Linda Hernandez Rosado’s media trajectory is an example of commitment and dedication within the Hispanic community.

Interestingly, Hernandez’s chosen career path wasn’t journalism – where she has solidified her work for decades – but rather Library and Information Sciences, where she earned a master’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico.

Linda Hernandez Rosado

Ultimately, that vocation would make a significant difference in her performance: “My academic background helped me a lot. It provided additional tools to make a difference in media. Such training earned me the respect of the journalistic community because I could approach ideas differently and was able to help prepare investigative reports. Having that academic background was a great asset in my career,” said this esteemed HITN Board Member.

Linda Hernandez’s professional achievements are countless and largely prominent in two main fields: librarianship and journalism. Regarding her journalistic specialty, Hernandez Rosado shared some details regarding her work strategy: “To maintain leadership in the media, I had to adopt a personality that I didn’t know I had it in me. I became strong, tough, and even appeared just like men when it came to discussions. I was never a soft-spoken woman; I always showed a hardcore side. And that helped me during such time because otherwise, I would have been crushed. Standing firm in my convictions and fighting forcefully to defend them was a wise stance while leading media outlets.”

As for identifying an anecdote that faithfully reflects an important moment in her career, Hernandez Rosado recalls: “I founded the Tele 11 news program. A news show that we started with thirteen people and later grew to 200 journalists. It was when we reached that peak, having many hours of programming, that I found myself leading a major media outlet. There was strength in everything we did; we were recognized in the country and managed to have a solid journalistic conglomerate. And when we achieved that milestone, I realized that I had already achieved my goal, I had reached where I wanted to be.”

Gender representation and parity are very important values ​​today, and it is not surprising that for a figure like Linda Hernandez, whose career began before society became aware of such values, she experienced, discrimination, firsthand. “In the years I started, it was still a very macho era. In the late ’70s, there were very few women in the media. It was an intense time; surely, I had to work much harder than others, and it took many years for me to be recognized with the same salary as men. I achieved it through effort and dynamism, possibly by working twice as hard as men. Men were allowed to escape and go play golf, and at one point, I expressed that I wanted to go to a shopping center to relax, and then they told me it wasn’t the same. These details may seem trivial today, but back then, those were the great challenges to close the gender gap in the media.”

Throughout her career as a professional, Hernandez Rosado additionally, worked as a university professor and offered advice for future generations: “Many of the colleagues I collaborated with are now news directors in the United States, both at Telemundo and Univision, and they stay in touch with me. And when I look back at what all these colleagues tell me, the answer is simple: work, education, and respect for all colleagues are the keys to success. Work environments must be created where you can maintain a balance, order, and tranquility; especially within news departments and newspapers where so many uncertainties are faced. And I believe that women achieve that balance with their efficient handling of crises and emergencies. Personally, it bothers me a lot when they say that women are hysterical; that’s not true, we are proactive. I can tell you that I am proud that in every news show I directed, I always managed to keep a calm team to deliver information to the public objectively and without alarmism.”

And before closing this conversation, the topic of ethnicity was brought up. “While directing El Nuevo Día in Orlando, I was invited to be a member of the Southern Area Journalists Board. And I remember that a fellow board member, a Pulitzer Prize winner, told me that the reason they included me was because of my Hispanic origin. Can you believe it? It made me so angry. He was a journalist whom people respected and who disqualified me for being Hispanic. So, whoever says they haven’t had a hard time for being a woman and in this case also for being Hispanic, well, they’re lying. We all know that it’s harder for all of us. And look, being a Hispanic and Puerto Rican woman is difficult in the United States… very difficult.” But despite the roadblocks placed before her, Henandez Rosado persevered and has set the stage for other women like her, to soar!