- National Hispanic Media Coalition
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National Hispanic Media Coalition
NHMC— Non-Profit, 501(c)3 — Motto: Opening Doors for Latinos in the Media Website NHMC.org National Hispanic Media Coalition is a non-partisan, media advocacy and civil rights organization in the United States that represents the interests of Latinos and other people of color in the media and telecommunications industries.[1]
Contents
Mission
The National Hispanic Media Coalition has a three-fold mission:
- to improve the image of American Latinos in the media;
- to promote the employment of American Latinos in all facets of the media industry;
- and to advocate for media and telecommunications policies in favor of the American Latino Community.
History
The NHMC was founded in the fall of 1986 in Los Angeles, California as a response to the lack of Latino representation in local news. The founders included Armando Durón, Esther Renteria, and Alex Nogales. In the Summer of that year, KCBS-TV announced a change in its news format to a 10-anchor, 20-minute “news-wheel.” KCBS-TV saw no need to include any Latinos, even though 32% of the local Latino population was estimated to be Hispanic.[2]
Ever since, the history of NHMC has been filled with accomplishments in the advocacy for the Latino community. NHMC led boycotts against the advertisers of the syndicated “Howard Stern” radio show as a means of getting Stern off the air when he offended the Latino community and the family of the late singing star, Selena Quintanilla-Perez, with his repugnant comments following the singer’s tragic murder.[3]
Under Alex Nogales’ leadership, NHMC has filed over fifty petitions to deny broadcast licenses with the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), including one against a Spanish-language radio company for encouraging its DJs to air pornographic radio programming to boost their ratings. NHMC also led high-profile demonstrations against ABC[4] and its parent company, Disney, for their lack of diversity[5] and apparent exclusion of American Latinos as local news reporters and anchors, while also intensifying discussions with local TV stations across the country. As one of the more visible organizations under the umbrella of the National Latino Media Council (NLMC) – acting as secretariat and staff—NHMC was instrumental in the signing of Memoranda of Understanding with NBC, ABC, CBS and Fox in the year 2000.[6]
When Latinos in both English and Spanish language television were undercounted by the Nielsen Company, NHMC and the NLMC fought to force Nielsen to address this shortfall. Nielsen’s undercount limited Latino employment opportunities in English-language television as well as discouraged the development of Latino-themed programming. Fox Television, an ally in the fight, signed an agreement with Nielsen whereby Nielsen committed fifty million dollars to better train its field representatives to coach Nielsen households on how to correctly use their measuring equipment.[7]
Currently, NHMC is evaluating the diversity performance of the four major television networks, pushing for diversity initiatives, and challenging media entities that are demonizing the Latino immigrant community to boost their radio and television ratings.[8]
Indeed, in the past few years the NHMC has emerged as a leader in the fight against hate speech in media. On the heels of the 2006 immigration debate – and the often violent and inaccurate anti-Latino rhetoric associated therewith – the Federal Bureau of Investigation documented a 40% increase in hate crimes against Latinos.[9] Not only has NHMC called on the government to examine the link between hate speech and hate crimes and to bring light to this serious problem, it has also commissioned the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center to study the issue in the absence of government action.[10]
At the same time, NHMC’s President and CEO, Alex Nogales, has met with top cable and broadcast television executives, urging them to ensure fairness and accuracy in their stories that on the Latino community. In late 2009, a meeting was held with CNN President Jon Klein to urge him to hold Lou Dobbs accountable as a credible journalist or to fire him for his racists remarks aired on CNN. Days later, Dobbs resigned from CNN.[11]
In addition to the NHMC’s work on hate speech, the organization has increasingly engaged on media and telecommunications policies that impact the Latino community. NHMC is headquartered in Pasadena, California, with offices also in Washington, D.C. serving as the voice of the Latino community on such issues as diversifying media ownership, broadband deployment and adoption, network neutrality, and many other issues that affect how Latinos communicate and are perceived in mainstream media.[1]
Writers Program
The NLMC Television Writers Program is an intensive five-week, total immersion scriptwriters workshop to prepare and place Latinos in writing jobs for the major television networks. The program is designed to familiarize participants with the format, characters and storyline structure of specific shows currently on the air. Writers are mentored and guided by former NBC V.P of Script Development, Geoff Harris. The workshop is conducted in Burbank, CA and a total of 10 writers are recruited nationwide. The program is a response to the lack of diverse writers in primetime network TV, it aims to form diverse writers to promote more diversity on TV.[12]
TV Network Report Cards
Annually NHMC—on behalf of the National Latino Media Council—issues Television Network Report Cards, which reflect the diversity commitment of each of the four major television networks: ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox. The report card summarizes progress and shortfalls of the networks' diversity efforts each year. Networks earn overall diversity performance grades, as well as specific grades based on their employment of Latino actors in primetime scripted and reality programming, Latino writers, producers and directors in primetime programming, and Latino entertainment executives. Specific grades are also assigned for program development, procurement and network commitment to diversity and transparency.
Impact Awards
The National Hispanic Media Coalition hosts annual Local and National Impact Awards ceremonies to honor individuals and entities whose achievements have greatly benefited the Latino community in California and nationwide.
Some of the most well-known awardees are Eva Longoria, Robert Rodriguez, Vikki Carr, George Lopez, Lupe Ontiveros, Edward James Olmos, Andy Garcia,James Cameron, Adam Rodriguez, Wilmer Valderrama, Justina Machado, Freddy Rodriguez, Rosario Dawson, Salma Hayek, and America Ferrera.
Among Latino journalists who received the Impact Award are Kathy Vara (NBC4), Vikki Vargas (NBC4), Danny Romero (KABC), Gabriela Teissier (KMEX), Linda Alvarez (CBS2), Ruben Luengas (Telemundo 52), Tony Valdez (KTTV), Sylvia Lopez (KCAL), Mario Solis (NBC4), Carlos Amezcua (KTLA), Ellen Leyva (KABC), Rick Garcia (CBS2), Ana Garcia (NBC4), and many more.
References
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