By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Jan. 6, 2016: The New York Daily News may be more concerned with covering celebrities butts and breasts than New York City’s immigrant or Latino population. The paper has given the boot again to veteran Cuban-born journalist Albor Ruiz even as the U.S. strives to normalize relations with the Caribbean nation and as the city’s Hispanic population continues to grow past two million.
Ruiz, who was let go from the News after 20 years of full-time service with the paper in 2013 but still managed to keep his column going as a part timer, was given the bad news on New Year’s Day that his part-time status and column was no longer needed, according to his Facebook post.
Ruiz is a long-time editor and columnist who has written for both English and Spanish-language media. He first joined the Daily News staff in July 1993. The University of Florida alum is also former National Association of Hispanic Journalists Region II Director and member of its National Board. In 2003 Ruiz was inducted into the Association’s Hall of Fame.
His columns were one of the few English-language media outlets that consistently covered Latino immigration issues. Ruiz who was born in Cárdenas, Matanzas, Cuba, also writes for Progreso Semanal and Progreso Weekly.
The National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP) has denounced the decision noting that according “to the American Society of Newspaper Editor, in 2015, before the latest cuts, Latinos made up only 6.3 percent of the Daily News staff, despite Latinos making up over 29 percent of the city’s population.”
“Now with the departure of Ruiz, the paper’s only remaining columnist is Juan Gonzalez.”
The New York Daily News has reportedly blamed budget cut for the decision. A request for comment from the News went unanswered at press time.
Wil Santiago, a support of Ruiz, has launched a petition asking Bill Holiber, CEO for the New York Daily News, to reconsider his decision to let Ruiz go.
The petition can be signed at https://www.change.org/p/bill-holiber-bill-holiber-president-and-ceo-new-york-daily-new-new-york-daily-news-rethink-your-decision-on-albor-ruiz?recruiter=1315497&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink
