There’s no Los Angeles without Latinos.
It is unfortunately all too common that stories and news that affect Latino communities often go unnoticed or misrepresented by major media outlets. This can partially be attributed to the lack of Latinx representation within the workplace. The Los Angeles Times is one such place that is now facing pressure from Latinx journalists to reevaluate their hiring practices.
In an open letter, the journalists addressed the longtime paper’s history of racial disparaging, while also recognizing the contributions made by Latinx employees.
Latino journalists at the L.A. Times pen open letter for better newsroom representation https://t.co/Ad2jP6G3fD
— CHIRLA (@CHIRLA) July 21, 2020
To address these grievances, the journalists formed the Latin Caucus under the LA Times Guild, following in the footsteps of their Black co-workers. In solidarity, the group has listed demands including hiring Latinos in departments with little to no representation, addressing pay disparities, increased community engagement, and ensuring upward mobility for Latino staffers.
"Today, only 13% of The [Los Angeles] Times newsroom is Latino. Of 109 editors and managers, only 11% of them are Latino."
Last year's estimate from the Census Bureau was Latinx/Hispanics were 48.6% of the city of LA. https://t.co/vgl0WaWV5I#MoreLatinosinNews
— Nicole Hernandez (@NRHSJax) July 21, 2020
It’s time that Latinx stories are told accurately and that Latinx people get the chance to tell them. Hopefully, the demands of the Latin Caucus are seen through so that the LA Times can better represent its namesake city.
