Written by Misty Barron
Interview completed by Misty Barron and Vincent Khan
UNIVERSITY CENTER – John Quiñones, celebrated journalist, Emmy winner, and host of ABC’s Primetime: “What Would You Do?”, visited Delta College as part of the President’s Speaker Series on Wednesday, March 29. During his visit, he generously agreed to an interview with reporters Misty Barron and Vincent Khan from the Delta Collegiate. What he had to say was enlightening and genuine, leaving a lasting impression on them both.
Quiñones is a trailblazer in the media industry, having broken barriers as a Latino journalist and inspiring many journalism students. He is known for his commitment to diversity and representation in the media, and for using his position to give marginalized groups a platform for their voices to be heard.
Khan touched on this subject by asking what inspired Quiñones to focus on stories about “the little people.”
“From my own experience growing up,” Quiñones answered. “We were very poor. We didn’t have a bathtub or shower in my little house in San Antonio.”
Quiñones recounted his family’s humble beginnings. His father worked as a janitor, while his mother cleaned houses before becoming migrant workers. They earned a meager income of only 33 cents per hour picking cherries in Northport, Michigan, before moving on to harvest tomatoes in Ohio. Sadly, they experienced discrimination at the hands of locals who feared the family would steal and followed them around in stores.
“That never leaves you,” he explained. “And makes me want to shine a light on issues like that because I’ve been there, I know what it’s like.”
He further shared his belief that journalism is “a candle in the darkness” to illuminate injustice, corruption, and civil rights violations.
“When journalism is done right,” Quiñones said. “Those are the kinds of stories we should be doing.”
Quiñones got his start in journalism at a young age, reporting for his high school newspaper and eventually earning a master’s in journalism from Cambridge. He began his professional career at a small news station in Texas before joining ABC News in 1982.
Barron asked what he has seen change the most in journalism over the years.
“The fact that people are giving opinions on television when it’s not labeled as opinion,” Quiñones shared. “The audience has become separated and dissected. It seems like folks now will go to a channel that only confirms what they already believe.”
He went on to explain that in more detail, making examples as to what people are actually watching.
“So, you’re not getting educated,” he said. “You’re not getting news that will shake your sense of reality. You’re getting news that you just understand, and that brings up ratings for those channels.”
Quiñones added that news should not be about just ratings, it should illuminate important topics and educate the audience.
Barron also asked what journalists can do to keep their integrity in a culture of fake news.
“It’s tough,” Quiñones said. “When I got started, people had great respect for journalists. Now they don’t. The respect for journalists has gone way down.”
He surmised the reason behind this shift is the absence of clear labeling between commentary and facts, resulting in a frustrated and angry audience.
“My advice is to not give up and to try to restore integrity,” Quiñones shared. “To restore integrity, we need great young minds who write great stories without taking sides.”
As the conversation wrapped up, Khan posed a final question, asking for any further advice Quiñones could offer to aspiring journalists.
“As much as you might want to change the world and shake it, be careful,” he said. “Because once you start losing your integrity…your credibility goes down and as a journalist, our credibility is everything we have.”
Vincent Kahn and John Quiñones converse after an interview at Delta College, March 29, 2023; photo credit Onnie Stone
“As much as you might want to change the world and shake it, be careful,” he said. “Because once you start losing your integrity…your credibility goes down and as a journalist, our credibility is everything we have.”
He cautioned against giving opinions instead of sticking to facts and reigning in the desire to change the world.
Despite his many achievements, Quiñones remains humble and dedicated to his craft. He has worked tirelessly to become an inspiration to all those who seek to make a positive difference in the world.
“Throttle back a little bit and make sure you have all the facts when you write a story,” Quiñones said. “Once you do, then no holds barred. If you’ve got the truth, it’s worth its weight in gold.”
View video coverage of the interview below.
Produced by: Misty Barron and Vincent Khan
Edited by: Heather Kittle
It was truly a pleasure and an honor for the Delta Collegiate to have shared part of an afternoon with him.
