The National Association of Hispanic Journalists

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) began in 1982, when more than three hundred Hispanic journalists from across the United States met in San Diego to discuss common interests and challenges. A separate organization, the California Chicano News Media Association (CCNMA), had been in existence for a decade and was widely admired by other local groups in other parts of the country. The CCNMA subsequently shared resources with the budding NAHJ so that the national group would succeed.

The 1982 meeting sparked a determination to form an organization that would advocate for fair and balanced treatment of Hispanics by the news media, especially in the hiring and promotion of Latinos and Latinas. A grant from the Freedom Forum, a journalism education foundation, provided support to hire staff and pay for organizers to hold meetings across the country, encouraging participation in the organization of the group.

Latinos and Latinas in the News Media

Nearly two years after that 1982 meeting, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists was legally incorporated. In the early twenty-first century, it represents about twenty-three hundred journalists throughout the continental United States and Puerto Rico. Members include working journalists in newspapers, magazines, television, online, and broadcast news; journalism students; college professors; and others in related media fields. Its headquarters are in the National Press Building in Washington, D.C. Funding is derived from grants, corporate sponsorships, proceeds from an annual convention, scholarship dinners, and membership fees.

The NAHJ has contributed to a...Read More