Knight Media Forum 2026 – Partner Takeaways

My Key Takeaways & Reflections from the Knight Media Forum

Hilda Gurdian, CEO at La Noticia

I believe the Knight Media Forum was an outstanding opportunity for the journalism industry.

Attending the 2026 forum was a privilege. While the schedule was intense—the effort was well worth it. We forged many new connections and strengthened existing relationships with partners who support us and whose growth we take pride in fostering.

Beyond the networking, the conference served as a powerful reminder of the vital role journalism plays in protecting democracy and the First Amendment. This theme was woven into many discussions—and even one of the “swag” reflected it. I particularly loved the pair of socks provided to attendees that proudly stated: “I love the First Amendment.”

As the leadership team of La Noticia, an independent Spanish-language news and information organization, based in Charlotte, NC, my son Alvaro José and I were particularly impressed by how the organizers bridged this democratic mission with the importance of the Latino community. Several highlights stood out:

Maribel Pérez Wadsworth, President and CEO of the Knight Foundation, set a meaningful tone by opening her official remarks in Spanish to kick off the conference.

Silvia Rivera (MacArthur Foundation) also began the session she organized with Natalia Gonzalez (Knight Foundation) on the Spanish-language news ecosystem in Spanish.

Powerful insights from leaders like Jorge Ramos, Javier Marín, Maritza Felix and Giovanna Torres Nieves.

This shift in focus is significant. Perhaps this attention was influenced by the current cultural moment—like the NFL selecting Bad Bunny for the Super Bowl halftime show—or is just a well deserved recognition of the Latino community’s demographics.

As the fastest-growing group in the U.S. with a median age of 31, Latinos have decades of peak productivity and consumption ahead of them. With an annual purchasing power now reaching $3.6 trillion, the U.S. Latino market is a powerhouse. If U.S. Latinos were a standalone economy, they would rank among the largest in the world—making their access to trusted, democratic journalism more essential than ever.

#KnightMediaForum #Journalism #LatinoLeadership #LaNoticia #MediaDiversity