Conclusions and Recommendations

NAHJ Caller-Times Study - 2003-2007

The data show that between 2003 and 2007, coverage of Hispanics and Hispanic
issues has increased dramatically at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Coverage of
Hispanic issue is up more than 50 percent on A1 and nearly 40 percent on B1. Similar
data is found for photos of Hispanics and bylines by Hispanics on both important section
fronts. The data begs the question, “What caused the change?” The only thing different
between 2003 and the years that followed was the fact that the Corpus Christi Caller-
Times decided to invest in the goals and objectives of the Parity Project under the
guidance of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.

Focus and Goals

The focus, or goals, of this study was to determine:
(1) If a newspaper that has been with the Parity Project for at least three years has
improved its depiction and reporting of the Hispanic community,
(2) If the NAHJ initiative has failed in these areas and
(3) If the program needs to be jump-started with a new bold initiative that includes
emphasis on cultural understanding as well as the needs of the Hispanic
community.

54
Goal No. 1 has certainly been proved. If a newspaper belongs to the Parity Project,
improvement on how the Hispanic community is portrayed will occur. This became
evident in this study via two venues. First, the number of stories on A1 of Hispanic as
perpetrators or victims of crimes dropped both percentage wise and numbers wise. For
example, the number of stories on Hispanic perpetrating crimes or being victims of
crimes fell from 203 to 130 on A1 between 2003 and 2007. More importantly, the
percentage drop was an even more dramatic (from 43.1% of Hispanic stories in 2003 to
14.6% of Hispanic stories in 2007). Crimes did not stop. Crime stories simply were not
given as much play on A1 and B1, as they had in the past. Instead, a more positive
image of the Hispanic emerged as Hispanics were portrayed in both stories and photos
being involved in education, politics and cultural/heritage events. For example, the
coverage of Hispanics in education increased from 51 to 194 stories, when comparing
2003 and 2007. The percent of education stories also increased from 10 to 21 percent,
during the same period. (See Charts 31 and 32).

55
Let’s see, Hispanics committing crimes or getting educated, which is better for the
community and which is more accurate for A1 of B1 play? It’s news judgment and also
news value and the Caller-Times seem to have made the right decision.

Similar data can be shown for stories on Heritage, which were almost non-existent on
A1 or B1 in 2003 when less than 30 stories. The number varied throughout the following
four years, but certainly were more than the base year of 2003. In 2007, almost 100
stories on heritage were placed on A1 or B1 (Chart 33).

56
It is important to re-emphasize here that the most dramatic change was on A1. The
percentage of stories on Hispanics on page A1 of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times,
improved from a low of 21.3 percent prior to the inception of the NAHJ Parity Project to
more than 40 percent in 2006 and 2007 (Chart 26, repeated for emphasis here).

There was also a dramatic increase in the number of photos Hispanics were depicted in
on pages A1 and B1 between 2003 and 2007 (Chart 29, repeated for emphasis here).

57
The Hispanic community was very visible on the Caller-Times’ front section by 2007. As
reported earlier, it is evident the leadership of the Caller-Times’ editorial staff – from the

58
publisher to the editor and the metro editors and reporters- had developed a culture of
equity in reporting news that included the Hispanic community.

Goal 1: to determine: If a newspaper that has been with the Parity Project for at
least three years has improved its depiction and reporting of the Hispanic
community. This goal has been met.

The study’s second goal was to determine if the NAHJ initiative (Parity Project) has
failed in these areas and other areas (more Hispanics in the newsroom and
improvement of reporting of Hispanics and Hispanic issues).

Showing the increase of Hispanic photos and stories between 2003 and 2007 certainly
proves the second part of this goal correct, improvement of reporting of Hispanics and
Hispanic issues). The second part, more Hispanics in the newsroom was also correct.
This can be proven by the number of bylines on A1 and B1 (See Chart 30, repeated for
emphasis here) and the number Hispanic staffers at the Caller-Times at the end of
2007. Without a doubt, the NAHJ’s objectives and Parity Project’s goals were reached.

Between 2003 and 2007, the Hispanic staff increased to a high of 25 including photo
and copy desk. While the Caller-Times’ percentage of non-whites (primarily Hispanic)
working in the newsroom had been as low as 20 percent in 2003, the percentage grew
to near 40 percent. While still not reflective of the 58 percent of the Hispanic population,
it is a move in the right direction.

59
Unfortunately, the economic downturn has hit the Caller-Times’ news staff very hard.
Presently (Dec. 2009) the Caller-Times has only three full-time Hispanic reporters and
the number of Hispanics in the editorial staff was down to 9, still representing a
respectable figure of 20 percent of the total staff but a far cry from the 58 percent
Hispanic population.

Goal 2: to determine if the NAHJ initiative (Parity Project) has failed in these
areas and other areas (more Hispanics in the newsroom and improvement of
reporting of Hispanics and Hispanic issues). This has been analyzed and the
findings show the Parity Project has not failed in its quest to increase coverage
of Hispanics. It also determined, through data, that the NAHJ initiative (Parity
Project) has not failed in its goal of showing that more Hispanics in the
newsroom impacts the number and quality of stories on Hispanics.

The research team feels that, after reviewing the data, there is little doubt the Parity
Project and the goals of NAHJ can be met when the leadership of a newspaper works
toward those goals. The data show that when the program is implemented and there is
an increase of Hispanic staffers, it almost certainly will succeed. Chart 28 (repeated
here for emphasis) shows how stories on Hispanics grow when management decides to
be more diverse in its coverage and to have a more diverse news staff.

60
 Note: 1=2003, 2=2004, 3=2005, 4=2006, 5=2007

However, the industry has changed since the program was implemented. Massive
layoffs at every level has caused shifts in leadership and resulted in the departure of
many talented young Hispanic reporters. The Caller-Times’ staff today, for example, is
down to eight Hispanic staffers. While they still total 25 percent of the editorial staff, it is
evident the Caller-Times is now going in the opposite direction when it comes to having
a diverse news staff.

Because of this, the research teams believes it is time for the NAHJ’s Parity Project to
“jump start” with a new bold initiative to ensure the current economic downturn in the
newspaper industry does not result in a loss of Hispanic coverage and an inappropriate
deficiency of Hispanics (minorities) in the newsroom.

Goal 3: To determine if the program needs to be jump-started with a new bold

initiative that includes emphasis on cultural understanding as well as the needs
of the Hispanic community has been ascertained. The answer is “yes.”

It is the recommendation of this research team that the NAHJ leadership re-examine the
goals of the Parity Project and re-launch it with a new emphasis on cultural
understanding and recognition of how the program can succeed by reporting on the
important issues revolving around its community.

NAHJ certainly has a prototype on how to be successful by following the steps it took to
implement the Parity Project at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. The Caller-Times
leadership team – Libby Averyt and Shane Fitzgerald – and certainly several of the
newspaper’s metro editors and even reporters can certainly help in describing how best
to make the project work and how best to report on Hispanics and the issues involving
Hispanics.

Research Questions
The data collected for this study did bring answers to the research questions posed at
the beginning of the study. Those research questions were:

(1) Is there a correlation between the number of Hispanic journalists and the number
of bylined stories by them to increased coverage of Hispanic issues or the
Hispanic community?
(2) Is the NAHJ Parity Project a visible and viable project that the Hispanic
community has adopted as means to obtain better coverage of issues in their
local daily newspaper?

61
 (3) Is there a better understanding of issues facing the Hispanic community as a
result of the implementation of the Parity Project?

Research Question 1:
The study showed there is a correlation between the number of Hispanic
journalists and the number of bylined stories by them to the increased coverage
of Hispanic issues or the Hispanic community.

By 2007, bylines on A1 and B1 of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times accounted for

approximately 50 percent of the stories on both A1 and B1.

Table 15 shows how the number of Hispanic bylines and stories in 2007 compared with
2003. More bylines by Hispanic staffers means more stories about Hispanics.

In addition, two Hispanic staffers – Vanessa Santos-Garza and Adriana Garza – were
featured in B1 columns in 2007. This certainly added a “Hispanic face” to the Corpus
Christi Caller-Times.

Table 15 – Hispanics Stories compared to Hispanic Bylines

(A1 and B1 combined) 2003 and 2007

Hispanic Hispanic Percentage

Stories Bylines
A1/B1
2007 2184 1086 49.7%
2003 976 124 12.7%

Research Question 2:
Between 2003 and 2007, the NAHJ was a visible and viable project the Hispanic
community was aware of as a means to obtain better coverage of issues in the
Corpus Christi Caller-Times. The visibility of the NAHJ’s Parity Project was
evident in Town Hall meetings. The committee formed by the Caller-Times to
review the Parity Project’s progress met quarterly and discussed issues and
stories the Hispanic community felt were important.

While the Parity Project was viable and worked, several ingredients were missing to
ensure that it made progress from year-to-year. A study or survey similar to the one

62
developed by the research team should have been used to show committee members if
there, indeed, had been progress.

Research Question 3:
The research team believes there is a better understanding of issues facing the
Hispanic community as a result of the implementation of the Parity Project.

Samples of some of the coverage were included in this study. Often stories on Hispanic
Heritage, the Virgen de Guadalupe or other issues were included with charticles or
graphics to explain the story better. This helps bring understanding to the pride Hispanic
feel about their heritage and traditions – religious or otherwise.

Recommendations and Suggestions

The research team would like to make the following suggestions:

(1) It is the recommendation of this research team that the NAHJ leadership re-
examine the goals of the Parity Project and re-launch it with a new emphasis on
cultural understanding and recognition of how the program can succeed by
reporting on the important issues revolving around its community.
(2) It is the recommendation of the research team for the NAHJ to develop a
program to help keep pace of the impact of the Parity Project at all its
partnerships. Data should be collected on a daily basis for key pages – all
section fronts and special sections – and reported on a quarterly basis. This
information should be shared with the leadership of the editorial staff and
reporters so that they can see if they are truly making a difference in reporting
about Hispanics and Hispanic issues. A chart similar to the one presented in this
study may be used as a prototype.
(3) It is the recommendation of this research team that, because of the current
economic downturn and the massive layoffs in the print industry, that NAHJ
immediately reexamine its goals for the Parity Project. While the number of
Hispanic journalists seems to be decreasing, what is important about the project
is that the concept of covering the Hispanic and issues involving Hispanics
should not be a foreign one to the leadership of the nation’s newspapers.
(4) It is the recommendation of this research team that NAHJ plan community
meetings with Hispanic leaders to report on the progress or lack of progress of
the project within their individual community.

Limitations of the Study

This study had the following limitations:

63
 (1) It limited its research to only pages A1 and B1.
(2) The study did not delve into 2008 and 2009. In 2008, the economic downturn and
industry wide layoffs started. It would have been interesting to see how the
gradual decrease of Hispanic staffers impacted coverage on Hispanics and
Hispanic issues. However, the research team, as reported in the study, feels that
the coverage of Hispanics and Hispanic issues is now part of the culture of the
Caller-Times newsroom.
(3) The work should be supervised and collected by one individual. In this study, six
different students divided duties because of their graduate course requirements.
(4) A “focus group” format interviewing both members of the editorial staff and
community could have added insight into the study.

Conclusion

It is evident from the data collected that the National Association of Hispanic Journalists
has developed an outstanding program in its Parity Project. Designed for the print and
media industry of the 20th century, it made an immediate impact at several key media
outlets throughout the nation. It certainly had a positive impact in the Corpus Christi
area when it took on the Corpus Christi Caller-Times as its partner. The history of
hostility between the newspaper and its Hispanic community was well documented, and
that is why this project was perfect for this community. Without doing focus type
interviews of the staff and community, it is difficult to ascertain that there is a perception
that the project has been a success. However, the data collected by the research team
from Texas A&M University-Kingsville certainly points to the project success, at least in
sheer numbers. The research team would like to congratulate NAHJ for its vision to
launch such the Parity Project. The team would also like to congratulate all the NAHJ
partners who showed the courage to join in this bold venture. In particular, would like to
extend a thank you and congratulations to the management and staff of the Corpus
Christi Caller-Times for allowing us to peer into their work and examine whether or not
they had met their goal of providing more coverage of Hispanics and the issues
surrounding the Hispanic community. They have done that very well and, even in these
dire times of layoffs and shrinking news staff, have been able to continue to implement
the lessons learned from the NAHJ’s Parity Project.

64