FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contact:
Dr. Federico Subervi
NAHJ and Latino Media, Communication Scholars Bring Back Study of Analysis of Coverage on Latino and Latino Issues
Anaheim, CA, September 7, 2017 – The findings in the release of today’s Brown Out Report is nothing new to the Latino communities. The report dives into the finding of a study of national television half-hour evening network news programs on ABC, CBS, NBC, and the one-hour evening news program on CNN covered Latinos and Latino issues between the years 2008-2014.
Federicos Subervi perfectly stated , “Among the findings of this study is the fact that the patterns of coverage, or most accurately stated neglect of the coverage of the nation’s largest ethnic minority population, has remained practically frozen in time or has worsened.”
With the media so prominent surrounding you, stories about Latinos only make up about one percent of all news stories. Most of which the stories identify the Latino community as having or being the problem. “As with previous studies of this type, it is beyond the parameters of the data at hand to be able to systematically and critically analyze the newsroom operations, the decision making processes that takes place there for the selection of staff to cover events, the selection of what is worthy or not for coverage, or subsequently how to present that in terms of amount of time or placement in the newscasts.”
“The key word here is ‘neglect’. Continuously we are finding our communities do not have a seat at the table, are underrepresented, or are misrepresented .” – Brandon Benavides, NAHJ President. “It is unacceptable that at this point we are still policing this issue, having to advocate for appropriate recognition. As in other cases, reports and studies like the Brown Out Report provide us with much needed insight to then discover a solution.”
Not every news network is as negligent as its competitors. Many of which have not changed the coverage of Latino new stories in decades. It’s time the major news networks acknowledge their coverage patterns and try to change to more of a relatable balance of Latinos and Latino problems. With the Latino population making up 54 million people, the media outlets need to make a viable effort to translate the Latino community as vibrant and not just bleak and riddled with crime. “The NAHJ and other organizations that strive to improve the civic engagement of Latinos in this country should continue to make concerted efforts to mobilize for positive change at these networks, leading sources of information for the public at large, including for and about Latinos.”
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About 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 news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has approximately 2,000 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.