May 11, 2023 - World

Cecilia Vega, first Latina “60 Minutes” correspondent, on her debut

Photo Illustration of Cecilia Vega with stopwatch imagery

Photo Illustration: Natalie Peeples/Axios. Photo: Courtesy of 60 Minutes

Journalist Cecilia Vega tells Axios Latino she hopes her gig as a correspondent for CBS' "60 Minutes" will open more doors for journalists of color.

Driving the news: Vega in January became the first Latina correspondent for one of the most-watched news programs in the U.S. Her first segment will air on Sunday.

  • The segment zooms in on work being done to protect sperm whales from environmental and noise pollution and explores attempts to create a marine reserve in Dominica, a country in the Caribbean.
  • Vega says she "dove right in, sink or swim" on that reporting, even learning how to snorkel.

What she's saying: "I'm super proud to be the first Latina ... but even more important than being first is making sure you're not the last," Vega tells Axios Latino. She vowed to uplift other journalists of color and said others should do the same.

  • Vega, who was previously chief White House correspondent at ABC News, adds that she's excited to explore a variety of stories beyond politics.
  • "One of the things that makes every storyteller on '60 Minutes' so good at what they do is that they bring a part of who they are," she says.
  • "Being Latina, being Mexican American, those are things about my background that I bring with me and I can't wait to show that part of me in my stories."

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