Emmy-winning journalist Elizabeth Vargas speaks in El Paso

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Emmy award-winning journalist Elizabeth Vargas was in El Paso today.

She was the speaker for the 29th Annual YWCA Women's Luncheon.

She has accomplished so much, including co-anchoring "20/20" for 15 years, and serving as the co-anchor of World News Tonight, both on ABC.

Stephanie Valle had the opportunity to interview Vargas one-on-one. Her passion for journalism is still strong after decades in this career. All that was evident in her powerful keynote speech at the luncheon.

Vargas says she sees the importance in her position as a prominent Latina journalist.

"There's a real effort being made in television news to make sure the people calling the shots, the people deciding the stories that you see when you watch the news are people who aren't just white men," Vargas explained. "And that makes a difference in the stories that you see. And to be here at an event celebrating an organization that does so much for the most vulnerable among us- here's the reality. If you're a woman in this world, you are much more vulnerable to so many things than a man is."

Stephanie also spoke with Vargas about her thoughts on newsroom layoffs, the loss of local newspapers, and the decline in news consumption.

"An uniformed, ignorant populous is not helping us. It will not inform smart decisions, it will not elect wise leaders. We see an alarming chorus of voices who don't seem to be aware of basic facts of history. And I think it's really a dangerous time because of that, so we have to do more and I can't overemphasize the importance of not just reading history and studying history but reading the newspaper."

You can now watch Vargas weeknights on News Nation. Watch ABC-7's full interview with her at the top of this article. Tune in tonight to ABC-7 at 10 for more in-depth content.