This month, NHMC and NLMC began their 10th annual Latino Television Writers Program. The Program, sponsored by Disney-ABC Television Group and NBC-Universal, opened with a networking breakfast that took place at the ABC Television Network in Burbank. The writers met ABC and NBC executives including Tim McNeal, VP of Talent Development & Diversity for Disney-ABC Television Group, and Karen Horne, VP of Talent Development & Diversity for NBC Entertainment & Universal Television. “This is a unique opportunity for the writers. For the first time they find themselves sitting at a television network meeting room speaking face to face with top level network executives. The program is not just about improving their writing craft but also about introducing them to relationships that will help their writing career in the future” said Nilda Muhr, Writers Program Coordinator. The event is the first of many networking opportunities for the writers accepted into this prestigious program. The list of writers accepted to the 2012 class can be found here.
The program is a five-week, total immersion workshop designed to simulate a real writers table and familiarize participants with the format, characters and story-line structure of specific shows that are currently on the air. Participants are expected to complete at least one half-hour comedy or one-hour dramatic television script in English within the five-week period of time. The workshop takes place in Burbank, CA and is mentored and guided by former NBC VP of Script Development, Geoff Harris.
The goal is to provide writers with the skills necessary to obtain employment in the industry. “The program directly responds to the lack of Latino writers in primetime network TV with the idea that with qualified Latino writers present at the writer’s table richer, three-dimensional stories about Latinos will be reflected on television,” states Alex Nogales, NHMC President and CEO.
Alex Nogales Addresses FCC Leaders, Staff
Alex Nogales, President & CEO of NHMC, delivered the keynote address at the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration on October 2 in Washington, DC. The event included a welcome by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and introductory remarks by former FCC Commissioner and NHMC Board Member Gloria Tristani, as well as a roundtable discussion among FCC representatives and leaders of major Latino organizations, a musical performance by Cantaré, and a food tasting.
Participants in the roundtable included Alex Nogales, Jessica Gonzalez and Michael Scurato of NHMC as well as leaders and representatives from several Latino organizations such as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). Also participating were a number of FCC leaders and staff. Topics included Latino media ownership and participation, broadband access and adoption, the importance of maintaining an open Internet, and a host of consumer protection issues.
Below is an excerpt of Alex Nogales’ prepared remarks offered at the event:
“We are all acutely aware of the challenges we face in effecting this great push towards equity. At NHMC, we believe in a number of underlying principles. Here are some of them. Ownership and employment in the so-called “old” media industry should be more reflective of the demographics of this day and age, so that all stories can be told using these powerful tools. Participation in ‘new’ media should not be dependent on what provider or device you use and should not be available only to those who can afford a more expensive plan. The Internet should be an open platform where lower barriers to entry should be taken advantage of and creativity should be embraced and not stifled. And participation and adoption should not be thwarted by fear or uncertainty due to predatory practices or a lack of information or understanding. These are some of our beliefs and we will continue to advocate for them at the Commission and elsewhere until equity is achieved.”
A complete copy of Alex Nogales’ prepared remarks is available here.
NHMC Awarded Racial Justice Award from YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley Chapter
Dolores Huerta and NHMC Board Member Pete Gomez at the YWCA Racial Justice Awards Breakfast
On October 15, NHMC received the YWCA Pasadena-Foothill Valley Racial Justice Award at the 10th Annual Women for Racial Justice Breakfast held at the Hilton in Pasadena, CA. NHMC Board Member and Secretary, Pete Gomez, received the award on behalf of the organization and its work on fighting hate speech in media. “On behalf of NHMC, I thank you for recognizing the important work that NHMC is doing to address the increase of hate in media. Media has a powerful impact on peoples’ perceptions of others and we must all be willing to stand up for what is just and against hateful rhetoric.”
The award comes at a significant time when hate speech, bullying and negative media portrayals are under public scrutiny. Earlier last month, NHMC released the results of a national poll showing that media portrayals of Latinos and immigrants are fueling rampant negative stereotypes among non-Latinos. Beginning in November 2011, NHMC and the UCLA Chicano Research Studies Center released three academic studies detailing the role of the media in breeding hate. The poll results and studies can be found here.
From left to right: Alex Nogales (NHMC), Hector Sanchez (NHLA) and Wilson Cruz (GLAAD)
The poll found that after viewing just one minute of media content, poll respondents changed the way they view Latinos. For instance, those who consumed negative news and entertainment pieces were much more likely to rate Latinos as unintelligent, while those who consumed positive pieces were much more likely to rate Latinos as intelligent.
In addition, the poll found there is a common misperception that Latinos and undocumented immigrants are one in the same, with 17% of survey respondents actually believing that the majority of U.S. Latinos are undocumented. The poll also found that:
For all baseball fans out there — you’ll be happy to know that Anaheim’s Angels Baseball removed its advertisement from “The John and Ken Show.” Angels Baseball has been added to the list of local advertisers who have also dropped the program in recent weeks. Thanks to organizations and consumers that help educate and place pressure on advertisers, the list of dropped advertisers continues to grow, now reaching over 50 dropped advertisers.
Help us claim more victories and be part of the fight by sending a letter or calling companies who continue to advertise on “The John and Ken Show.”
Take Action!
John and Ken have been spreading hate and intolerance from their radio perch for years. Be a Part of the Solution: Demand Advertisers to Drop “The John and Ken Show,” Sign the Petition and Spread the Word! TWEET to CITRIX SYSTEMS @citrix: Stop advertising on “The John and Ken Show.” Supporting #hatespeech is NOT worth it! https://www.nhmc.org/johnandken
Tune in on Facebook, Twitter @NHMC, or text “drophate” to 877877 to receive campaign action alerts.
Congratulations to NHMC Board Member Angelo Falcon
Census Bureau Names Angelo Falcon to National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations
The U.S. Census Bureau announced on October 12 the establishment of the National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic and Other Populations, and has named Angelo Falcón as a member of the committee.
Univision has recently unveiled a new brand identity and redesigned logo – a multi-dimensional, multi-faceted image that symbolizes Univision’s constant evolvement, and its quest to always define and innovate for the future, while remaining “The Hispanic Heartbeat of America.” The new Univision logo represents the New American Reality – what was once a niche is now the norm and the definition of being Hispanic in America has changed.
On October 15, The Pasadena City Council held a historic vote unanimously passing a resolution declaring that each year from September 15 through October 15, the City of Pasadena will celebrate Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month.
The resolution was first introduced by the Pasadena Latino Coalition (PLC), a broad-based alliance of local nonprofit and grassroots civic organizations, with the support of diverse community groups at the October 1st council meeting. The motion to adopt the resolution was made two weeks later by Councilmember Victor Gordo and seconded by Councilmember Steve Madison and passed unanimously.
This victory comes on the eve of the Pasadena Latino Coalition’s first year anniversary. In 2011, NHMC convened a coalition of Pasadena organizations that serve the Latino community, and thus the PLC came to be. The Coalition has been meeting regularly for over a year to move PLC’s strategy forward, which is to seek social justice and fair representation for the Latino community in the greater Pasadena area.
“The Latino community in Pasadena has a history of being disenfranchised, we make up 33% of the population in this city and yet we do not have access to adequate housing, and are not fairly represented in elected or appointed office, PLC was formed to change that, ” said Alex Nogales, NHMC President and CEO, and a founding member of the PLC.
NHMC joined the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) on October 19 for Spirit Day, in its efforts against bullying, cyberbullying and discrimination.
NHMC has a strong history of fighting hate speech in media which is a form of bullying at a larger scale. NHMC and GLAAD recently won an important victory when “Jose Luis Sin
Censura,” a homophobic Spanish-language program, was taken off the air. On the online front,
NHMC has brought awareness about the dangers of online bullying or cyberbullying. Most recently, NHMC and the UCLA Chicano Resource Study Center published a study noting how social networks of hate act as echo-chambers that promote hatred towards people of color, people of certain religions and LGBT people.
“In a time when vulnerable communities are under attack, bullying and discrimination against any group is unacceptable,” said Alex Nogales, President and CEO of NHMC. Contrary to the social misconception that Latinos are generally anti-LGBT due to their conservative values, data by a 2010 Bendixen & Amandi International poll found that Latinos are strongly in support of ending discrimination against the LGBT community and support principles of fairness and equality for all.
NHMC was an official participating organization of GLAAD’s Spirit Day 2012, a partner of
Familia es Famlia, and member of Everyone Matters, an online campaign that also brings awareness to the importance of tolerance and inclusion. Make sure to join us next year!]]>
