Rossana Rosado, CEO & Publisher, El Diario/La Prensa, New York
You have seen a lot of trends and people coming and going in Hispanic media. What values and attitudes have prevailed and are timeless?
Rossana Rosado: “Throughout the years and the many trends, the people who have transcended are those who value the consumer, the reader and the end user.”
What is your advice to a young person who wants to work in media?
R.R.: “Young people who want to work in media must be trained in all of the platforms. You can no longer train as a broadcast journalist or a print journalist. Everyone has to know how to write, shoot video and move in social media.”
What are, in your opinion, the main traits of the Hispanic identity?
R.R.: “To be Latino is to live literally in two worlds, speak two languages simultaneously and pay homage to several generations at once. It’s how we live every day. There is not a line that separates los de aquí y los de allá.”
Compared to fifty years ago, how has the life of Hispanics in the U.S. changed?
R.R.: “As we’ve been able to see in covering the 100 year history of El Diario in New York, life for Hispanics in this country has changed tremendously for the better. We still have so many challenges, but we also have great success stories to share with each other.”
What are your hobbies and how do they relate to you as a person?
R.R.: “I’m a voracious reader of fiction and I have an extensive collection of memoirs and biographies. I keep a reading log and compare the number of books I read year to year. My record is 45 books! Even when I read them on my ipad, I still buy the book to have it.”
What is your favorite city, and why?
R.R.: “I’m madly in love with my hometown – New York City. It’s like having a slice of every place in the world at your fingertips. My favorite part about New York is that Latin Americans & Caribeños really exist here as a contingent, like a big crazy family.”
What is your favorite vacation spot, and why?
R.R.: “Any beach in Puerto Rico, the sound of the ocean and the unique smell of the island feels like heaven and is the only place that truly re-charges my battery!”
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