FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 23, 2021
NAHJ Response to Hugo Balta’s Separation from WTTW
(Washington, D.C.) – Hugo Balta is the first and only NAHJ president elected to serve two terms in the association’s history. He worked to foster diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, and steered NAHJ during a decade of upheaval in the journalism industry.
The national board will not comment on the specifics behind Hugo Balta’s firing from WTTW News in Chicago. However, NAHJ expects to see a consistent application and enforcement of the station’s policies.
The loss of yet another Hispanic news leader in this nation is more detrimental than ever, particularly in light of the inadequate representation of Latinos in newsrooms, the dearth of Latinos in leadership positions, and the lack of a robust pipeline for young Latino journalists. In 2016, Latinos became Chicago’s largest demographic of color. In the United States, the community remains one of the fastest growing populations. But as Latinx news leaders continue to be eliminated from positions that impact and shape news coverage and strategy, the erasure of our communities and their stories will persist.
For these reasons, it is essential for WTTW to fill the role with a Hispanic or Latinx journalist, who is also capable of empathetically and accurately representing Chicago’s diverse community. This would be an opportune moment for WTTW’s newsroom leadership to establish a relationship with a strong local resource, such as the NAHJ Chicago chapter, and create an effective pipeline for journalists of color.
NAHJ calls on local and national news organizations to recognize the importance of the Hispanic and Latino perspective, and to address the existing disparity by hiring diverse talent for these leadership positions. By ensuring that these Latino journalist leaders join the ranks of management, news organizations send a clear message about the role that Latinos play in delivering the news in our increasingly diverse country.
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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 3,300 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