Judges Selected For Top 100 Journalist Competition.

Six national experts on Hispanic media accepted the responsibility of selecting the top 100 Hispanic journalists in the United States for the Hispanic Media 100 gala, to be held in Miami later this year. These judges will also choose the members of the recently established Hispanic Media Ring of Honor, a celebration of those pioneers who paved the way for today’s Spanish-language journalists.

“The Hispanic Media 100 honorees represent the highest ideals and execution of Spanish-language journalism in our country,” said Chris Day, CEO of TJFR Group. “It took more than 200 years to organize a national event to honor and celebrate the past, the present and the future of the Hispanic media in the United States. That task could only be accomplished with the invaluable cooperation of these six prestigious judges,” he added.

Mario Diament is an associate professor at Florida International University (FIU), in Miami. Diament is the coordinator of FIU’s Master’s Program in Spanish-language journalism.

Dr. Nicolás Kanellos is the director of the Recovery Project at the University of Houston. Dr. Kanellos wrote several books about the Hispanic legacy and culture in the United States.

Jim Medina is the Managing Editor at Hispanic Business Magazine.

Dr. Oscar Somoza is a professor at the University of Denver. He has done extensive research on Latin American and Chicano literature with an special focus on Hispanic newspapers in the South West.

Beatriz Garcia is the executive business editor at the Miami Herald, where she writes about technology and telecommunications.

Helena Berdote is a research executive at Hispanic Trends, a polling and media analysis center in Coral Gables, FL.

The Hispanic Media 100 gala will be held on Saturday, August 23, 2001, in Miami, at the Biscayne Bay Marriott. A portion of the proceeds from the gala will provide scholarships for the journalism program at FIU. The gala will also benefit the Recovery Project, a project aiming to recover Spanish-language media at the University of Houston.

“It is the first major Hispanic media event of the 21st Century. With this event we will honor and rescue the past, celebrate and recognize the present, and help to be the future of Hispanic journalism,” said Day. “We anticipate the presence of representatives of hundreds of Hispanic organizations from all over the country, and a growing number of national and regional sponsors for the gala”.

For more information at http://www.hispanicmedia100.org.