FIU scholarship to honor Gustavo Godoy and support next generation of broadcast journalists

MIAMI, June 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida International University (FIU) and its Department of Journalism + Media announced today the establishment of the Gustavo Godoy Scholarship for Excellence in Journalism in honor of the award-winning and legendary newsman.

Gustavo Godoy, who passed away in 2021 after a long and storied career, was among the first high-profile Hispanics to work in U.S. news media. He is widely regarded as the pioneer of Spanish language television news and largely considered the architect of what today is Univision Network News and Telemundo Network News.

"We are honored to celebrate Gustavo Godoy's legacy by creating a scholarship that supports our talented students who are majoring in broadcast journalism," said Brian Schriner, dean of the College of Communication, Architecture + The Arts. "The scholarship established by Godoy's family, friends and colleagues will provide critical, much-needed support to future journalists and help us in our mission of ensuring the future talent pipeline in broadcast journalism."

Godoy was a mentor to many of today's high-profile Hispanic broadcast journalists. 

"Gustavo Godoy is the founding father of Spanish language television news in the United States. He gave many of us the opportunity to have a career in television journalism based on a profound respect for our community and reverence to truth and impartiality," said José Díaz-Balart, anchor of MSNBC Reports, NBC Nightly News Saturday and Special Reports for Noticias Telemundo. 

The continued increase of Hispanic Americans – who according to the 2019 U.S. census are the largest racial or ethnic minority group in the country - highlights the important of Spanish-language news that Godoy helped nurture. 

"A pioneer and a visionary, Godoy started what many believed to be impossible: a Spanish-language newscast that would compete with the best in the country," said Jorge Ramos, senior news anchor of Univision Network News. "I'll always remember his energy, his commitment to real news and his belief that Latinos, always, had to be part of the national conversation."

Currently, there are 570 students enrolled in the FIU Department of Journalism + Media, of which 35 are graduate students, 271 are Pell Grant eligible and 396 identify as Hispanic.

"As we look forward, especially at this critical time in history when good journalists are needed most, we can't think of a better way to honor our father's vision for promoting solid journalism than by establishing this gift and deepening our relationship with FIU," said the Godoy family. "Continuing support from our community will make a difference in the lives of these young students pursuing this field with the same kind of passion and conviction that Godoy demonstrated throughout his career."

Media Contact:
Heather Radi-Bermudez
(305) 919-4050
hradi@fiu.edu
news.fiu.edu
@FIUNews

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SOURCE Florida International University