For more than three decades, Maria Elena Salinas has voiced her thoughts in the stead of thousands of Latinos at the Spanish-speaking television network, Univision. She has now decided it is time for a fresh start, chasing English-speaking media so the United States gets acquainted with a voice standing behind immigrants.
Salinas, 62, one of the most well-known and respected faces of Latino journalism in the United States, will host the Univision news alongside Jorge Ramos one last time in this December 8th. She doesn’t have a concise plan after that, only dreams.
She hopes to start working in English as an independent journalist, making documentaries and dedicating more time to both her daughters, who are 20 and 23-years-old.
“This is the second half of my career,” the journalist assured the crowd in a recent interview with The Associated Press outside Univision’s Miami studios. “It’s time to seek new audiences. We have a success story made up of our growth, development, influence, and contribution to this country as a community. And that story isn’t well known.”
Her decision signals the end of an era in which millions of Latinos tuned in to inform themselves via the news she and Ramos hosted for thirty years. Both personalities have been a source of information and public service to Latinos everywhere.
Salinas explained that she felt the need to do something different for years now, but her dedication to the news kept postponing her move away from Univision. For now, all she knows is that as of January, she will continue working on the second season of the investigative journalism series, “The Real Story with Maria Elena Salinas.”
Salinas was born in California and started her television career at Univision in 1981. She has interviewed every president of the United States since Jimmy Carter, with Donald Trump being the only exception.
Since the beginning of his presidential campaign, Trump has criticized undocumented immigrants living in the United States, calling them criminals and drug traffickers. During his time in office, there has been a rise of over 40% in ICE arrests, and cancellations of a variety of programs that stalled the deportation process.
“It’s very important that we defend ourselves, and not allow the way of thinking politicians are spewing to poison the mind of this country’s citizens, said Salinas. Even though she’s happy with her decision, Salinas says she’s currently living one of the most difficult moments in her entire career.
“It’s like starting all over again,” the journalist stated. “These are drastic decisions one has to take, I have to change my way of thinking.”
This article was inspired by THE TRIBUNE // U.S. anchor leaves long Univision post, seeks a new audience