Improving Latino Representation: UCLA Study Examines Los Angeles Times’ Progress

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A new study by the UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute found that the Los Angeles Times has made some progress in improving Latinos’ representation in its opinion and editorial section over the past two years.

Despite the progress, according to the report, Latinos and their narratives, experiences and policy needs remain largely invisible the Times, based on both authorship of opinion pieces and editorial content.

The study found strong gains for Latinos on the paper’s editorial board, where representation increased from 11% to 37% in the past year. That increase in Latino representation was larger than any of the other four editorial boards analyzed by the report: the New York Times, Washington Post, Miami Herald and Dallas Morning News.

At the Los Angeles Times, Latinos’ representation in op-ed authorship also increased to 10% in 2022, from 4% in 2021. Still, the number of Latino-authored op-eds would need to increase fivefold to achieve true proportional representation of the Latino population in Los Angeles County.

“The L.A. Times has made notable progress in increasing Latino representation in the op-ed section, but more work is necessary to ensure the paper of record meaningfully represents Latino communities,” said Sonja Diaz, the institute’s founding director. “Without full Latino inclusion, leaders and readers lack accurate narratives and nuanced perspectives to fully understand how decisions on issues ranging from environmental justice to artificial intelligence impact the nation’s youthful Latino communities.”