ASU to honor 2 influential Spanish-language journalists with 42nd Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism
Iconic Spanish-language journalists Jorge Ramos and María Elena Salinas will accept the 42nd Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.
Iconic Spanish-language journalists Jorge Ramos and María Elena Salinas will accept the 42nd Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, Arizona State University announced today.
The Cronkite Award — named for the late CBS News anchor — honors prominent journalists and media executives, recognizing the accomplishments and leadership of the recipient.
“This award is the confirmation that independent journalism, regardless of all the outside pressures, is the only way to have credibility,” Ramos said. “I’m honored to receive this award. It also means that we are not alone. And that is reassuring in these turbulent times.”
“It is truly an honor to receive the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism together with my friend and former co-anchor Jorge Ramos,” Salinas said. “Like Mr. Cronkite, we have always understood and embraced the responsibility that comes along with reporting and see journalism as a bastion of our democracy.”
Ramos and Salinas co-anchored Noticiero Univision, Univision’s Spanish-language newscast, for nearly three decades. After leaving the network, both embarked on new and ambitious opportunities as independent journalists. They are celebrated for their influential role in U.S. Spanish-language journalism, empowering Hispanic communities through their reporting and civic engagement initiatives.
Today, both continue telling stories to different audiences on different platforms and remain committed to journalism.
Ramos has a digital daily news series, "Así Veo las Cosas," featuring interviews and leaning into important conversations in the Latino community. He and his daughter, MSNBC host Paola Ramos, also have a podcast, "The Moment," which focuses on multigenerational conversations from a Latino point of view.
Salinas also has a podcast, "Cinco Preguntas," where she explores relevant and relational topics in the Latino community.
“María Elena Salinas and Jorge Ramos remain well recognized and meaningful contributors to the world of journalism,” said Battinto L. Batts Jr., dean of the Cronkite School. “Their continued relevance is not only an example of longevity, but of adaptability and innovation in these changing times. Going where audiences are and connecting with them is in the spirit of what the Cronkite Award represents, and we are pleased to honor them.”
Ramos spent more than 38 years at Univision and is widely considered “the Walter Cronkite of Latin America.” He won more than 10 Emmy Awards and the Maria Moors Cabot Prize for excellence in journalism, and is one of Time Magazine’s “Most Influential People.”
Called the “Voice of Hispanic America,” Salinas began as a reporter, anchor and host in Los Angeles in 1981. She, along with Ramos, founded the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and was inducted into its hall of fame in 2006. With numerous awards and accolades, she is also an author. Both also have a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.
Ramos and Salinas will receive the 42nd Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism on Feb. 24, at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown. Registration for the event is now open.
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