By the Numbers: Understanding the Impact and Progress of Latino Journalists in North Texas
A Research Initiative by Magda Salazar
About the Research Project
By the Numbers is an independently designed research project documenting the professional experience, career trajectory, and industry outlook of Latino journalists in the Dallas-Fort Worth media market — the fifth largest in the country, where Latinos represent 32 percent of the population across the four largest counties. Little to no comparable workforce data currently exists on the journalists who have covered it.
The research is built on a comprehensive survey tool reviewed for alignment with academic guidelines by an independent research professional. The instrument is designed to capture the full arc of the Latino journalist experience in DFW — from first job to lessons learned — and to produce findings that inform media organizations, journalism schools, nonprofits, funders, and industry advocates.
Who Can Participate
The survey is open to any journalist who has ever worked in the DFW market and across the broader North Texas region — regardless of when, for how long, or where their career took them afterward.
North Texas is made up of 16 counties and the journalist experience here has always crossed markets, mediums, and audiences. Every outlet, every platform, and every community served by journalism in this region is part of this story. Participating means adding your experience to a narrative that has not been truly gathered, studied, or reported.
If you have worked in DFW journalism — at any point, in any capacity — we want to hear from you. Share your contact information and we will send you the survey link when it launches.
The Student Ambassador Program
By the Numbers is designed to be a peer-to-peer research initiative. What better place to start than at a once-a-year event that brings together an entire community of Latino professional journalists together, and the rising student journalists in pursuit of this project's story sources.
The Student Ambassador Program invites journalism and communications students to play an active role in connecting the research with the journalists whose stories the survey is designed to gather, study, and document. Ambassadors will be deployed at the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) 2026 national conference in New Orleans — engaging potential respondents through natural, conversational outreach that reflects the peer-to-peer spirit of the research itself.
What ambassadors do:
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Introduce By the Numbers to Latino journalists attending the NAHJ conference
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Direct qualified respondents to the forthcoming survey
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Log connections and outreach through a dedicated student ambassador app
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Represent the next generation of journalists who will benefit from this research
What ambassadors receive:
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Named credit in the published research report
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A certificate of participation for their professional portfolio
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A letter of recommendation available upon request
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Eligibility for additional professional development, including a mentorship session with a media executive
Student ambassadors must have a faculty sponsor or advisor who is aware of their participation. Applications are reviewed and approved by the Project Founder before activation. Sign up here.
What This Research Will Produce
This survey is designed to function simultaneously as:
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A historical record of DFW journalism across decades — capturing the experiences of professionals whose careers predate the digital era and whose stories have never been formally documented
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A data-driven portrait of the professional landscape — grounded in the lived experience of journalists who have covered and continue to cover this market at every level and across every platform
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A future-forward industry outlook based on feedback from current professionals within the industry and those external but with continued interest in supporting the profession and professionals. Their combined input will bring an informed and honest view of where DFW journalism is headed, what it will take to get there, and whether they would point the next generation of Latino journalists toward it.
Together these three dimensions position By the Numbers to serve as something that does not currently exist for this population in this market — a living document of who Latino journalists in DFW were, who they are, and what they believe comes next.
Our Commitment to the Community
A few things this project commits to without exception:
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Research data will never be for sale. Ever.
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Respondents will be protected at every stage, through a data management framework that protects respondent identity in all published findings while allowing the research team to track participation for follow-up purposes
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The survey instrument is independently validated by an external professional to ensure methodological integrity and academic credibility
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All findings will be made available to the public. This research belongs to the community it documents.
DFW First and Beyond
By the Numbers was designed specifically for DFW — rooted in the founder's lived experience in and connection to this market and its Latino journalism community. The methodology and community engagement model have the capacity to serve other markets where the Latino journalist experience matters. Organizations interested in that conversation are welcome to reach out.
By the Numbers is launching as a seed-level, community-funded initiative. If you would like to be part of getting this research off the ground, our GoFundMe is open — every contribution, at any level, goes directly toward the launch.
Support the Project, Join the Effort
DFW Journalists, Past and Present
The survey will be open to any Latino journalist that has worked in the DFW market, in any journalistic medium, existing then or now. Be notified when the survey officially launches by signing up.
Journalism and Journalist Advocates
If you would like to sign up to get updates or would like to connect about how you can support the project, let's connect.
The Student Ambassador Program
Students, use the same link to sign up to be a student ambassador. Help us identify former and current North Texas journalists. Sign up to be an ambassador at the upcoming NAHJ conference.
