NAHJ Alarmed That Percentage of Hispanic Journalists Dropped In 2000.

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is alarmed that the percentage of Latino journalists working at English-language daily newspapers dropped slightly in 2000, according to the American Society of Newspaper Editors’ annual newsroom survey released April 3.

ASNE’s survey found that Latinos made up only 3.66 percent of all newsroom employees in 2000. In 1999, Latinos made up 3.68 percent of all newsroom employees. The percentage of journalists working in the nation’s newsrooms who are Hispanic has increased only 2.5 percent between 1982 and 2000.

Meanwhile, as the latest Census figures show, the U.S. Hispanic population, excluding Puerto Rico, has dramatically increased from 6.4 percent in 1982 (14.6 million) to 13.0 percent (35.3 million) in 2000.

Overall, the survey found that the percentage of journalists of color working at daily newspapers fell from 11.85 percent in 1999 to 11.64 percent last year. It is the first time that the percentage of journalists of color working at daily newspapers fell since ASNE began conducting its survey 23 years ago.

“This year’s survey, more than ever, reveals that the industry is in crisis,” said NAHJ President Cecilia Alvear, a producer at NBC News. “We believe the lack of Latinos and other journalists of color working at daily newspapers continues to undercut the industry’s credibility with the communities they serve. It is clear the industry has not made diversity, including intellectual diversity, a priority.”

The ASNE survey found that 600 journalists of color were hired into their first full-time job last year. But 698 journalists of color also left those newspapers during the same period in 2000.

“It is incomprehensible how the number of Latinos in the general population continues to grow and yet our newsroom numbers remain stagnant,” said Alvear. “Since these figures reflect last year’s picture when media organizations were making profits at an all time high, we are concerned that with this year’s economic downturn, the numbers will continue to fall because media companies are enacting cutbacks and layoffs. We look forward to working with ASNE as the organization begins to conduct research to examine the issue of retention.”