Trailblazing Spanish-language journalists remind students that choosing journalism is a privilege
Jorge Ramos and María Elena Salinas accept the 42nd Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism during a luncheon at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown on Feb. 24. Photo by Micah Rind/Cronkite School
Iconic Spanish-language journalists Jorge Ramos and María Elena Salinas accepted the 42nd Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism on Tuesday, Feb. 24, during a luncheon at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown.
“They made a global impact,” said Battinto L. Batts Jr., dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. “Their work exemplifies the core principles Walter Cronkite valued.”
Ramos told students in attendance that good journalists have to be willing to ask the tough questions of those in power, even when they’re afraid.
“You will feel the fear, but good journalists overcome it and challenge governments,” Ramos said. “I believe that we, as journalists, have the responsibility to be 'contrapoderTo hold power accountable, and a reference to the title of Ramos' Spanish-language podcast..'”
Nearly 1,000 people attended the event, ranging from local on-air personalities to national media representatives, community service leaders and Cronkite School students.
During a panel discussion with Cronkite School students the day before, Ramos and Salinas highlighted the impact and importance of their work, and that message continued through the week. They noted the importance of serving Spanish-speaking audiences in all aspects of life.
“Members of the community wanted to take pictures with me, and I was taken aback because I wasn’t a singer or telenovela actress,” Salinas said. “They thanked me for promoting a job or health fair, and they would not have had access to that information in their language if it wasn’t for Spanish-language media.”
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, something noted by this year’s student speaker, Natalia Velador Carrillo.
“Like many Latinos across the nation, Jorge and María Elena were fixtures in our home,” Carrillo said. “They are a reminder that our differences and identities should not be a barrier but an asset, and that anything can be accomplished with ambition and integrity. Watching them fueled my desire to pursue journalism.”
Watch the acceptance speech
The co-anchors and longtime friends are the first Spanish-language journalists to receive the Cronkite Award. Salinas celebrated that milestone and challenged students to use the power of journalism to improve their communities.
“You win by choosing a profession that allows you to be the vessel that provides vital information to society,” Salinas said. “It’s a privilege. Use it wisely. Use it responsibly. And I can’t wait to see how this generation reinvents the way we deliver and consume our news.”
Ramos reflected on the legacy of the namesake of the award he received.
“What do you think Walter Cronkite would have done as a journalist these days?” he asked. “I’m not sure, but I found a quote that meets the moment. ‘Freedom of the press is not just important to democracy; it is democracy.’ Thank you, Walter.”
The Cronkite Award honors leading journalists and media executives, recognizing the accomplishments and leadership of the recipients, and raises funds to support Cronkite students through scholarships and other programming.
Previous Cronkite Award recipients include broadcast journalists David Muir, Gayle King, Al Roker, Lester Holt, Robin Roberts, Anderson Cooper, Scott Pelley, Christiane Amanpour, Judy Woodruff and Gwen Ifill; sportscasters Al Michaels and Bob Costas; newspaper journalists Dean Baquet, Ben Bradlee, Helen Thomas and Bob Woodward; and media executives Katharine Graham, Al Neuharth and William Paley, among many others.
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