NAHJ Celebrates With Toyota

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) was the guest of Toyota at a private reception in New York City.

 The networking event organized by Luis Rosero, Director Media Relations, Corporate Communications - Toyota.

Joaquin is still a committed member -- a true inspiration!

I finally had the honor of meeting one of NAHJ's founding fathers - Joaquin Del Rio.

Joaquin at 72 years young is the Executive Editor at La Voz Hispana. He proudly showed me his laminated 1985 NAHJ membership card.

Rep. Young, "Wetback" Has Always Been Used in the Same Way

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is disappointed by the insensitive remark of GOP Representative  Don Young.

In an interview with KRBD radio Thursday, Representative Young ( R-Alaska) used the racist smear "wetback" in describing migrant workers his father employed in their California ranch.
Young used the derogatory term  when explaining how automation has taken away American  jobs.

 NAHJ has called for his immediate apology.

Such tactless expressions demean a group of hard working people who are often the target of abuse.

It is my personal hope that Mr. Young understands how that term fuels racist and discriminatory actions by ignorant people - who feel it (wetback) is acceptable to use because a person in power (a politician) like him uses it.

I invite Representative Young to a conversation in an effort to educate others about how inappropriate and inaccurate this negative term is.

NAHJ was quoted by reporter Lacie Grosvold from CBS affiliate KTVA - channel 11 in Alaska:
http://www.ktva.com/home/top-stories/Congressman-Don-Young-Uses-Controversial-Term-to-Describe-Ethnic-Group-200599071.html





Here is an Op-Ed I wrote for Fox News Latino:
http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/opinion/2013/03/29/rep-young-wetback-has-always-been-used-in-same-way/

Here's an article that questions if NAHJ has overstepped its goals by demanding an apology from Representative Young. I say as an organization that is made up of journalists and Latinos - it is our constitutional right to give voice to the voiceless:  http://mije.org/richardprince/byron-pitts-abc-talks-talk-diversity#Unity @UNITY_JFD

NAHJ President Reflects On The Multicultural Power Of Media

As the U.S. population continues to become more ethnically diverse, the call for diversified newsrooms becomes greater as well. This week, the Morning Facts focuses on issues related specifically to Hispanic and Latino journalists — today with an exclusive interview with the president of the National Association of Hispanic journalists.

Hugo Balta, 43, grew up in Paterson, New Jersey, but his native roots are planted more than 3,000 miles away in Peru.

“I self identify as a Peruvian American. I’m very proud of my roots in South America and the United States,” Balta said. “As a child, you don’t really understand or value it until you are older.”

Balta currently serves as president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and as a coordinating producer for ESPN. He said his parents’ desire to stay connected to their native Peru inspired his interest in media at a young age.

“They gravitated, like all immigrants do, to mass communication,” Balta explained. “They viewed Telemundo and Univision as a connection to their homeland,” Balta told the Morning Facts.

“I remember them saying there wasn’t a lot of variety in the newscasts — it was very Mexican focused. They’d watch to see if there was just one story from Peru.”

Balta said his parents had a tremendous work ethic and often worked thankless jobs. While this taught Balta the importance of hard work, he said his father’s effort to help other immigrants acclimate to life in America left a lasting impression.

“The best way I could think of to help my community was through television,” Balta said. “I took an internship at Telemundo, and it turned into a part-time job during school, and then a full-time job when I graduated.”

Mentors: critical to development

The internship launched a 20-year (and counting) career in media for Balta. From Telemundo and WCBS in New York to MSNBC and now ESPN, he said he never could have succeeded without a mentor.

“Find someone you can have a personal relationship with who will be a second set of ears and eyes,” he said. “Early on I had two mentors guide me and help me make better-informed decisions about my career.”

Insisting that young journalists need guidance, Balta added, “The day you think you know everything is the day you take a dive off a cliff.”

Balta said he’s witnessed the power of journalism to cross cultural boundaries. This is a big reason why he’s made a personal commitment to mentor young journalists through NAHJ.

“For me, journalism started with me being a witness to my parents’ experience,” Balta said. “They worked in sweatshops and on automotive assembly lines. They both worked more than two jobs. So for me, it was how do I empower?”

For Hugo Balta, journalism is not about being a pseudo celebrity or getting your name out there and being popular.

“It’s our duty to empower and give voices to the voiceless,” he said. “We are the defenders of democracy, and no other industry can say that.”

Jillian Petrus

CA and Internship Coordination

Frank N. Magid Associates

NAHJ Los Angeles Chapter Meeting

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) enjoys the leadership of very talented and committed members from across the country. The Los Angeles chapter is a great example of this inspiring direction.

I had the good fortune to be a guest at this week's board meeting at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) where Naomi Ogaldez, CSUN Latino Journalists Co-Chair shared their success stories like job placements for graduates. They also discussed fundraising to assist students who wish to attend NAHJ's Excellence In Journalism national conference.


Community leaders like Armando Gudino with the Drug Policy Alliance were also in attendance. Mr. Gudino congratulated NAHJ's leadership in supporting and empowering journalists and students across the country.



He offered his assistance in helping NAHJ members better inform our community.

I am impressed with the discussion chapter president Cesar Arredondo led. The board discussed producing future panel programs that focused on the violence journalists continue to deal with in Mexico, fundraising strategies and networking events with like kind organizations.

A warm thank you to the members of the L.A. chapter for making me feel right at home.

Arise America TV interview

Arise America invited me for a discussion on diversity in media. I had the good fortune of being their guest along with Sree Sreenivasan, Columbia University's first Chief Digital Officer.

The discussion was lively and touched the surface of the issues surrounding the challenges of so many newsrooms in the U.S. We could have easily done an hour show on the topic!

Here's the clip of their entire first show (ever) in NYC:
http://www.arise.tv/latest/arise-america-11-mar-2013-1232
The segment on diversity is on 1:19:00 - 1:30:00

NAHJ Region 2 Conference: Nuevo Horizonte - NYC

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists hosted the Region 2 conference ”Nuevo Horizonte: A New Vision for Latinos in Journalism” in New York city on March 9, 2013. 

Click here for Mariela Murdocco's story on the conference

On Friday, March 8, 2013 CNN and Time Warner sponsored a networking reception at the Time Warner Cente. It provided NAHJ members an opportunity to catch up with each other as well as make new friends and network with top media professionals.

Ivette Davila, Anna Lopez Buck, Marimer Navarrete
 

Saturday’s conference at the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism was made possible by the team effort of a group of dedicated Region 2 volunteers who worked hard on logistics and programming. With a focus on journalism, the offerings include sessions on social media, marketing and entrepreneurship.

Just as the horizon brightens for Latino journalists, opportunities for U.S. Latinos all over the country are growing higher than the city’s famous skyscrapers.

The Latino community is driving the country’s population and economic growth, and influencing social and economic issues that impact all citizens of the United States. This is why NAHJ champions and nurtures the study and practice of journalism and communications.

La NAHJ les da las gracias a nuestro auspiciadorers General Motors, la aerolinea United, la Universidad de la Ciudad de Nueva York, CNN, Time Warner, Fox News Latino, CBS y ESPN por su apoyo en este evento que sirve como uno de los muchos ejemplos de su dedicacion a la comunidad Latina.

NAHJ is an advocate for the fair and accurate coverage of the Latino community, and we urge newsgathering companies to fill their ranks with more Latino journalists.

This conference is testament of our association’s commitment to the members and the community they represent and serve.

Bloomberg Businessweek Cover: Blame The Latinos

The cover of  The Great American Housing Rebound is a story about the return of aggressive mortgage lending practices that many economic experts attributed to the last housing bubble resulting in the financial collapse.

Seems like a straight forward story until you look at the cover. Apparently, it’s the Latinos and minorities who are rolling in the money.

This illustration isn’t only inaccurate, racist – it is dangerous because it puts a face to a problem that many people are still struggling through. It gives them a license to take their frustration (sometimes violently) out on a community who are also victims of predatory lending practices.

Here’s a message I shared with the members of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists: Bloomberg Businessweek Cover: Blame The Latinos?

I was interviewed by the New York Times for their article: Magazine Cover Draws Claims of Racism

Here is an Op-Ed I wrote for Fox News Latino:

Bloomberg Businessweek Cover: Blame The Latinos For Your Problems?

What do you think of the cover?