February 2016

In this edition of NHMC at Work:

  • NHMC Celebrates 30th Anniversary at 19th Annual Impact Awards Gala
  • New Initiative Aimed at Movie Studios to Improve Diversity in Film
  • NHMC, Univision and Televisa Kick-Off New Partnership on Diversity Programs for Latinos in Media and Technology
  • D.C. Policy Shop Update
  • Fusion – Proud Sponsor of NHMC

 

NHMC Celebrates 30th Year Anniversary at 19th Annual Impact Awards Gala!

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On February 26th, the NHMC celebrated its 30th year anniversary and honored outstanding contributions to the positive portrayals of Latinos in media at its 19th Annual NHMC Impact Awards Gala at the historic Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. NHMC promoted and passed out brown ribbons as part of #HollywoodBrownout. “While black Americans received 10 percent of Oscar nominations since 2000, Latinos received 3 percent,” said Alex Nogales, president and CEO of the NHMC. “The issue of diversity in entertainment can no longer be a black-white dialogue, it has to include Latinos, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, and women. Every community has its creatives and we gather at the Impact Awards to honor ours and inspire more.”
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This year’s honorees were
  • John Quiñones – Lifetime Achievement
  • East Los High – Outstanding Online Series
  • Andrea Navedo – Outstanding Performance in a Television Series
  • ESPN – Outstanding Commitment and Outreach to the Latino Community
  • Stephanie Beatriz – Outstanding Performance in a Television Series
  • Luis Guzman – Outstanding Performance in Film and Television
Jackie Guerrido, host of Variety Latino and weather forecaster for Univision Network’s Primer Impacto, and Nicholas Gonzales, star of Resurrection Blvd. and Bordertown, were the evening’s masters of ceremonies. Special presenters included Ivonne Coll, star of Switched at Birth and Jane the Virgin, and Wilmer Valderrama, star of That 70’s Show and El Rey Network’s From Dusk Till Dawn. Read more about the 19th Annual Impact Awards Gala here. For pictures of the event click here.
 

New Initiative Aimed at Movie Studios to Improve Diversity in Film Announced by Members of the Multi-Ethnic Media Coalition

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Members of the Multi-Ethnic Media Coalition, which has met annually with the top four television networks (ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox) since 2000, announced a new initiative to meet with the top six motion picture studios-Sony, Warner Bros., Fox, Universal, Paramount and Disney. The coalition includes the NHMC, Asian Pacific American Media Coalition (APAMC), and American Indians in Film and Television (AIFT). The group announced that it will seek commitments from the film studios to meet with them on an annual basis; to regularly provide data on their released films regarding casting, writing, producing and directing; to explore strategies for increasing diversity and inclusion of people of color in casting, writing, producing and directing; to regularly provide data on the number of people of color among the studios’ top creative executives and to explore strategies for increasing those numbers; and to create whatever pipeline programs are necessary to ensure that people of color have genuine opportunities to participate in all aspects of the creation of American motion pictures. As the coalition has in the past issued annual report cards grading the networks on their diversity and inclusion efforts and results, the coalition intends doing the same with the major motion picture studios. “All of our organizations have worked together since the summer of 1999 to improve opportunities for people of color in television,” said Sonny Skyhawk, a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences and founder of AIFT. “We’ve met with the top four networks since 2000. Each year, they’ve provided data on the minorities they’ve hired as writers, producers, directors, and actors, and we’ve discussed how accurately their series are reflecting reality. The great improvements you’ve seen on the small screen have been due in large part to our behind-the-scenes efforts. Now, we’re setting our sights on meeting with the top six movie studios and asking them to do the same on the big screen.” “The fact that all of the nominees across the top four acting categories at this year’s Oscars are once again white, impacts African Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans,” said Alex Nogales, president and CEO of the NHMC. “Individuals from all of our communities have been denied meaningful opportunities for their work to be considered for Academy Awards. We’ve broken barriers in television, and we’ll do it again with film; studios need to know that representation matters-for recognition of hard work and talent, for combating negative stereotypes in our public discourse, and for the next generation of our future leaders in the film industry.” “The academy can only vote on works that the movie studios decide to make,” said Daniel Mayeda, co-chair at the Asian Pacific American Media Coalition. “Most of the people who have the power to greenlight films are white. And despite data that proves otherwise, they insist that projects which feature minority casts won’t do well at the box office. Even when making films based on true stories, they often change the characters’ ethnicity to white. Actors of color are yearning for the opportunity to prove that they, too, can deliver Oscar-worthy performances.” In 2015, the Multi-Ethnic Media Coalition also met with talent agencies CAA, William Morris Endeavor, ICM Partners, and Paradigm, urging them to hire more people of color as agents and to diversify their client lists.
 

NHMC, Univision and Televisa Kick-Off New Partnership on Diversity Programs for Latinos in Media and Technology

unnamed (6) The NHMC, The National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP), Univision Communications Inc. (Univision) and Grupo Televisa S.A.B. (Televisa) kicked-off a partnership to develop programs designed to increase diversity in media and technology, where Latinos are still severely underrepresented. The announcement was made at an event in Los Angeles, where NHMC, Univision and Televisa representatives were joined by Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo, and Chief of the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Dr. Linda Lopez. The programs include a television writers graduate program, a writers’ database and a policy fellowship program in Washington, D.C. “The television industry must adapt the diversity of their programming to meet the diversity of America today, and it starts by hiring the immense talent in our communities,” said Alex Nogales, president and CEO of the NHMC. “We’re proud to join with Univision and Televisa to bring Latino writers and students in public policy to the attention of those who want to re-shape the media landscape into one that is more inclusive of Latino voices.” “Programs such as these are very important to our community. These young, energetic and creative writers are the voices that will tell our stories, the joys and sorrows of our very rich culture,” said Los Angeles City Councilmember Gil Cedillo. “For Televisa, this partnership represents an amazing opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to diversity broadening opportunities for young professionals,” said Alicia Lebrija, President of Fundación Televisa. “We hope that this experience helps them become inspiring role models for other members of the Hispanic community across the United States.” “At a time when the lack of diversity in media and technology is front and center, we could not be prouder of Univision’s nearly 60-year legacy of providing opportunities, skills, and careers for Latinos in these industries,” said Roberto Llamas, executive vice president and corporate officer of Univision Communications Inc. “I want to thank NHMC and Televisa for their partnership and their commitment to expanding the pipeline of talented Latinos into an industry that sorely needs their contributions.” For more information about the programs click here.
 

D.C. Policy Shop Update DC

NHMC’s D.C. office made the most of a short February, weighing in on myriad issues that could impact consumers nationwide throughout 2016 and beyond:
NHMC joins National Hispanic Leadership Agenda in Challenging Candidates to Close the Digital Divide
unnamed (1)NHMC joined other leaders of the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, which includes the nation’s 40 preeminent Latino advocacy organizations, in releasing its 2016 Hispanic Public Policy Agenda and challenging each presidential candidate to respond. The 2016 agenda highlights issues of particular impact to Latino communities, and this year’s report lists key recommendations supported by NHMC to improve broadband access for people of color, modernize the Lifeline program, and make media more inclusive of Latinos. “This agenda, with broad support from the Latino community, confirms that closing the digital divide is of critical importance of people of color,” said Alex Nogales, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition. “We need members of Congress, FCC commissioners and 2016 presidential contenders to realize that open and affordable access to communications is an urgent need and Latino voters across the country will be pressuring politicians to articulate concrete next steps for opening opportunities for communities of color to be heard online and on the airwaves.” Other key recommendations in the agenda include expanding the Lifeline program to cover broadband services, promoting competition in the broadband and mobile phone markets to lower prices and improve service, and opposing broadcast consolidation as a race-neutral way to open doors for diverse owners to enter the media marketplace.
 

FUSION – Proud Sponsor of NHMC

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The following is a message from FUSION.
FUSION is a multi-platform media company that champions a young, diverse, inclusive America by covering news and pop culture in a smart, irreverent, and yes, sometimes comedic way. FUSION serves the millennial generation with content that matters across a range of platforms that includes TV, the web, Snapchat, and beyond. The demographic shifts happening in this country are a key reason FUSION exists. We know millennials are the most diverse generation in U.S. history – approximately 44% identify as multicultural. And future generations will only be more diverse and more inclusive. Therefore, we know our audience is comprised of globally-minded activists, diverse makers, and open minds seeking intelligent news and culture coverage. With conversations like #OscarsSoWhite and #BlackLivesMatter happening in the broader entertainment industry, it is critical that the media covering our culture and politics also take a look in the mirror. FUSION is led by a newsroom with unmatched diversity who accesses communities that others do not. We tell the most impactful stories, create the most authentic conversations, and represent the widest range of voices for today’s America. We are proud that FUSION is a majority-minority company and it is an honor to partner with the NHMC who shares so many of the same opinions as we do on how to empower the Latino/Hispanic community in this country. We proudly stand with the NHMC in recognizing the 2016 honorees for their outstanding contributions to positive media portrayals of Latinos.]]>

National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is a woman-led 501(c)(3) non-profit civil and human rights organization that was founded to eliminate hate, discrimination, and racism toward the Latino communities.
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