Web Journalist Blog

NOTE: I am a product of NAHJ — from a student to now a inducted into this great organization’s Hall of Fame. In 2022 the conference gathered in Las Vegas and, while I wrote this speech, I didn’t get a chance to deliver it. I had a small time window so I gave a light version of it. So, here it is in its entirety.

We come to this place for magic.

We come to NAHJ to laugh, to cry, to care. Because we need that, all of us.

That indescribable feeling we get when we see each other… and realize we are not alone.

Shoutout to the three people who got those wise words. Thank you Nicole.

NAHJ, I know I am between you and dancing with drinks, but when you get a stage like this, you have to use it to say some things.

First, thank you to NAHJ… the board for giving me this honor. This staff… my god, this staff. Yunuen, Leslie-Anne…. Yaneth, mi hermana salvadoreña. From Ivan Roman to Alberto Mendoza. And welcome David!

Thank you to Veritas group – BA and team.

Thank you to so many people whose shoulders I am standing on. As a student, I applied for the student projects and got into student campus… the following year to the Latino Reporter.

Thank you to the mentors then – like Regina Media and, a legend, Jon O’neill – and mentors now, including at USC. Marilyn Garateix for nominating me – please go vote, and give Marilyn that vote of support. Michelle Johnson, Doug Mitchell… the JOC Slack, my D&D crew on the JOC Slack.

So. Many. People.

When someone pitched the idea of getting this nomination, I asked if it could be awarded to my family rather than me.

We all know the truth – whatever sacrifice we do for our careers, our family sacrifices too.

Y’all know the membership drive that took us to 3,000? I was suppose to be on vacation.

But when I asked my wife, Connie, about the idea of the family honor she said, and I quote, “the hell is the matter with you?!”

Connie, baby, monster… thank you for being the best friend and best editor. Y’all, I turn to her for advice and guidance and she has saved me so many times.

She also ran the student online projects when I did years ago… she is a lifetime member… she is as worthy of this recognition as I am, but she will never take that attention.

I love you.

You know, reflecting on my career I have been involved with and made some incredible things.

But none of those… not one… compares to co-creating my son, Nico. Many of you have seen him grow up here at NAHJ, starting at the Puerto Rico conference.

Nico, I am jealous – jealous – of the man you have become. I am so proud of you. Maybe talk back a little less, but never let anyone shut you up. Me included. (I am going to regret that.)

Many of you may not know this, but alongside Nico at conferences has been my mom who is here tonight.

Talk about sacrifices.

She cleaned houses – like many of your parents did – to pave the way for me to stand on this stage.

She moved us back to El Salvador when my alcoholic dad – who I love with all of his faults, RIP – was too much, to put it lightly.

My mom often apologized to me for moving us to El Salvador.

Mami, yo estoy aqui solo por tus sacrificios. Gracias por todo que has hecho por mi y mis hermanos.

NAHJ, family is important and when I look at this room I see my journalism family.

And, sometimes, we need to have some tough family talks.

I know your struggles in your careers, your newsrooms with that boss.

Micro and maco aggressions.

I know it is tough.

Like a wise man said, for many of us, “we have to be more Mexican than the Mexicans and more American than the Americans” … salvi in my case.

I know it is tough.

But the industry – the world – is better because you are in it.

Don’t just settle to be in the room, any more. Own that seat at the table. And build the next table.

NAHJ, I need to say some things.

Being in support of human rights is not a bias stance… supporting human rights does not threaten objectivity.

Women’s rights are human rights.

Therefore, supporting a women’s right to choice needs to be embraced and amplified.

I am a catholic man, cis male… while my faith guides me, you don’t need a higher power to see that love is love… that pronouns are not a threat… that this country was built on the backs of slaves and immigrants.

As a kid I always wondered what I would have done if I was around during Nazi times… well… we live in interesting times.

White supremacists are here. They are as insecure as ever, willing to kill people that look like us… that may love differently. That may speak differently… that identify differently.

Newsroom leaders, if you are not up to meet this moment – where our exists is treated as a bias or a threat – step aside. Because there is a flood of talent that is ready to drown out this hate without having the false “both sides” bullshit.

Step aside. ¡Movete!

Where my students at?

Todos, do you have $35? Donate that small amount to pay for memberships to students and other Latine journos who need that help.

Todos, follow my footsteps and drink too much… and overcommit… and become a life time NAHJ member. Best drunk decision I ever made… they do payment’s y’all.

Each of you is playing an important role and do not forget that.

We are still in the middle of a world pandemic, so it is okay to be exhausted… depressed… worried…. and oh so fucking tired.

But do not give up. You have so many people to prove wrong and voices como nuestros to elevate.

Our heroes feel like the best parts of us, and stories feel perfect and powerful…

Because here… they are.

Gracias!

Fun fact: In addition to getting this prestigious honor, I also got COVID for the first time.

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists held a virtual graduation for Latnix students who graduated this year and I was asked to join an incredible group of journalists to give a 5-minute speech.

The event featured Latino/a leaders and role models in the industry, including special remarks from keynote speaker María Elena Salinas alongside Maria Hinojosa, José Díaz-Balart, Fin Gómez, Obed Manuel-Estrada, Joy Diaz and more.

For those interested, here is my speech:

Hola todos,

It is a genuine honor to get to speak to you today… congratulations on your HUGE achievement.

I want to start with a simple statement: there is no pipeline problem.

Managers like to say they just can’t find qualified journalists of color when hiring for a position.

We know that is a lie… How? Simply because you exist.

You prove them wrong.

You have been proving them wrong before college… and you will have to continue to prove them wrong after college.

Look, you deserve to be hired.

Your voice deserves to be heard.

Your work deserves to be supported.

You deserve equal pay for equal work.

You deserve mentorship and growth.

You will deserve that promotion.

But, the reality is, you might not get it.

And that’s not okay.

Here’s the thing: you don’t have to settle for their answer.

You are going to have to continue to fight to get what you deserve… and it won’t be easy.

To quote a wise man: “We gotta be more Mexican than the Mexicans and more American than the Americans, both at the same time. It’s exhausting!”

For the record, I’m not Mexican. Pues, I’m Salvi. ??

But the point is still the same… we have to work harder than others to get what we deserve.

It’s tiring.

It’s frustrating.

It is not fair.

But it is extremely important.

We need your voices.

Our diverse communities need your perspective – need your physical presence – in our newsrooms across the country.

I’ve been in newsrooms where the janitor and I were the only Latinos.

I’ve been in newsrooms – big ones – where me and a Korean guy were the only ones who spoke Spanish.

I learned, somewhat reluctantly, that I needed to own a seat at the table.

It is scary… to take that seat – I am talking about a literal seat – at the table during the morning meeting or A1 meeting.

But I took that seat.

And we need you to take that seat too… not only for our community, but for every community that isn’t at the table.

Yes, sometimes we will have to build our own table.

Sometimes we have to take a smaller seat.

Sometimes we’ll be at the head of the table.

But we have to make sure we’re in the room and at that table.

It’s exhausting, but important.

As you continue your journey and dive into your careers, I want you to remember two things:

1. As our Queen says: Always stay gracious. The best revenge is your paper.

2. And, lastly, don’t give up. You’ve still got a lot of motherf*ckers to prove wrong.

Congratulations Class of 2020, Class of COVID19, Class of The Uprising.

Continue to prove them wrong and Fight On!

NOTE: I quickly wrote up this post right before a flight and haven’t really copyedited yet.

Diversity and inclusion is a challenge that often feels like an overwhelming problem that we, as individuals, don’t seem to have the influence or resources to tackle.

We commonly say “I’m not hiring” or “I don’t have money to make an impact” and all these may be true.

But, as SXSW opens PanelPicker, CES calls for speakers, and conferences like NAHJ18 and ONA18 are quickly approaching, I wanted to share some practical things YOU can do to make a difference.

1. Pitch a session! There is a difference between those on stage and those sitting in the audience, and often it’s not the level of expertise. It’s about who took the time to fill out a form and who didn’t. You are qualified to be on a panel about something you are genuinely passionate about. Invest some time to fill out a form increase the likelihood of unlocking some financial support to attend the industry conference, ranging from registration to travel and lodging.
2. But don’t make your session about diversity. I have been on countless of diversity focused panels, typically presented to a nearly empty room. My most recent one was at SXSW and that will be my last “diversity” panel. My new approach, and one that I recommend to you, is to be on the leading topics of our industry. I – like many of women and people of color – are qualified to be on panels besides the topic of diversity. And being on non-diversity related panel helps normalize that women and people of color are naturally among the experts about the topic. And, let’s be real, more people will attend a non-diversity related panel.
3. Recruit a reflect panel. If your session was selected, make sure your panelists are representative of our diverse community. Do you best to include panelists from diverse backgrounds to debunk any stereotypes. Don’t only think about gender, ethnicity and sexual orientation, but think geography, size of their organization, skill/experience level, etc. The panelists should not look all like you or share your background.
4. Panelist rather than organizer. If you aren’t the organizer, you still have some influence about who is participating in the session. Ask how diverse the panelist group is and offer to recruit someone qualified that also looks different from the rest of the panel. Often you are help the organizer out. If it is all male, I really encourage you to give up your spot and recruit a replacement that reflects diversity. This simple and powerful step really amplifies others.
5. Give away your registration. If you are employed, I highly encourage you to ask your employer to pay for your conference related expenses. And, if the conference is offering to cover your expenses STILL HAVE YOUR EMPLOYER pay. And giveaway your conference – and possibly the other resources – to someone else. Look, they were going to pay anyway and they were going to comp you anyway… why not pay it forward to someone who needs help. Everybody wins.

I have done each of these – multiple times for years. I have no money. I have a kid to fund. I am not hiring anyone. But these simple ways can have large impact.

If you truly care about inclusion and diversity in our industry – or any other industry – try a few of these tips to help make a real impact.

Please let me know if you have other tips and if you have done these too. We have more influence than we think.

I am a product of NAHJ.

Since I first attended the Student Campus when I was in community college to planning the curriculum for this year’s conference in Miami. I have run the Student Online Project for more than five years, help organize what was then called the “New Media Tracks” and served on the board for a few years.

And after much thought, I have decided to throw my name into the race to be the Academic At-Large officer serving on the national board.

tl;dr version:
I need your help. If you are an NAHJ member in good standing, please email this nomination statement to elections@nahj.org and r.hernandez@usc.edu. Thank you!

The long version:
First, I have to admit I normally preach about new leadership to head up organizations like ours because we need to evolve and change to reflect the world we work and live in. We need modern leaders for these modern times. Not the same old talking points and passive organizations from years past. Why look back when we need to move forward?

Because of that thinking, I was reluctant to serve on the board again. Why should I return when there should be new faces that can lead?

So much has changed in my career since I served. In all honesty, I feel like I was a kid when I was first on the board, trying to normalize the digital’s role in journalism just over 10 years ago. That sounds crazy, but that was the struggle for journalists working online.

Now, after two decades in this industry, I think we need bold leadership that delivers on empowering our members. We can’t complain about the lack of diversity. A hashtag is not enough. We have to empower ourselves, because we are the ones who will fight for us and for inclusion.

I think the training I have organized for our conference is in line with the changes and the direction we need to go in.

I think I do bring a perspective that NAHJ needs.

And, I’ll be honest, if the bylaws allowed it…. I’d be running for president of NAHJ this year.

Our bylaws are out of date. You don’t get corrupted by taking a different type of media job. Once a journalist, always a journalist. Once a passionate member of NAHJ, always a member of NAHJ.

People who know me know that I am a reluctant academic. I am more a hackademic. But if that is the only spot I can run for to serve on the board, then so be it.

I stand with NAHJ.

Just as NAHJ has stood with me. Throughout my entire career adult life.

I hope you vote (our turnout rate is horrible!)… and you consider voting for me to continue to serve NAHJ.

Gracias,

Robert

Raul was my professor.

Raul was tough.

I am not sure how I passed that investigative reporting class at San Francisco State… but he taught me about the integrity, the power and responsibility of journalism… and of those who practice it.

Raul was a mentor.

Raul was a friend.

The image above was from the back of the card handed out at his memorial held in Berkeley on January 12, 2014. It’s an excerpt form his journal, written in the early 1980s:

Yes. It is difficult, but not impossible if your heart and mind remain open to life, to people and to the possibility that Love can be. Not difficult, if you are willing to risk, to grow, and perhaps to hurt.

Raul was truly a great man… a mentor to so many… a role model, on many fronts.

He will be missed.

It was about a year that I was boarding my plane headed back to the West Coast, recharged and inspired by SXSW12.

By the time I landed, I had coded and launched this new project.

Man, what a difference a year makes.

Frustrated (and starting to get desperate) with finding partners to collaborate/experiment with, I figured I should put off the inevitable and teach myself code. I know I wouldn’t be the best coder — like I’m not the best audio storytelling or photographer — but I respected the craft and know its power.

I had been director of development for seattletimes.com where we designed and built cool shit, which was ahead of its time… and now feels… so… quaint.

In my quest for dev skills, I tried a variety of different non-journalism, code classes… from video to web-based tutorials. I, as ONA pre-conference and NAHJ conference coordinator, recruited friends and colleagues to craft custom journalism focused all-day coding workshops.

I even offered a (nearly free) all-day, intro to Python bootcamp at USC Annenberg thanks to the awesome PyLadies.

For the record, while this benefited the community as a whole, I was doing it for me. And none of it worked… for me.

But after SXSW, inspired by Codecademy‘s Code Year (even though I had given up on it like other New Year’s resolutions) and a curious user of Google+ Hangouts, I created the Learn Code for Journalism with Me project.

Yes, it’s a loooooong name. My partner-in-crime Kim Bui openly hates it. I know.

But it comes from a series of projects I’ve hung around the domain journalismwith.me.

Anyway, the idea was a simple one and the reaction to it was overwhelming. I was clearly on to something… and I wasn’t the only one trying to solve this.

Cindy Royal of Texas State University was trying to build a curriculum, Dave Stanton (who was joining two other friends and myself in launching a cooperative consulting firm) had expressed interest and I’m sure others were trying to grapple with this issue.

But, again, what a difference a year makes.

As I wait for my plane to take me back to the City of Angels still recovering from SXSW13, the landscape for this has completely changed.

There are two projects I want to point out:

First is Sisi Wei‘s Code with me project that offers weekend coding bootcamps for about $85.

Second is For Journalism, the successfully-funded kickstarter from Stanton, which will create journalism-focused coding tutorials.

Outside giving money to For Journalism and being a cross-country supporter of Code with me, I had nothing to do with their launches.

Even if their project names sound familiar, as people have point out … to be fair, my loooong title clearly had all the right words required for any successful coding for journalism project aimed to empower the community.

For my little project that is reaching its year anniversary, I didn’t have the bandwidth to make tshirts to use crowd funding.

It was just me.

Actually, it’s not just me anymore.

It’s me and my amazing cohort of determined classmates-turned-friends that still meet every Monday at 3PM PT via Google+ Hangouts since April of last year.

We’ve abandoned Code Year and have been developing our own journalism-based, project-focused coding lessons. We’re teaching each other code and hoping to share what we learn with others.

You can hear about the LCFJWM phase 2 in this View Source podcast interview or read about what I’ve learned in this post.

What a difference a year makes. And I am so glad talented people have come into this mix and found ways to address this need… in ways I couldn’t have for lack of the bandwidth or connections.

God only knows what the next year will bring, but we all know we’re going to benefit from this work.

After a lot of work by the university, journalism school, faculty, but, most importantly, students, I am proud to announce the launch of the Ruben Salazar Archive site: http://www.rubensalazarproject.com

As part of an experimental directed research course, led by Félix Gutiérrez and myself, nine students had access to the legendary Los Angeles reporter’s personal archive, which was donated by his family to the university.

These students were among the first at the university to review the items, most was which were unknown to us, as part of the class to try to tell the private story of a public figure.

As the students indexed and digitized the content of these boxes, each one of them identified a story to tell to help bring this historical figure’s past come to life.

The work resulted in this rich site, which includes an interactive timeline (it looks amazing on a tablet).

The students were:
Elaine Baran, Melissa Caskey, Juan Espinoza, Regina Graham, Gustavo Gutierrez, Grace Jang, Elena Kadvany, Bianca Ojeda and Frances Vega

Learn more about the project here.

Richard Prince‘s Journal-isms reports that Hartford Courant has killed it’s embarrassing Google Translate site. If you recall, I wrote about the horrible site last month.

Instead the Courant has developed Noticias, “a 100-percent Spanish language news site produced by our newsroom,” said Gary Weitman, spokesman for the parent Tribune Co.

Glad they came to their sense. And I sincerely wish them luck in their new venture.

Como una cortesía para The Courant, por demostrando ignorancia y falta de respeto a su propia comunidad, déjeme decir: lo cagaron.

If you were to translate this using Google Translate, guess what… it would be wrong. Anyone who is bilingual wouldn’t be surprised. But they would be surprised in hearing that a news organization would solely depend on using this primitive service as their “Spanish-language strategy.”

Sadly, this isn’t a joke: Hartford Courant’s Spanish site is Google Translate by Poynter

But, instead of just being disgusted or insulted by The Courant’s “strategy,” let me offer some tips for an actual strategy:

I preach experimentation, risk taking and embracing failure. You experimented and took a risk… and you failed. Oh, did you fail.

Learn from your big mistake and start genuinely engaging with your own diverse community.

Do you have any tips for The Courant or any other news organization trying to serve its Latino community? Please share them in the comments.

Oh, and if you are wondering, here’s how I’d translate my statement:

As a courtesy to The Courant, for displaying its ignorance and lack of respect to its own community, let me say: you fucked up.

Friend and colleague Mekahlo Medina, who is the NAHJ Unity board representative and who is also running to be on the NAHJ national board of directors, has created a series of promotional videos to get people excited about this summer’s journalism conference in Vegas.

I’m Unity’s co-program chair (along with AP‘s Paul Cheung, who is running to be AAJA‘s next president), and one of our goals was to truly take advantage of the conference’s diversity and have a fully integrated and progressive convention.

Here’s a video Medina produced after a quick interview with me yesterday:

Unity 2012 Las Vegas Robert Hernandez from Mekahlo Medina on Vimeo.

In case you don’t know, the Unity conference brings the Asian American Journalists Association, Native American Journalism Association, National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalism Association together for a MEGA convention that happens only every four years.

• Here’s the conference programming: http://www.unityconvention.org/program.cfm
• Pre-registration for the conference ends June 29th… so go register! http://www.bit.ly/UNITY12reg

Clearly I am biased, but take my word for it… this will truly be a progressive, diverse conference. Cheung and I did a BlogTalk radio discussing why you should attend UNITY12.

For the lastest Unity 2012 news, make sure you check out the conference Tumblr: http://unity12convention.tumblr.com/