Jorge Ramos is often referred to as the Walter Cronkite of Spanish-language news. Along with María Elena Salinas, he co-anchors Univision’s evening newscast Noticiero Univision. The Miami Herald reported that in Miami, Los Angeles, and Houston, Noticiero Univision “consistently beats out all the other networks for the top ratings.” Ramos also hosts Al Punto, the network’s weekly public affairs program.
Ramos was born in Mexico City where he earned a degree in communication from the Ibero-American University in Mexico City. He was working as an on-air reporter in Mexico when, after being censored, he decided to leave the country. Ramos earned admission to UCLA’s extension school, secured a student visa, and came to the United States in 1983. Three years later, he moved to Miami to anchor the national morning show Mundo Latino. Less than a year after that, at the age of 28, Ramos was tapped to co-anchor the premier Spanish-language news program Noticiero Univision.
At Noticiero Univision, Ramos has covered major news stories including the civil war in El Salvador, the Persian Gulf War, the fall of the Berlin Wall and corruption in Mexico. He has interviewed Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and countless presidential hopefuls. In Latin America, Ramos went head-to-head with world leaders including Fidel Castro, Daniel Ortega, Hugo Chavez, and dozens other Latin American presidents. Ramos’ work has earned him the Maria Moors Cabot Award and nine Emmy awards. The recipient — along with co-anchor María Elena Salinas — of the prestigious 2012 Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award, Ramos makes frequent appearances on network and cable news shows to discuss Hispanic American issues.
In addition to his work in broadcast television, Ramos is the author of eleven books. His most recent, A Country for All; An Immigrant Manifesto, won the Latino Book Award in 2006. Ramos created a book club, Despierta Leyendo (Wake Up Reading), on Hispanic television to promote literacy among Latinos. In addition to his undergraduate degree, Ramos holds a Master’s degree in International Studies from the University of Miami, and an honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Richmond.
In 2008, Ramos became a U.S. citizen in time to vote in the presidential election. He lives in Miami and is the father of a daughter and a son.
