Is the End of Latino Journalism Near?

*I don’t like the way this story is framed. Which is a shame because I think we should be talking, loudly and at length, about the lack of Latinos in the nation’s most important newsrooms (and newsrooms in general for that matter). This story, though, dances around placing any blame on networks, big media companies and the editors and executives who run the newsrooms. The piece calls out industry “bureaucracy,” job losses and even the lack of “suitable replacements” for those losses. But in the end the lack of diversity in newsrooms is also attributed to leadership decisions. Read the piece, tell me if you agree or not. VL

By Arvin Paculaba, Latin Post

Latinos account for 17 percent of the U.S. population, making them the largest minority group in the country. Unfortunately, you wouldn’t know that by tuning into your favorite news program or reading the local newspaper.

The total number of Latino journalists working in newsrooms across the country has only increased by four percent in the last 30 years. The data is alarming considering the U.S. has been keen on representing the fastest growing segment of its population.

“I think the reason we’re still talking about this is because very little has changed since the 1980’s,” said Associated Press reporter Russell Contreras, via CT Latino News. “The people who were in charge of those diversity programs were kicked out of the business themselves and a lot of us have become orphans of a sort because we’ve lost our mentors.”

Click HERE to read the full story.