NAHJ condemns harassment against Telemundo journalists during election coverage

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 7, 2020

(Washington, D.C.) – The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) condemns the harassment inflicted on Telemundo reporters in Maricopa County, Arizona. 

Maria Paula Ochoa, Telemundo News Correspondent, and Diego Santiago, Investigative Reporter for Telemundo Responde, each dealt with harassment from pro-Trump supporters. 

This tweet shows Ochoa being harassed as she is doing a live report outside the Maricopa County Tabulation Center. In a separate incident, this tweet shows Santiago’s live broadcast being interrupted (We want to warn viewers the audio you hear contains offensive language). 

Journalists are essential to our democracy, to report on the important issues that affect the communities they serve. 

“The harassment and disrespect inflicted on Maria Paula Ochoa, Diego Santiago, and their news team is deplorable,” said Nora López, President of NAHJ. “It is important for journalists at large to have their First Amendment right protected.” 

We share our support for journalists who continue to provide election coverage, and which will inevitably expose themselves to situations of increased tensions. 

If journalists experience actions of harassment or assault, we encourage them to report the incident at the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. 

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press has an Election Legal Guide which includes general issues reporters may face while reporting on elections. Their legal hotline is 1-800-336-4243 or email hotline@rcfp.org. 

The Committee to Protect Journalists have #PressSafety2020 resources for journalists. Journalists can use electionsafety@cpj.org to reach out about any election-related safety concerns.

NAHJ stands with Maria Paula Ochoa, Diego Santiago, and all journalists who devotedly work to keep the public informed.

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About the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (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 the news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has over 3,200 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. 

Media Contact: 

BA Snyder
Veritas Group for NAHJ
512.630.6337
BA@VeritasAustin.com