By: Mark Fitzgerald Membership in the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) has plummeted by 36% in the past year as layoffs and newsroom budget cuts take their toll.
At NAHJ's just-concluded annual meeting, association officers said its members had fallen to 1,400, from 2,200 in 2008.
The composition of the group's membership has also changed, with students now accounting for fully 40% of members. The greater proportion of students is also hurting NAHJ's budget because student memberships cost $35 a year in contrast to dues of $75 for working journalsits and $110 for non-journalist professionals.
This year, too, NAHJ was forced to pick up more of the costs of its student journalism project at the convention because many news organizations that in past years had sponsored a student or professional mentor's attendance cut back on that funding.
Ironically, attendance at the annual meeting, which was held in Puerto Rico, was better than expected, NAHJ officers said. The association had been hoping to attract 700 and wound up with 850 attendees.
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This story has been clarified from an earlier version to reflect the full range of membership dues.
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