Television Career and Bilingual Broadcast Impact

Díaz-Balart also anchors his own Sunday morning public affairs program, “Enfoque con José Díaz-Balart,” which focuses on current events and issues affecting the Latino community in the United States. In addition to his work with Telemundo, he is recognized for his role on English-language television. He previously served as an anchor for NBC Nightly News and currently hosts “José Díaz-Balart Reports” on MSNBC, reinforcing his standing as a prominent bilingual journalist.

Beginning his career in 1984, Díaz-Balart has become one of the most respected voices in Hispanic journalism. Throughout his decades-long career, he has covered major national and international events for NBC News and Telemundo. Notably, he became the first journalist to anchor two network newscasts in different languages on the same day—a milestone in American broadcast history and a symbol of his commitment to cross-cultural journalism.

Awards and Recognition in Hispanic Television

Díaz-Balart’s work has earned him significant recognition in the media industry. He is a recipient of the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and the Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award, both of which honor excellence in broadcast journalism. In 2012, he won the Broadcasting & Cable/Multichannel News Award for Outstanding Achievement in Hispanic Television.

In 2014, the Hispanic Federation honored him with their Lifetime Achievement Award, acknowledging his enduring influence in Hispanic media. That same year, the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) presented him with its Communications Award for his efforts to amplify Latino voices and experiences in mainstream media.

Mutual Respect Among Latino Journalists

In an interview with Adweek, Díaz-Balart commented on his colleague Tom Llamas, then anchor of the weekend editions of ABC’s World News Tonight: “Tom is a good friend and a great journalist. For me, it’s a matter of pride to see another Latino leading a network newscast. The more diversity in our newsrooms, the better for everyone.”

Llamas returned the sentiment, describing Díaz-Balart as both a friend and mentor: “I watched him growing up. And I met him when we both worked at the NBC station in Miami. We know that [on Saturdays] we look down at the monitors, and we know there’s a friend on the other end. We’re competitors, but José will always be my friend.”