NAHJ’s Parity Project comes to the Mid-Atlantic region as The Virginian-Pilot Joins the Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is proud to announce that The Virginian-Pilot of Norfolk, Va. is joining the association’s Parity Project, becoming the 26th media outlet involved with the project.

Created in 2003, NAHJ’s Parity Project is intended to serve as an example for the entire journalism industry when it comes to improving newsroom diversity and coverage of diverse communities. Through the Parity Project, NAHJ works with English-language media companies serving large Latino populations to increase their Latino newsroom representation and to improve news coverage of the Latino community.

Denis Finley, editor of The Virginian-Pilot, says the paper hopes to strengthen its ties with people of color in its readership area. “Over the last few years, we’ve set goals for greater diversity in the newsroom and greater diversity in our coverage. This partnership should help with that,” Finley said. “NAHJ will help us reach out not only to the growing number of Hispanics in our region but also to other minorities.”

NAHJ Parity Project Director Kevin Olivas said: “We are proud to have The Virginian-Pilot as the newest partner in the Parity Project. There is a substantial African American population in the greater Norfolk/Hampton Roads area of Virginia, in addition to growing numbers of Latino and Asian Pacific American residents. It is vitally important that news organizations such as The Virginian-Pilot accurately cover their entire community. Clearly, the editors of this newspaper are interested in forging stronger ties to people of color who are leaders in its readership area through its partnership in NAHJ’s Parity Project.”

Since its inception, the Parity Project has partnered with 25 media organizations that include outlets owned by the E.W. Scripps Co., Viacom, Media General, MediaNews Group Inc., Lee Enterprises, Inc., the Tribune Co. and now, Landmark Communications, Inc., which owns The Virginian-Pilot. NAHJ has helped to place about 150 Latino journalists into full-time newsroom jobs since the inception of the Parity Project. And through the Parity Project, NAHJ has helped several news organizations to establish Hispanic Community Advisory Committees that have worked with news organizations to improve coverage of Latinos.