Latino Journalist Job Fair Held on USC Campus
Video by Jonathan Tolliver
Young journalists flocked to a job fair aimed at increasing the number of Latinos in media.
The fair was put on by CCNMA: Latino Journalists of California. Organizers stressed that students and professionals of all races were welcome to attend.
The crowd was a mix of undergraduates from places as far away as Tuscon, Arizona. They nervously exchanged business cards with representatives from big-name media organizations like the Los Angeles Times and Fox Sports.
“I interned at a news organization in Tuscon and there was a lot of diversity in the newsroom,” said Zayro Jimenez, a broadcast journalism major at the University of Arizona. “That was cool to see. I’m not the only one here.”
Newsrooms have come under fire for not having enough Latino journalists on staff. The L.A. Times is only eight percent Latino, according to a 2012 poll by the American Society of News Editors.
Ricardo Sanchez stressed that “a lot of it is just about access.” He also said that culture is a factor.
“You know growing up especially in Latino households, journalism wasn’t looked at as a profitable career.”
The fair concludes tomorrow and is expected to draw even more employers, according to the event website.
