career demonstrates the power of language as a storytelling gateway rather than a barrier. He has reported on some of the most consequential news stories in recent history, including presidential elections, has moderated U.S. presidential debates, and interviewed every president since Ronald Reagan. Additionally, Díaz-Balart has interviewed hundreds of political leaders and thought-leaders.
With this move, MSNBC President Rashida Jones is one step closer to achieving NBCUniversal News Group’s goal of bringing more diverse voices to the network and meeting Chairman Cesar Conde’s 50% Challenge Initiative, launched last year. The network includes nine Latinx anchors across broadcast, cable, and streaming channels — more than any other English-language news organization. The NAHJ national board applauds NBCUniversal leadership for recognizing the value that José Díaz-Balart delivers by capturing these fundamental American stories, and challenges every network to broaden representation in front of and behind the camera in order to reflect this nation’s diversity.
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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 4,000 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