Presidents of Three National Media Associations to Speak on Diversity in Journalism at Loyola University
NEW ORLEANS – The presidents of the national Black, Hispanic and Asian journalism associations will speak at Loyola University next week to discuss diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the journalism industry, particularly in the current political climate.
The forum, called “The State of Diversity in Journalism Today,” will feature Ken Lemon, President of the National Association of Black Journalists; Dunia Elvir, President of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists; and, Nicole Dungca, President of the Asian American Journalists Association. Lemon and Elvir will appear in person, while Dungca will attend via Zoom.
Gregory Lee Jr., the Marion M. and John S. Stokes Jr. Visiting Professor in Race and Culture in Media at Loyola, will moderate the forum, which will take place March 20 at 6:30 p.m. in Nunemaker Auditorium, on the third floor of the Monroe Science Complex.
“This is the first time in a long time that all of the presidents of these journalism associations are meeting together,” said Lee, himself a former president of the National Association of Black Journalists, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. “The conversation will focus on the current state of DEI in the industry, and what the media’s individual and collective responsibilities are, specifically with regard to advocacy and continued support.”
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) met with NBCUniversal’s head of diversity in late February to discuss recent changes affecting the Black voices seen and heard on the air every day, according to a statement from the organization.
The association called into question the removal of Joy Reid from her timeslot on MSNBC. Reid is a longtime journalist and host of “The ReidOut,” a major political commentary program.
The NABJ noted that other journalists and commentators representing diverse communities have been removed from their slots as well, according to the statement. Jim Acosta, a longtime anchor on CNN who is Hispanic, left the network recently, following CNN’s decision to move him to a midnight timeslot.
Acosta had criticized the Trump administration’s decision to ban the Associated Press from covering presidential events after the news organization decided against using the name Gulf of America in stories and instead would continue to use the AP Stylebook- preferred Gulf of Mexico.
In Trump’s first term, Acosta and the president engaged in a bitter feud, during which the White House revoked the journalist’s press badge after the president called Acosta “a rude, terrible person.”
The forum takes place as Loyola works to create the state’s first student chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) and the organization plans its annual convention in New Orleans in 2026.
The chapter will provide students with opportunities for professional development, networking and access to resources that support Hispanic and Latin journalists, said Michelle Rossi, an assistant professor of journalism at Loyola. Rossi, who is Latina, is serving as the advisor of the forthcoming NAHJ student chapter.