From Hispanic Executive‘s 2014 Top 10 Líderes lineup comes the story of Spanish-language news anchor Jorge Ramos.
Because his viewers respect and rely on him, Jorge Ramos often has been called the “Walter Cronkite of Hispanic news.” However, while Cronkite and his contemporaries rejected the idea of “advocacy journalism,” Ramos embraces it. Journalism has a responsibility not only to inform, he believes, but also to influence.
“As an immigrant, I speak for other immigrants who don’t have a voice in [the United States]. I’ve taken on an unexpected role” Ramos says. It’s not something the de facto spokesman looked for; it’s something that evolved out of the lack of political representation that Latinos have in America. “For such a large and rapidly growing percent of the population,” says Ramos, “we only have three senators who represent our background.” Ramos feels an obligation to defend fellow immigrants who don’t have a voice and haven’t been as lucky as he has been.
“What I am doing is what I call ‘news with a point of view,’” Ramos says. “For that I have no apologies.”