Today's Date: June 5, 2023
Statement by the Prime Minister to mark four years since the publication of the final report of the National Inquiry into Missin   •   VITRAC Therapeutics to Present Phase 1 Clinical Trial Design on Novel Aurora Kinase A Inhibitor, VIC-1911, and G12C Inhibitor, S   •   Brand Strength Assumes Greater Importance for Private Equity Firms as Competition for Deals and LP Dollars Intensifies   •   Bijou Ikli named new CEO by Florida Assisted Living Association   •   DANA and Ant Group Announce Local Women Entrepreneur Winners of the Inaugural SisBerdaya Program   •   Airway Therapeutics Completes Enrollment in Phase 1b Trial of Zelpultide Alfa (AT-100) for Very Preterm Infants at Risk for Bron   •   BenevolentAI Progresses BEN-34712 for the Potential Treatment of ALS into IND-Enabling Studies   •   Dorsett Wanchai Marks World Environment Day 2023 with Bold Paperless and Plastic-Free Sustainability Initiatives   •   Government of Canada releases summary of actions taken to address the safety and wellbeing of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBT   •   Sustainability as a Success Factor: OQ Chemicals Launches Biobased Oxbalance TCD Alcohol DM   •   Air Canada's Inaugural Amsterdam-Montreal Route Takes Off; Uplifts Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Amsterdam   •   Cupshe Celebrates 8th Birthday with Exclusive Collection in Collaboration with Chanel Iman, Heather Rae El Moussa, and Brittany   •   U.S. Institute of Peace Opens Nominations for 2023 Women Building Peace Award   •   Novo Nordisk Enters Into Exclusive Negotiations to Acquire a Controlling Stake in BICORP, to Be Followed by a Tender Offer on Al   •   Statement by the Prime Minister on Canadian Armed Forces Day   •   High Schooler empowers Youth with Nonprofit "Unlimited Potential", raises $100,000 for Sports Medicine Research and Advocacy   •   Transgene Presents Immunological Data Demonstrating that TG4001, a Novel Therapeutic Cancer Vaccine, Can Induce T-cell Responses   •   CatalYm Announces Initial Data from Ongoing Phase 2a Trial Evaluating GDF-15-targeting Antibody Visugromab in Combination with N   •   Tips for a smooth transition to senior living from the San Luis Obispo assisted living professionals   •   Expro Wins Well Intervention and Integrity Contract for Major Project in Uganda
Bookmark and Share

Ethnic Media Lack Visibility At Media Reform Conference

By Anthony Advincula, New America Media

 

 BOSTON — Mohsin Zaheer, editor of Sada-e Pakistan, has been at every National Conference for Media Reform (NCMR) since its inception in 2003. He said he has also seen the lack of attention the conference has given to ethnic media.

Zaheer, at the NCMR held in Boston, said that by just looking at the conference’s concurrent sessions, ethnic media apparently did not have an equal priority as traditional independent media counterparts have. 

The three-day event, he noted, failed to include or even mention ethnic media in almost all the discussions, except at a roundtable, “Information Exchange for Ethnic Media and Media Advocates,” that he and fellow ethnic media journalists and advocates conducted on Friday night.

“This is my fifth NCMR. In terms of fully embracing the ethnic media, I have not seen any changes at all,” he said. “The number of ethnic media attendees has in fact decreased significantly.” Other than himself and two other journalists who work for Polish and Indian publications, he was not aware of other ethnic news outlets there.

The irony, Zaheer said, is that NCMR aims to empower non-corporate media in the country, like the small Pakistani-language weekly that he works for. But because of the conference’s peripheral treatment of media in native languages, he felt like an outsider at the conference.

"When NCMR first started, I received e-mails from them. They offered scholarships to ethnic media to defray some of the travel expenses,” he said. “That’s not happening anymore.” 

His invitation to this year’s gathering, he added, came from New York Community Media Alliance and G.W. Williams Center for Independent Journalism in San Francisco, the groups that spearheaded the panel that he was on, and not from NCMR.

According to its website, NCMR is “the biggest gathering of media makers, educators, journalists, policymakers and people from across the country.” The conference looks “at the policies and politics shaping our media, and discuss strategies to build the movement for better media.”  Josh Silver, out-going president and CEO of Free Press, the organizer of NCMR, defended the organization, noting the “ethnic media are very well represented at the conference." The conference's official Presenters list includes several representatives of ethnic media, primarily from African American media. 

He acknowledged the critical role that the ethnic media play in media reform. "The ethnic media is central to the movement,” he said. “They are right next to all kinds of independent media.” He added that the group intensely reached out to the ethnic media in the months leading up to the conference.

“We had local and national channels that made the calls, making sure that we have engaged women, youth, media and the community in the conference,” said Misty Perez Truedson, NCMR’s associate outreach director. “We absolutely don’t want anyone to miss out. I believe we got a lot of ethnic media outlets here, especially the local ones [from the Boston area].

When asked why the session on ethnic media was scheduled at 7:30 p.m. on the first day of the conference, which may be late for some attendees and dinnertime for others, Truedson admitted that scheduling a session had been challenging for NCMR organizers, as “speakers are saying that they are competing with other great sessions.” 

The schedules, she added, had been based on “value sessions,” which means what the attendees value the most.

The round-table on ethnic media that night, however, drew interest from a large crowd, packing up the room.

“Ten minutes before the session started, I was worried because we only had three people in the room. Then people started coming in and it turned out to be a wonderful discussion,” said Mohammad Jehangir Khattak, communications director for New York Community Media Alliance. He added that NCMR is an important platform for ethnic media to be a part of national discourse on public policy.

“Of course, the ethnic media should be at that conference. Why not? We’re talking about policies – and they impact us greatly,” he said. “As you know, one-fifth of the U.S. population is immigrants.

If the conference is not open to opinions of ethnic media, Khattak said, then the solutions that media makers may come up with at the conference will not be inclusive and representative of an increasingly diverse audience.  

“NCMR should involve the ethnic media not just by giving us a panel on the side, but most importantly to bring some ethnic media representatives to the table and be a part of other panel discussions,” he said. “That way our opinions and ideas will be shared in bigger debates.”

As for Zaheer, he still sees himself coming to the next NCMR but hoping that the conference organizers would make journalists from the ethnic media more visible.

“With everything that is happening around the world, and the economy is hurting the media, this is the time that the ethnic media sector needs support and attention the most,” Zaheer said. “A conference like this is where we gain strength. Otherwise, our publications will soon die.”


STORY TAGS: Black News, African American News, Minority News, Civil Rights News, Discrimination, Racism, Racial Equality, Bias, Equality, Afro American News, Hispanic News, Latino News, Mexican News, Minority News, Civil Rights, Discrimination, Racism, Diversity, Latina, Racial Equality, Bias, Equality

Video

White House Live Stream
LIVE VIDEO EVERY SATURDAY
alsharpton Rev. Al Sharpton
9 to 11 am EST
jjackson Rev. Jesse Jackson
10 to noon CST


Video

LIVE BROADCASTS
Sounds Make the News ®
WAOK-Urban
Atlanta - WAOK-Urban
KPFA-Progressive
Berkley / San Francisco - KPFA-Progressive
WVON-Urban
Chicago - WVON-Urban
KJLH - Urban
Los Angeles - KJLH - Urban
WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
New York - WKDM-Mandarin Chinese
WADO-Spanish
New York - WADO-Spanish
WBAI - Progressive
New York - WBAI - Progressive
WOL-Urban
Washington - WOL-Urban

Listen to United Natiosns News