Ana Arana, is an investigative journalist who reports on Latin American criminal organizations. A former foreign correspondent, Arana was based in El Salvador and Colombia from 1987 to 1992, reporting for the Miami Herald, U.S. News & World Report, and The Baltimore Sun. She is a former staff reporter for the San Jose Mercury News and the Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel. Arana was Americas coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) from 1993-1995, and is a consultant for the Inter American Press Association (IAPA), where she conducts in-depth investigations on the murders of Latin American journalists. She has been the recipient of various fellowships including a Knight International Press Fellowship in 1998-1999; a Panos Institute Latin American fellowship, 1997; and a visiting fellowship at the Center for War, Peace and the News Media at New York University from 1999-2000. Arana’s reports have been published by Foreign Affairs, Marie Claire, Salon.Com, The Media Studies Journal, The Columbia Journalism Review, and The Village Voice, among others.
NPC Candid Conversation: How to Achieve Fair Representation of Hispanic & Latinx Media in Newsrooms
Dec 1 2022
WHEN:
Dec 1, 2022 at 12:00pm
WHERE:
Online
CONTACT INFO:
Fernanda Durand
MORE INFO:
Professional Development
This event is open only to NPC Members. Please login to register.
Did you know that Latino underrepresentation in the American media and entertainment industries has barely improved over the last decade? According to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, presented last month at the National Press Club by Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Tex, Latino journalists only represent 12% of employees in media organizations, despite making up nearly 19% of the U.S. population. Hispanic representation in the media workforce has grown at a slower pace (only 1%) than in non-media industries, which grew from 15 to 18%. Hispanic media workers are also less likely to hold management or leadership positions. According to the report, 7% of media workers are first and mid-level managers, only 3% represent senior and executive management. The report was the second of two GAO reports that addressed the underrepresentation of Latinos in the American media industry, film, Television, news, and publishing sectors.
In light of these findings, the National Press Club’s Communicators Team will host a virtual/online "Candid Conversation" on Thursday, Dec. 1 with prominent Latinx reporters and editors to explore ways to accelerate changes and arrive at fair representation in today’s newsrooms. The panelists will discuss why diversity programs have failed and what barriers continue to keep journalists from entering or advancing in their careers. They will also discuss the GAO’s recommendations and how journalists can help push for change in their own organizations.
Panelist include:
• Ana Arana, investigative journalist who reports on Latin American criminal organizations.
• Felix Contreras, co-creator and host, NPR Music’s Alt.Latino
• Silvia Foster-Frau, multicultural reporter for the Washington Post and vice president of the DC chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists
This virtual Candid Conversation will be facilitated by NPC Communicators Team member Fernanda Durand, a public affairs director at the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
NPC members may register online at https://bit.ly/3DMBOeA. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Felix Contreras is co-creator and host of Alt.Latino, NPR's pioneering radio show and podcast celebrating Latin music and culture since 2010. In addition to his post behind the mic, Contreras programs music from the Latin diaspora for the acclaimed Tiny Desk concerts and hosts a weekly Instagram Live interview with a wide-ranging roster of guests. A knowledgeable international ambassador for Latino heritage and arts, “Tio Felix '' travels extensively in search of new talent and new music and captures important legacy performers in jazz and Latin genres. As a leading voice on Latino culture, Contreras has been quoted by national and international publications on the contemporary influences of Latin culture, music, and media. He also gives speeches and moderates panels on cultural topics around the country. He’s a recovering TV journalist whose first post at NPR in 2001 was as a producer/reporter for the NPR News Arts Desk. He is also NPR’s resident Deadhead and performs as a drummer/percussionist around the DC area with various bands and groups.
Silvia Foster-Frau is a national reporter covering multiculturalism for The Washington Post, where she writes about how the country is changing racially, ethnically and culturally. She was previously the immigration reporter for the San Antonio Express-News and covered the 2017 Sutherland Springs mass shooting, embedding in the community for over a year. She is vice-president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists - D.C. chapter board and former president of the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists. She received her bachelor’s in English from Grinnell College.
Fernanda Durand is a former journalist and communicator with decades of experience in advocacy communications. She currently serves as the Director of Public Affairs of Science is US, a campaign out of the American Association for the Advancement of Science that works with state organizations to uplift the role of evidence-based research and STEM in state governments. Fernanda graduated from the London School of Economics and Political Science, receiving her Master’s in Communication and Development. She is originally from Argentina and grew up in Texas.