Bringing more than 40 years of experience to the journalism industry, Emmy-award winner José Díaz-Balart reflects on his career with MSNBC, NBC Nightly News and Noticias Telemundo and what Miami means to him.
PHOTO COURTESY OF MSNBC
What do you bring to your viewers that is unique?
The 40 uninterrupted years of working as a journalist—telling other people’s stories, shining a light on those who live in the shadows and amplifying the voices of those who are often silent or silenced—have defined my ideas. I carry those thousands of life experiences within me daily, which help focus my commitment to our viewers.
What do you hope your viewers will take from your shows/segments?
Every day, I conclude my broadcast by thanking the viewers for the privilege of their time, and I have done so for decades in both English and Spanish. It’s a heartfelt thank you, as I hope my viewers feel that the time spent together was well spent.
What does Miami mean to you?
Miami means home! This unique multilingual, multicultural vortex of unexplainable (and at times uncontrollable) conflicting realities makes it so rhythmically wonderful!
What is your favorite thing about the city?
I love that Miami can simultaneously be a place of work and a place of holiday and vacation.
What are some career highlights?
The highlights are the lessons learned from people who create their private legacy of service without asking for anything in return. Professionally: having interviewed every U.S. President since Ronald Reagan and countless world leaders, covering the conflict in Central America in the 1980s, the fall of the Soviet Union in Moscow in 1991 and the death of Princess Diana in Paris in 1997.
Photography by: Photo Courtesy: MSNBC
