The Media Resilience Network

The Media Resilience Network Welcomes Joe Ruiz as Managing Director of Communications

The Media Resilience Network is pleased to welcome veteran journalist and newsroom leader Joe Ruiz as Managing Director of Communications.

Ruiz brings decades of experience across national and local news organizations, along with a deep commitment to supporting journalists and strengthening the industry. A longtime advocate for both mental health awareness and greater diversity in newsrooms, he most recently completed the John S. Knight Journalism Fellowship at Stanford University. He is the founder of Banderita Media, a journalism and communications consulting firm.

Throughout his career, Ruiz has helped lead major news operations across broadcast and digital platforms. He previously served as managing editor at CBS News and as a senior editor at CNN Politics, and earlier led NPR’s weekend digital news operation. He has also worked with NBC and ABC affiliates in Kansas City and San Antonio.

In 2010, Ruiz was part of the Seattle Times team that won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting for its coverage of the shooting deaths of four police officers and the manhunt that followed.

“I couldn’t be happier to join the Media Resilience Network and continue their work in helping journalists take better care of their mental health,” Ruiz said. “Over the last decade, I’ve strongly advocated for better mental health support in my newsrooms, lending my ear and using my voice to push for better care. I look forward to building upon that work and better position mental health as a priority and not just something that’s nice to have.”

His arrival comes as MDRnet continues expanding its work to support journalists facing increasing pressures in the field. The organization’s recent “From Crisis to Care” survey highlighted a growing number of journalists who are speaking openly about their mental health needs and seeking better support.

“The recent From Crisis to Care survey completed by MDRnet showed that there is a fast-growing number of journalists who are clear about what they need when it comes to mental health care,” Ruiz said. “We aim to make sure they know what resources we have available for them.”

Ruiz said MDRnet will continue reaching journalists, newsroom leaders, academic institutions and others across the journalism ecosystem to build stronger support systems for the profession.

“The time for action is now and I’m excited to get to work,” he said.

Ruiz lives in San Antonio and holds a degree in mass communication from Texas State University. He currently serves on the board of directors of the San Antonio Report and on the advisory board of Vita Activa, and previously served as vice president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists.