FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 27, 2022
NAHJ Guidance on Responsible Coverage Following Tragedy in Uvalde
The NAHJ mourns yet another senseless shooting in the predominantly Latino city of Uvalde. This community in Texas is nearly 80% Latino. By comparison, Latinos comprise nearly 20% of the U.S. population. Robb Elementary School, where the shooting occurred, had 535 students as of the 2020-2021 school year, and most of those students are Hispanic and economically disadvantaged. It is yet another mass shooting that hits close to home for our community and we are mourning the lives that have been lost. To the journalists, first responders, hospital staff, and the Uvalde community as a whole, cuÃdense.
It is imperative that newsrooms offer coverage by local and regional Latino producers, on-air reporters, and commentary by bilingual Latino journalists, contributors, and experts. Compassion and connection to this community matter in how we report this tragedy. We must elevate these voices at a critical moment such as this. Additionally, it is key to support local journalists, who will continue to report these stories over the long run.
When newsrooms send reporters to conduct interviews in Uvalde’s neighborhoods, they should send an interpreter if the reporter isn’t bilingual. The presence of Spanish-language reporters in dual-language communities is transformative and provides residents with the ability to speak to the media in their native language.
NAHJ urges reporters, producers, and editors to verify how people of Latin heritage use their last names. There are many examples of the importance of addressing cultural and linguistic representation in newsrooms:
- Traditionally, in Spanish-speaking cultures, people have two surnames: a paternal and maternal surname, with the paternal surname preceding the maternal surname.
- Individuals may also have multiple first names.
- It is not customary for women to change names when they marry. Rather, both surnames are used after marriage and there’s no hyphen.
- When referring to an individual by surname, the traditional format is to use the first surname. However, journalists should check an individual’s preference to ensure that on second reference the proper surname(s) is accurately reflected in the story.
- As a best practice, the NAHJ recommends that journalists ask each individual or family how they prefer to be identified in a news story.
To conduct culturally competent reporting, NAHJ calls upon journalists to practice due diligence in researching an individual’s preferred form of identification and to ask for the appropriate formatting of names in stories. As part of the news-gathering process, it is essential to not just report the news but to accurately represent an individual or family.
Reporters should refrain from asking victims about their immigration status as this is not relevant during tragedies such as this shooting, and has the potential to further traumatize a victim and instill a fear of speaking to journalists about the matter at hand.
Further guidance on best practices and information about fair and accurate coverage can be found in NAHJ’s Cultural Competence Handbook which can be used as a starting point for additional research.
Do not neglect to empower and support your colleagues. As our community mourns, newsrooms must provide journalists with the necessary mental wellness support. For mental health support, please reach out to our partner Vita Activa.
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About 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 4,300 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