The largest group of Hispanic journalists in the United States rescinded Fox News’s sponsorship of its next annual conference in Texas, returning almost $17,000 in response to a radio host’s comments about Latino immigrants.
Hugo Balta, president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), said the group made the decision because Fox News radio host Todd Starnes has repeatedly used prejudiced language toward immigrants.
“It is important that news organizations do not use or provide a biased slang platform disguised as an opinion that misrepresents the facts,” said Balta, who works at MSNBC, a Fox News rival.
Accepting financial support from Fox News “puts the integrity and credibility of NAHJ’s 35-year mission at risk,” he continued. “To remain silent before it is, in essence, to be complicit in the act itself.”
Marsheila Hayes, vice president of diversity and inclusion in Fox News, said the decision was unfortunate.
“We are committed to promoting a diverse and collaborative work environment, and we have been recognized in the industry for our advances in this area, especially in our multimedia reporter program,” he said. “We are proud of our inclusive team and their achievements in journalism.”
The NAHJ co-sponsors the Conference of Excellence in Journalism with the Association of Digital News in Radio and Television and the Society of Professional Journalists. The event will take place in September in San Antonio at a time when Latinos across the country have been restless since the murder of 22 people this month in a shooting at a Walmart in El Paso.
Police said the assailant confessed that he intended to kill Mexicans, and they believe he is probably the author of a manifesto writing in which he called Hispanics “invaders.”
