Interview with Jorge Ramos, anchor, Noticiero Univision

By Luis Carlos Lopez, CQS ‘10

When Jorge Ramos came to the United States from his native Mexico in 1983, he knew he wanted to be a journalist. Three years later, at age 28, he would become one of the youngest anchors in the history of American television, one of the most decorated Hispanic journalists in the history of American journalism and one of the most admired journalists among Hispanics worldwide.

Jorge Ramos, anchor for “Noticiero Univision.” (Photo credit: Univision)

In his nearly quarter-century as anchor for Noticiero Univision, Ramos has covered four wars and dozens of world-shaping events. He has interviewed numerous world leaders, including Cuba’s Fidel Castro, Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and U.S. presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. In the process, Ramos has become the voice and face of Hispanic television around the globe.

The Wall Street Journal has called him “Star newscaster of Hispanic TV” and “key to a huge voting bloc.” Time magazine named him among “the 25 most influential Hispanics in the United States.” Latino Leaders magazine chose him as one of “The Ten Most Admired Latinos” and “101 Top Leaders of the Latino Community in the U.S.” In his 2002 book “No Borders: A Journalist’s Quest for Home,” Ramos sums up his career in numbers: 60 presidents, four political conventions, four wars, two terrorist attacks, two death threats, two assassinations, two emergency landings, two decades as a reporter, and thousands of reports, both written and on the air.

I interviewed Ramos in early May, inside my van, after we pulled over on the road about an hour east of Los Angeles. Ramos had a short window I couldn’t miss. During the 12-minute chat, my Blackberry was on speaker phone, my right hand shaking as I held the recorder. Those short 12 minutes left a lasting impression, as I knew they would.

Reporting Career

Luis Lopez: Mr. Ramos, what is the hardest thing you have to cope with when reporting?

Jorge Ramos: It’s not an easy job, and nowadays with the economic crisis, it’s very difficult. I’m seeing lots of my friends losing their jobs. But I think that to be a journalist now is more important than ever before. With so many sources of information, you need professional journalists to help you find out what’s really important, what’s relevant and what’s not relevant.

On the other hand, it’s not easy to be a journalist if you are in Colombia, Honduras or Mexico, because you are living in danger. People are killing journalists in those countries. And of course that’s the most difficult thing for me.

Q: What has been your favorite experience to date as a journalist?

A: There’s no question that going to a war — and coming back alive — gives you a lot of happiness and pleasure. I can also say that the fact that I’ve been able to talk to dozens of presidents from all around the world has given me a privileged position. I would say those two things are what I appreciate the most.

Journalism has given me a ticket to the world. I was in awe when I first started traveling as a journalist, and I still am. It’s something that very few people can achieve. I’m very proud of that.

Q: What keeps the job fresh even after all these years?

A: The great thing about being a journalist is that every day is different. I became a journalist because I wanted two things: One, I wanted to interview those who were changing history; two, I wanted to be a witness to history. That hasn’t changed for the last 30 years. That’s what keeps it fresh. Every day is completely different. Journalism is a job that forces you to stay young, at least young at heart. The possibility of questioning those who are in power on a daily basis — those who are in position of authority — that is something you can’t find in any other profession.

Hispanics in Media and Society

Q: Mr. Ramos, you’ve talked in the past about the “Christopher Columbus syndrome,” the cyclical practice of the media’s “discovering” Hispanics every time there’s a national election. This prompts mainstream media to look for “experts” in Hispanic issues. You seem to be the face of Hispanics on almost every issue. How do you feel about leading such legacy?

A: I can’t think about legacy when I’m only 52. But I can tell you that Latinos will become the majority in this country. In less than 100 years, there will be more Hispanics than non-Hispanic whites. In other words, we are in the middle of a truly demographic revolution that is changing absolutely everything — from the way we eat to the way we listen to music to the way politics is conducted.

Q: Can you explain “to the way politics is conducted”?

A: Just a few years ago, it would have been impossible to say that Latinos were going to have a crucial (role in) party politics in America. But nowadays, without the Hispanic vote, no one can make it to the White House. I’m completely convinced the first Hispanic president, or presidenta, has been born, and we are changing the face of America.

Q: The top issue among Latinos is immigration. You have voiced strong support for the immigrant community. With all the anti-immigration sentiment in the Southwest and elsewhere in the United States, do you think the future for Latinos remains optimistic?

A: The future for Latinos is very bright. I’m very optimistic about the role of Latinos in the future of the United States. The problem right now is that we have millions of Latinos who are undocumented, or not U.S. citizens yet, and they can’t vote. But as soon as the immigration process is underway, and as more Latinos become U.S. citizens, you’ll notice a major shift in the media and in politics.

This issue is going to be with us, not only for many decades, but for many centuries. What is important for Hispanic journalists is to bring immigration issues, or Hispanic or Latin American issues (into the mainstream), because this is something you can’t find in English-language newscasts. That’s what makes us different. I would say that the United States has a Latino future.

Young Journalists and the Future

Q: Mr. Ramos, what do you think the future holds for young Latino journalists who want to demonstrate ability in communicating news in both English and Spanish?

A: Spanish is very important. I’m convinced that we, as Latinos, are underrepresented in politics. We are underrepresented in the media, and our role as journalists, both in English and Spanish, is to bring up points of view that are forgotten in the English-language media. As journalists, we have to be capable of covering any story—in Bulgaria, in France, in South Africa—but at the same time, we have the responsibility to bring up some of the issues that are forgotten in the media.

Q: How do you suggest that young Hispanic — or any race or ethnicity, for that matter — balance their goal of fair, accurate, contextual coverage of the news with their emotional connection to issues of their ethnicity?

A: I can’t forget that I was born in Mexico. I can’t forget that I was an immigrant in the United States, even though I’m now a U.S. citizen. But I just follow the standards. We have to cover this issue and give both (sides). In the end I think that we are right—that this is also our country, that this country was founded by immigrants, that immigrants are the future of the United States, and we simply can’t forget that. It’s not easy to stay balanced.

Q: What advice do you have for young journalists of color coming into the newsroom today? Also, with all the changes in technology and declining jobs in newsrooms, how should young Hispanic journalists better prepare for their careers in the newsroom?

A: The media are changing very rapidly. The kind of journalism that we are doing right now is going to probably be non-existent in just a few decades, so we have to be technologically savvy. But at the same time, we can’t forget that the most important social role of a journalist is to prevent the abuse of those who are in power. That is our role as journalist.

It doesn’t matter who is in power; our mission is to question. It doesn’t matter if you do it in English or Spanish. Without journalism, there can be no democracy; there can be no justice in a society. Despite the fact that many journalists are paying attention to the form, to the way we broadcast news, we can’t forget that when it comes to content, our role is precisely to be the counterbalance to those who are in power.

Luis Carlos Lopez is an intern for Hispanic Link News Service in Washington, D.C. A journalism graduate of Arizona State University, he is a Scripps Howard fellow. Originally from California, he has had internships as a photographer and reporter for Arcadia News and the Valleysportsledger in Phoenix. He has also worked for two campus publications, The Cronkite Journal and The State Press. Born in Nicaragua, he came to the United States when he was eight years old.