A recent episode of the bi-weekly discussion series “Beyond Coronavirus, The Road Ahead for Diverse Media,” presented by the Multicultural Media Correspondents Association (MMCA), featured a discussion of the critical role of—and the existential threat to—diverse and local media during the coronavirus crisis. The panelists explored fixes that can be immediately adopted by the government, the business community, the philanthropic community and the general public.
The episode, aired on May 12, featured panelists Rep. Val Demings (D-Fl), Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA), Rick Wade from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Juan Señor from Innovation Media Consulting, and Unsung Hero awardee Tracie Powell from Borealis Philanthropy. Steve Clemons, editor-at-large at The Hill, moderated the discussion.
“America is defined by the institutions and individuals who tell our stories. Sadly, multicultural and diverse media faces new and unprecedented challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Rep. Demings. “As we chart a course out of this crisis, we all have a role to play to support the many talented people and media organizations who are critical to building a better future.”
“Many AAPI news outlets are struggling to survive the coronavirus pandemic due to the significant loss in advertising revenue,” said Rep. Judy Chu. “That is why I joined with the chairs of the Black Caucus and Hispanic Caucus in urging Congressional leadership to include relief for local and ethnic media in any future Covid-19 relief legislation.”
As a follow-up, MMCA announced the release of its Confidence and Diversity in Media survey to ascertain the level of support for government and philanthropic efforts to save diverse and local media. The survey results will be shared with federal, philanthropic and business leaders with a goal of shaping and driving further relief efforts.
MMCA is a nonpartisan/nonprofit organization leading a call to action to ensure the survival of multicultural and local media. MMCA has become a trusted convener and facilitator of thought leadership, resource and information sharing and strategic engagement between multicultural media stakeholders, industry decision makers, policymakers and corporate leaders committed to developing consensus-based solutions to foster greater diversity in media content and ownership.
