After 14 years as a news anchor and senior correspondent at Public Broadcasting Service, Ray Suarez has left the building.
Linda Winslow Executive Producer of the NewsHour, informed the staff via memo that Suarez was leaving to "pursue other ventures." In her memo, Winslow praised Suarez for the years he worked at PBS. "At the 'NewsHour' Ray has been a member of the Senior Correspondent team that has helped us cover an enormous array of topics and story developments over the years."
Winslow claimed that Suarez was a respected news person whose work was universally accepted at PBS. "My inbox is filled with rave reviews of his performances written by delighted station executives around the PBS universe."
While Winslow tried to put a positive spin on the fact that Suarez had resigned on his own, in a frank and open interview with Fox News Latino, Suarez left no doubt as to why he left PBS. "I felt like I didn't have much of a future with the broadcast. (They) didn't have much of a plan for me."
For many of his following at PBS, he was recognized as a very competent and experienced news anchor and reporter. He did not have to pretend to be flashy or over bearing in his presentation. He was able to connect with his audience with his on-air confidence and knowledge of the stories he covered. Viewers felt comfortable with Ray Suarez.
In the Fox News Latino interview, Suarez claimed his contributions to the 'NewsHour' were heavily minimized and that he did see much of a future for himself at PBS in the near future.
Suarez who appeared to be very disenchanted with his future, openly discussed why he felt it was the right time to go. He claimed he felt his contributions to the broadcast over the last couple of years were not appreciated. In the interview, Suarez was very candid in his answers and felt "his contributions were passed over and marginalized many times."
Perhaps the most single and most significant reason for leaving PBS was his opinion of not having the responsibility to contribute to the overall news content of the broadcast. He believes it is important for public television to have a strong news broadcast, but Suarez felt "the responsibility, the high responsibility...had all been gradually taken away."
As I analyze the reasons for Suarez leaving PBS after 14 years, leaving a highly visible news position on a national news broadcast, and then slowly over the years have his contributions passed over or marginalized, in my opinion, it left Suarez being cast as the lone token Latino on the broadcast.
Suarez is respected and recognized as a very competent news person, particularly in the Latino community, and I can understand why he could not stand to be marginalized as the token Latino. "It was the right "time to go, that was a choice that I made."
It is a disgrace and shameful that PBS would simply allow Suarez to leave, without acknowledging the responsibility of marginalizing his contributions to NewsHour, and informing the staff with cliches, that he was "leaving to pursue other ventures."
In an open letter to Executive Producer Linda Winslow, I expressed our anger over the perceived reasons we felt Ray Suarez left the NewsHour.
Ms Winslow:
As a Latino
faith initiative and alliance, we are extremely outraged by the treatment by
PBS toward one of the best news anchors and reporters on television and cable
today. In your memo to the staff, you insinuated that Ray Suarez was “leaving to pursue other ventures.” We cannot accept your attempt to make this
move as simply a professional moving on to another challenge and opportunity.
Ray Suarez
has indicated that slowly his work has been minimized and as a member of the
Senior Correspondent team for the NewsHour, he was not treated with the respect
and professionalism warranted a news anchor with impeccable credentials and
history of outstanding work. In your
memo, you clearly stated that Suarez was well respected within the “PBS
universe.” “My inbox is filled with rave
reviews of his performances written by delighted station executives around the
PBS universe."
Yet, Suarez
in spite of those rave reviews of his performances, knew “the responsibility,
the high responsibility…had gradually been taken away.”
Let there
be no doubt that as faith leaders in the Latino universe, we too were delighted
that Suarez was considered a very valued representative of his community on the
NewsHour. It is simply a disgrace to pan across the television and cable
spectrum and not see any Latino anchors on any national television news and
information programs. Suarez was able to be that role model for 14 years to
aspiring Latino young people seeking a career in television news.
Perhaps far
more importantly, a trait you are unable to understand, or as the Executive
Producer chose to ignore, is the fact that Suarez was able to bring an
understanding of the issues and concerns facing the Latino community. Suarez as
an objective and unbiased anchor, was able to relate to many of the injustices
of an industry which fails to value diversity in thought and appearance. It is unfortunate that unless one is able to
fit the “standardized role”, it is very easy to point out to staff that Suarez
is merely “leaving to pursue other ventures.”
In fact,
Suarez has made it clear that the PBS NewsHour was slowly pushing him out. As a
former Vice President/News Director of one of the top news stations in the
country, I understand far too well the treacherous and deceptive attempts by
those in upper management to discredit and attribute professional liabilities
to employees who in the minds of management should “leave to pursue other
ventures.”
It is
disgraceful and outrageous that management of television news programs which
continue to use the public’s airwaves and resources, cannot find the
accountability necessary to ensure that fairness, justice, and diversity are valued
characteristics sought after in the news industry. All clearly defined
characteristics displayed in the work and professionalism of Ray Suarez.
Extremely
disappointed,
Fidel "Butch" Montoya
To express your feelings how PBS has marginalized Ray Suarez and his contributions to NewsHour, please write to:
Paula Kerger
PBS President and CEO
(703) 739-5015
and
Linda Winslow
PBS NewsHour Executive Producer
(703) 998.2175
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