Changing the Narrative by Alexis Marion

The greater the obstacle, the more glory in overcoming it.

Molière

Latina journalists have broken barriers and faced obstacles, but have stood their ground to build a career for themselves in today’s changing gender and journalism climate. Spanish language news outlets have evolved with the shifting challenges of delivering news to these communities. Many English language news outlets have also been learning how to include Latino communities on and off the screen. Rebuilding journalism in California and America as a whole will take more recognition of Latino media and of Latinos in newsrooms.

In its June 2019 report, the City University of New York’s Newmark Graduate School of Journalism found that the journalism industry is made up of “624 Latino news outlets serving a potential audience of close to 59 million people.” 

However, the population of Latinos in the media industry increased by 1% from 2010 to 2019, according to the Government Accountability Office. However, Latinas journalists have made a name for themselves in both Spanish-language media and English networks.

California has the largest Latino population at 15 million people and more than 16% of Latino news outlets lie here. The United States Census Bureau expects the Hispanic population to reach 111 million by 2060, making them 28% of the population. However, despite the large Latino audience throughout America, many states are home to a small number of Latino outlets, leaving many communities underserved. Illinois ranks fifth in terms of Latino population, with almost 2.2 million Latinos, but only around 10 outlets can be found there. Mississippi has 88,000 Latinos, but only about one news outlet can be found there. 

Despite the ongoing effort to improve diversity at media outlets and refine the portrayal of Latinos in the media, there is still much work to be done. United States Representative Joaquin Castro of Texas has been an advocate for the inclusion of the Latino community in the media. Castro describes the lack of their representation in the media as the reason behind the stereotypes their community faces.

“Americans don’t get a full understanding of Latinos and their contributions. At worst–especially when Latinos are solely portrayed as drug dealers or criminals–it invites politicians to exploit negative stereotypes for political gain,” Castro said. 

Better representation for the Latino community in media will involve giving Latino journalists the spotlight to share their stories and accurate portrayals of their community. Organizations like CCNMA (California Chicano News Media Association): Latino Journalists of California and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists were created to promote fair portrayals of Latinos in the media. CCNMA was founded in 1972 and is the oldest organization of journalists of color in America. The nonprofit was started in Los Angeles to provide scholarships and sponsoring workshops to Latino journalism students. The group was originally named the California Chicano Newsmen’s Association but changed its name to the California Chicano News Media Association after the first woman joined. Following this change has been a concern for representation of specifically Latino women in the newsroom. One of CCNMA’s goals is just this, sharing about Latina trailblazers in journalism and bringing light to an underrepresented portion of the industry. 

Tania Navarro, Community Opinion Editor at the San Diego Union Tribune, feels the Latino community is not represented well by southern California media outlets. She does however stress the need for media initiatives for Hispanic media.

“There’s a clear need for Hispanic news outlets because there’s a growing population and the geographical connection is not going anywhere, but the big challenge is to make it a profitable business,” Navarro said.

Navarro hopes to be a good ally to the next generation of Latina journalists.

“I specifically refer to women because in this industry, Latinas have a salary gap and [higher] probability of being harassed than our male co-workers,” Navarro said.

Bettering the journalistic Latino community will involve giving more opportunities to women in the workforce. “About six-in-ten newsroom employees (61%) are men” in America, Latina women making up an estimated 3% of the media workforce as a whole. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/latino-representation-in-the-media-industry-remains-low-study-finds/ 

Latino culture brings many valuable characteristics to the table for a journalist. Latinas have continued to bring these attributes to newsrooms in southern California and raise their voices to bring light to other Latino communities. A characteristic of Latina journalists throughout the country that can be used for cultural connections in the newsroom is bilingualism.

Catalyst, a research nonprofit who works to advance women in business, highlights the importance of bilingualism, calling it a “critical business skill”. This is something significant that Latinas bring to the table in the journalism realm that should be valued greater. Bilingualism in journalism, a skill many employers in southern California are beginning to prioritize, can especially be helpful when reporting on important issues such as immigration. Having the ability to also speak Spanish when reporting and investigating, according to many investigative journalists, can help you to better connect with your sources. This skill is useful for Latina journalists in not only spanish speaking newsrooms but also in mainly English-speaking outlets. https://www.catalyst.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Advancing_Latinas_in_the_Workplace_What_Managers_Need_to_Know.pdf Melissa Adan, reporter for ABC Los Angeles, explains that Spanish can be useful to use with sources to form a connection with them and become more approachable.

“A common way I use my Spanish speaking skills is when I interview someone…if they’re more comfortable speaking Spanish I will interview them in Spanish first then in English,” Adan said.

Adan explains that this can be even more useful than just getting a source to feel more comfortable. Using Spanish to communicate with sources that prefer it can put Latina reporters ahead in reporting stories.

“It’s super key in getting information that sometimes other reporters or outlets cannot access if they do not speak Spanish,” Adan said.

Inés García Ramos is the co-founder of independent news outlet, Punto Norte, and reports in Tijuana and San Diego. Ramos was born in Los Angeles but raised by her parents in Tijuana with her sister. She studied journalism in college and after some testing of her skills, got her first job in the industry in 2011. She recalled some of the doubts she had during the hiring process after going to her first interview after college.

“I felt like they didn’t want me…but then in March they called me back and said if I was able to come in the next day, they would hire me,” Ramos said. 

Since then, Ramos has done her fair share of reporting in both Tijuana and in southern California, specifically San Diego. Her bilingualism gave her the opportunity to be sent to San Diego often on assignments, as she was the only English speaking reporter when hired at her first job. She shared she prefers speaking in Spanish when reporting, but speaks English fluently as well and doesn’t mind using both languages. However, working south of the border and in San Diego have their differences. 

“I don’t know if everyone notices this but I notice it pretty easily, how the outlets that are from San Diego get treated differently from the people that are actually from Tijuana…sometimes they get better coverage or authorities give them more time for questions,” Ramos said. 

She explained this could be due to the fact that some of her stories are based more on the San Diego community and therefore San Diego reporters may be favored sometimes. However, Ramos enjoys the comfortability of reporting in San Diego as it often brings less risks. “It’s different because in Tijuana I feel comfortable because I am used to [the area], but you kind of feel safer in San Diego…you’re less at risk of getting robbed,” Ramos said. 

Despite the obstacles she has faced, Ramos has been reporting on crime, law enforcement, and judicial topics in Mexico and southern California for over 12 years.

Many journalists have taken different paths and approaches to their careers, and Latina journalists are not excluded from this. Freelance journalism is an approach that has seen a major increase in recent years due to the changing journalism landscape. The Office for National Statistics states that the number of self-employed workers has increased from 3.3 million in 2001 to 4.8 million in 2017. Studies also show that Latinos make the highest average salary freelance reporting out of five races, making this a great career path for many Latinos in the journalism realm especially. https://www.zippia.com/freelance-reporter-jobs/demographics/ Freelancing gives the ability to make your own schedule and choose what outlets to work with, which can be a benefit for many. This can also allow Latinas to have more freedom in what they write about, with the ability to highlight their culture more often than mainstream outlets may let them.

Roxana Becerril is a bilingual freelance journalist from San Diego has written for the San Diego Magazine, San Diego Union Tribune, Mental Floss, La Prensa San Diego and more. Being a freelancer gives her the flexibility to write for who she wants and who wants her contribution.

“[Freelancing] is perfect for me because I get to make my own schedule and work on the assignments that I want to work on…I have a lot of independence, liberty and creative freedom,” Becerril said.

However, with pros come cons, and freelance writing is not for everyone. Becerril describes the drive and motivation you have to have to be a freelance journalist, highlighting the importance of connecting with leaders at news outlets.

“The work that comes to me is basically on me…I’m the one that’s looking for work. Luckily, I have fostered good relationships with editors, where they reach out to me for weekly assignments,” Becerril said. “But other than that, I have to land my own jobs,” she added. 

Becerril admitted she would consider a full time job at one publication in the future, explaining that working with one editor can really help growth as a journalist. However, she shared her glee and contentment for where she is currently in her career.

“I’m really enjoying freelancing…I feel like when content is streamlined, and you work with one editor, you can really get the feedback that you’re looking for. But for the time being, I feel like I’m right where I need to be,” Becerril said.

Becerril is proud of her Mexican-American identity and explains that both of her parents are mexican. She shares her gratitude for her culture that has sharpened her as a journalist and shaped the way she practices her profession. 

“Latino culture is very much centered on hospitality and being amicable with everyone. That has helped me a lot because I approach interviews and my sources as people that I talk to regularly or like [my] friends, so I feel like I’m very friendly…and I feel like that comes from my Latino background,” Becerril said.

Becerril attributes her diligent and tireless work ethic to her culture as well. She feels her culture has made her the ambitious and hardworking journalist she is today.

“I feel like that’s a Latino thing,” Becerril said.