NAHJ condemns the injustice and treatment exhibited by CBS O&O stations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

June 25, 2020   

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists condemns the injustice and treatment exhibited by CBS owned-and-operated stations including KCBS/KCAL 

 (Washington, D.C.) – The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is outraged by the treatment Latino employees have received at CBS news, CBS news bureaus, and owned-and-operated local stations like KCBS/KCAL.  

CBS owned-and-operated stations have done a terrible job addressing reports of toxic environments at their workplaces. Employees who identify as Latinos or / and Hispanics have shared the injustice and horrific treatment they have been subjected to while working at stations. 

KCBS / KCAL has made ongoing layoffs, with the majority of the layoffs being Hispanic / Latino. The same group of employees has expressed minimal promotions to senior positions and various types of micro-aggressions, including asking on-air talent to change their appearance to look more “Latino,” or rejecting stories that affect the Hispanic community. Station management must value the Latino audience and secure it is part of its culture. Management should not only ensure it has a diverse team, but also provide respect and equal treatment. 

NAHJ will stand with its members who face injustice in their workplace to prevent more Latinos from losing their jobs. Equal treatment must be one of the fundamental values in every workplace. Leadership must be better than hiring a handful of journalists of color to check a box.  

NAHJ supports its members and encourages them to use the NAHJ Career Center to find work opportunities. NAHJ also encourages conference attendees to take advantage of conference opportunities for those experiencing difficulties in their careers.

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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@TheVeritasWay.com