The National Association of Hispanic Journalists called on the news industry in October of 2002 to increase dramatically the employment of Latino journalists during the next five years. NAHJ will seek to work with the news industry, through its newly created Parity Project, to double the percentage of Latinos employed by daily newspapers from the current 3.8 percent to 7.8 percent and to boost the percentage of Latinos working for local English-language television stations from the current 5.2 percent to 9.0 percent by 2008.

The program is part of a five-year strategic plan that NAHJ adopted during a board meeting in October of 2002 in Washington, D.C. The plan is NAHJ’s first comprehensive strategy that marshals its resources to address the momentous changes in the U.S. media since the group’s founding in 1984.

The centerpiece of the plan is the Parity Project. NAHJ identifies cities where Latinos are underrepresented in the newsrooms but make up a significant portion of the population. In those cities, NAHJ works jointly with existing print and broadcast outlets, area journalism schools, foundations and Latino community leaders to develop comprehensive model programs that will increase Latino newsroom presence and influence.

  NAHJ has already begun working with newspapers across the country to bolster Latino representation. NAHJ’s first partner on the project was the E.W. Scripps Company. Since its inception, the Parity Project has gained two more partners, Lee Enterprises Inc. and Pulitzer Inc.

NAHJ has launched the Parity Project with the following newspapers: