USC Annenberg alumna and Los Angeles Times staff writer Esmeralda Bermudez will receive the National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ (NAHJ) Sí Se Puede Award at the #NABJNAHJ2020 Convention & Career Fair on Saturday, August 8, 2020.
Bermudez, who earned her bachelor’s in print journalism in 2003, will be recognized by the NAHJ for “the persistence she has shown in her newsroom, the tenacity in her work, and the ability to help mobilize others to build community.”
Born in El Salvador and raised in the L.A. area, Bermudez has been chronicling the lives of Latinos for the L.A. Times since 2008. Prior to joining the Times, Bermudez worked at the Oregonian in Portland, covering city government and immigration.
“So few of us make it to certain spaces in journalism and it’s important to not be just ‘un florero bonito, decorando el espacio’ — you know ‘a beautiful vase full of flowers, decorating a space’ — but to speak up and to speak up, not only on behalf of ourselves, but of each other,” Bermudez said.
Often returning to USC to speak with students, Bermudez shared her experience and advice with Professor of Professional Practice Laura Castañeda’s “Engaging Diverse Communities in the Digital Era” class this past Fall.
“Esme always offers valuable advice to students about how to connect to members of a community in an empathetic and respectful way,” Castañeda said. “She also models how to find and tell stories that no one else is doing.”
Bermudez joins fellow honorees Ramon Escobar, vice president of talent recruitment and development for CNN Worldwide, who will receive the NAHJ’s President’s Award, and Iliana Limón Romero, sports editor of the Orlando Sentinel, who will receive their ¡Dale! Award.
“The dedication, ferocity and incredible talent of these individuals has bettered the news industry and brought attention and respect to the Latinx community,” said Alberto B. Mendoza, NAHJ executive director. “We are very proud to be recognizing outstanding journalists, Ramon, Esmeralda, and Iliana this year with the 2020 NAHJ Awards.”