Poynter Online
Go


Top Story

Young Journalists Use Facebook Ads to Reach Prospective Employers
Most Recent Articles
1.A lot of people claim they watch "NewsHour," but...
12:02 PM Feb. 9, 2010
2.Glitches, Delays Disrupt Plans for Virtual Border Fence
11:33 AM Feb. 9, 2010
3.KTVU sees 300% increase in mobile Web traffic
11:08 AM Feb. 9, 2010
4.Young Journalists Use Facebook Ads to Reach Prospective Employers
5:20 AM Feb. 9, 2010
5.What Great Bosses Know about 'No Surprises'
4:20 PM Feb. 8, 2010
Most E-mailed
Recent Comments
Recent Tags
Community Activity

Poynter Training
Poynter Seminars
Small, in-person training experiences.
1.NewsU: Picture Editing 101: Essentials and Ethics
Apply NOW
2.Poynter Fellowship for College Journalists
Apply by March 1
3.Making Your Opinion Matter
Apply by March 22

News University
Today's most popular courses on NewsU, Poynter's e-learning site for journalists.
Webinars
Our online classroom is just a click away. Learn more.
All Webinars

Poynter Forums

View Forum Post

Topic: Letters Sent to Romenesko
Date/Time: 6/29/2006 12:02:21 PM
Title: Diaz wasn't misquoted, she says
Posted By: Jim Romenesko
 
From MONICA RHOR, Orange County Register: This letter was sent to the editor of the Miami New Times on June 28.)

To the Editor:

In his column "Wrong Way Out," Chuck Strouse addresses the importance of increasing the number of Latino journalists at the country's newspapers. He also talks about a controversy caused by an article published in the Latino Reporter about the Parity Project, a program created by the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) to remedy that problem.

I was the editor of the Latino Reporter, a newspaper published during the
convention, and am also a long-standing member of NAHJ. The column was right in driving home the point that we need to focus our energy and
attention on efforts to increase Latino representation on newspaper staffs
and to improve coverage of Latino communities. However, I would like to
clarify some facts in the column, and also to reiterate the reasons behind
the stand I took as editor of the Latino Reporter, which is an NAHJ project designed to train college students to be good journalists. During the NAHJ convention, the students work as photographers and reporters under the guidance of professional journalists who volunteer as editors. This year's crop of students were exceptionally gifted.They were overflowing with good story ideas, and brimming with drive and enthusiasm. And it saddens me that the accomplishments of such a talented group are being overshadowed by a debate which I consider unwarranted.

The bottom line is NAHJ's Financial Director Sam Diaz was not misquoted.
We did not publish a correction or clarification because he was quoted
accurately. The story itself presented a balanced look at the Parity Project, and how it is doing after three years. The project's successes and failings were both addressed, as was the current state of the newspaper industry and the effect that has had on hiring in general.

When I told Sam Diaz of my decision, he continued to insist on a
correction and asked me if he could write a Letter to the Editor about the
matter. I did not suggest that to him, as the column indicated. Due to
obvious time and space constraints, The Latino Reporter does not regularly run Letters to the Editor. In the end, I decided it would not be ethical if we made an exception to run a letter simply because of pressure from an NAHJ board member. I did not want to send the students the message that newspapers may bend their standards when they are pressed by persons in power.

I hope the students learned that journalists must stand up to special
interests no matter how much pressure they exert or criticism they sling. I hope they learned the importance of taking good notes, and accurate quotes, and that a fair, balanced, well-reported story is the best defense against those who will question their reporting.

Despite this incident, I still believe strongly in NAHJ. It is a good organization that provides much needed support and advocacy for Latino
journalists. However, it is also our job as Latino professionals to serve
as role models for our students, to show through example that we can be
successful journalists without sacrificing our values and personal integrity. As Latino journalists, we already face too many battles in real-life newsrooms. We should not be fighting the same battles with our own people.

Thank you,

Monica Rhor
Investigative Reporter
Orange County Register

[Permalink]

View Complete Forum Topic

Username
Password
New User? Signup Now
Poynter Careers
See All Jobs
Add Your Resume
Post Your Job
Become a Member
More media jobs