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| Univision: the Spanish-language station providing a 'voice for the voiceless' | Univision: the Spanish-language station providing a 'voice for the voiceless' |
| (5 months later) | |
| One glance at the list of moderators in the presidential debates told the heads of Univision, the largest Spanish-language television network in the US, that more than 50 million Latinos and their concerns had been ignored, forgotten or, more likely, not even thought about in the first place. | One glance at the list of moderators in the presidential debates told the heads of Univision, the largest Spanish-language television network in the US, that more than 50 million Latinos and their concerns had been ignored, forgotten or, more likely, not even thought about in the first place. |
| So the presenters of the station's influential evening news show, Jorge Ramos and María Elena Salinas – icons in the Hispanic community long after news anchors ceased to command the same respect on English-language stations – issued an on-air call to Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to come to Miami and talk about what matters to the one in 10 voters who speak Spanish. | So the presenters of the station's influential evening news show, Jorge Ramos and María Elena Salinas – icons in the Hispanic community long after news anchors ceased to command the same respect on English-language stations – issued an on-air call to Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to come to Miami and talk about what matters to the one in 10 voters who speak Spanish. |
| It's a testament to Univision's influence that Obama agreed immediately and Romney was obliged to follow. The ensuing forums – a mix of audience questions and hard-hitting follow-ups by Ramos and Salinas – proved a stiffer test for the candidates than any of the debates. | It's a testament to Univision's influence that Obama agreed immediately and Romney was obliged to follow. The ensuing forums – a mix of audience questions and hard-hitting follow-ups by Ramos and Salinas – proved a stiffer test for the candidates than any of the debates. |
| Obama was confronted with repeated accusations from the audience and moderators that he broke a promise of comprehensive immigration reform to help the millions of undocumented Latinos in the US. The president was forced into an embarrassing admission that it is the greatest failure of his presidency to date, and that he had been unable to "change Washington from the inside". | Obama was confronted with repeated accusations from the audience and moderators that he broke a promise of comprehensive immigration reform to help the millions of undocumented Latinos in the US. The president was forced into an embarrassing admission that it is the greatest failure of his presidency to date, and that he had been unable to "change Washington from the inside". |
| Rightwing talk show hosts, who routinely accuse the mainstream press of giving Obama an easy ride, were delighted he faced a grilling. | Rightwing talk show hosts, who routinely accuse the mainstream press of giving Obama an easy ride, were delighted he faced a grilling. |
| "Obama made a promise to our community and he didn't keep it," said Isaac Lee, president of Univsion news. "We could not miss the opportunity to have them there and not ask the questions that need to be asked." | "Obama made a promise to our community and he didn't keep it," said Isaac Lee, president of Univsion news. "We could not miss the opportunity to have them there and not ask the questions that need to be asked." |
| According to ratings surveys, 72% of Latinos who watch Univision's main evening news broadcast with Ramos and Salinas do not see any other television news. That's unique in the world of cable news, and gives the station unusual influence in the Latino community as well as a different perspective on what its role is. | According to ratings surveys, 72% of Latinos who watch Univision's main evening news broadcast with Ramos and Salinas do not see any other television news. That's unique in the world of cable news, and gives the station unusual influence in the Latino community as well as a different perspective on what its role is. |
| English-language news stations in the US are generally divided by politics – Fox shouting from the right, MSNBC from the left and CNN floundering for relevance. Lee says Univision eschews a political stand in favour of being a "voice for the voiceless" on behalf of the Hispanic community. | English-language news stations in the US are generally divided by politics – Fox shouting from the right, MSNBC from the left and CNN floundering for relevance. Lee says Univision eschews a political stand in favour of being a "voice for the voiceless" on behalf of the Hispanic community. |
| That means reporting that often drills down into issues largely ignored by English-language media. One recent investigation, into Iranian influence in Latin America, saw the Venezuelan consul to Miami deported by the US. Another, into a botched federal investigation into gun smuggling that ended up arming Mexican drug cartels, was a severe embarrassment to the Obama administration. | That means reporting that often drills down into issues largely ignored by English-language media. One recent investigation, into Iranian influence in Latin America, saw the Venezuelan consul to Miami deported by the US. Another, into a botched federal investigation into gun smuggling that ended up arming Mexican drug cartels, was a severe embarrassment to the Obama administration. |
| Univision election coverage has included tracking down Romney's extended family in Mexico, where the Republican presidential candidate's father was born. | Univision election coverage has included tracking down Romney's extended family in Mexico, where the Republican presidential candidate's father was born. |
| "Romney has a sizeable family in Mexico," said Lourdes Torres, head of Univision news election coverage. "We've been down with them twice already. Nobody else has done that. His family there have a different perspective than him on issues like immigration." | "Romney has a sizeable family in Mexico," said Lourdes Torres, head of Univision news election coverage. "We've been down with them twice already. Nobody else has done that. His family there have a different perspective than him on issues like immigration." |
| But the intense focus on issues of interest to the Hispanic community has led to accusations of advocacy journalism, especially when that means politicians are subjected to a level of scrutiny they are not used to from a generally more docile English-language press. | But the intense focus on issues of interest to the Hispanic community has led to accusations of advocacy journalism, especially when that means politicians are subjected to a level of scrutiny they are not used to from a generally more docile English-language press. |
| Take the flurry of laws in states such as Arizona and Alabama, ostensibly aimed at tracking down undocumented immigrants but which are widely regarded in the Hispanic community as likely to lead to racial profiling, or the recent spate of voter identification legislation, which federal courts have struck down as discriminatory. | Take the flurry of laws in states such as Arizona and Alabama, ostensibly aimed at tracking down undocumented immigrants but which are widely regarded in the Hispanic community as likely to lead to racial profiling, or the recent spate of voter identification legislation, which federal courts have struck down as discriminatory. |
| "If there's a particular law that's passed, we try to find out who's behind the law, who supports the law," said Torres. "In an electoral context, what are the positions of the candidates on those laws? We would want the viewer to have the right to know the views of the candidates on the issues that are important to them. | "If there's a particular law that's passed, we try to find out who's behind the law, who supports the law," said Torres. "In an electoral context, what are the positions of the candidates on those laws? We would want the viewer to have the right to know the views of the candidates on the issues that are important to them. |
| "We have a singular role in terms of explaining things to our audience. Sometimes that is interpreted as advocacy because there is more depth. We may point out certain figures or politicians who are supporting or not supporting certain things that do affect the community. Some people may call that advocacy." | "We have a singular role in terms of explaining things to our audience. Sometimes that is interpreted as advocacy because there is more depth. We may point out certain figures or politicians who are supporting or not supporting certain things that do affect the community. Some people may call that advocacy." |
| Lee is dismissive of what he describes as the easy way out of "telling two sides of the story", so common in US journalism, in which opposing points of view are presented with little insight into who is telling the truth – because American reporters are so afraid of being accused of bias. Lee paraphrases Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor and writer, as saying neutrality hurts the weak. | Lee is dismissive of what he describes as the easy way out of "telling two sides of the story", so common in US journalism, in which opposing points of view are presented with little insight into who is telling the truth – because American reporters are so afraid of being accused of bias. Lee paraphrases Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust survivor and writer, as saying neutrality hurts the weak. |
| "I think it's true that we cannot let go of our responsibility to represent Hispanic people in this country," he said. "There is a very close relationship between Univision and its viewers. They feel Univision is there representing them. It's defending them. This is a disenfranchised community that relies on Univision for a lot of things. I've been very shocked learning from our local stations that people call to ask which doctor to take their kids to, which schools they should go to." | "I think it's true that we cannot let go of our responsibility to represent Hispanic people in this country," he said. "There is a very close relationship between Univision and its viewers. They feel Univision is there representing them. It's defending them. This is a disenfranchised community that relies on Univision for a lot of things. I've been very shocked learning from our local stations that people call to ask which doctor to take their kids to, which schools they should go to." |
| Univision got into what Lee describes as an "interesting conversation" with the New York Times about its use of the word "illegal" to described undocumented immigrants. Lee contends that it is dehumanising. | Univision got into what Lee describes as an "interesting conversation" with the New York Times about its use of the word "illegal" to described undocumented immigrants. Lee contends that it is dehumanising. |
| "A person is not illegal. He can do something that is illegal or not. But you are not 'an illegal'. We're very careful about that and we think the Hispanic community here is going through one of those important stages in US history where it's a human rights issue. The same way that people used to use the word homo or nigger and it was acceptable at that time, the word illegal is going to be looked back on with a different perspective," he said. | "A person is not illegal. He can do something that is illegal or not. But you are not 'an illegal'. We're very careful about that and we think the Hispanic community here is going through one of those important stages in US history where it's a human rights issue. The same way that people used to use the word homo or nigger and it was acceptable at that time, the word illegal is going to be looked back on with a different perspective," he said. |
| The New York Times did not back down, but there was a time when the paper would probably not have felt the need to respond at all. | The New York Times did not back down, but there was a time when the paper would probably not have felt the need to respond at all. |
| Univision is marking 50th year with plans for a joint venture with ABC for an English-language version of its reporting and is already putting up its content in English on the ABC site. But Torres, who has been with the station since the 1980s, remembers that it was often ignored by politicians. | Univision is marking 50th year with plans for a joint venture with ABC for an English-language version of its reporting and is already putting up its content in English on the ABC site. But Torres, who has been with the station since the 1980s, remembers that it was often ignored by politicians. |
| "You would call and they would say: you are who? You are what?" she said. "Now you don't have to explain who we are and what we represent. But I wouldn't say they come running to us." | "You would call and they would say: you are who? You are what?" she said. "Now you don't have to explain who we are and what we represent. But I wouldn't say they come running to us." |
| What hasn't changed much is that the Hispanic community is frequently viewed as a monolithic block by much of the rest of America. But the complexities of the Latino diaspora in the US present its own problems putting together a news programme for Spanish speakers. | What hasn't changed much is that the Hispanic community is frequently viewed as a monolithic block by much of the rest of America. But the complexities of the Latino diaspora in the US present its own problems putting together a news programme for Spanish speakers. |
| The bulk, spread across border states from California to Texas and beyond, are either Mexican-born or of Mexican descent. But there is a sizeable Puerto Rican population dispersed between the island, New York and Florida. Florida is also home to more than one million Cuban Americans, a substantial number of Dominicans and a growing Central American population. | The bulk, spread across border states from California to Texas and beyond, are either Mexican-born or of Mexican descent. But there is a sizeable Puerto Rican population dispersed between the island, New York and Florida. Florida is also home to more than one million Cuban Americans, a substantial number of Dominicans and a growing Central American population. |
| "That's a challenge this network has," said Torres. "To be a Mexican is not Central American, not Guatemalan, not Cuban. There's a language that unifies us but not necessarily one culture that unifies us. I think what does unify us are issues. That we are viewed as a monolithic block also unifies us." | "That's a challenge this network has," said Torres. "To be a Mexican is not Central American, not Guatemalan, not Cuban. There's a language that unifies us but not necessarily one culture that unifies us. I think what does unify us are issues. That we are viewed as a monolithic block also unifies us." |
| There are also issues that divide. Torres acknowledged that there was a time when the station had to tread carefully on its coverage of Fidel Castro and Cuba under scrutiny from vocal and sometimes powerful hard line anti-communists in the Cuban American community. But Castro was not viewed with nearly so much hostility by immigrants from some other countries in the region who saw him as championing the poor and standing up to US domination. | There are also issues that divide. Torres acknowledged that there was a time when the station had to tread carefully on its coverage of Fidel Castro and Cuba under scrutiny from vocal and sometimes powerful hard line anti-communists in the Cuban American community. But Castro was not viewed with nearly so much hostility by immigrants from some other countries in the region who saw him as championing the poor and standing up to US domination. |
| That, too, has changed. "The community changed so much. It's not as political among younger generations," she said. | That, too, has changed. "The community changed so much. It's not as political among younger generations," she said. |
| It's that younger generation that Univision has its eye on. The average age of views of its news programmes are already 10 years younger than English-language cable news. There are about 500,000 Latinos turning 18 every year for the next 10 years in the US. But most of those are bilingual, hence the move into English-language television with a focus on the Hispanic community. | It's that younger generation that Univision has its eye on. The average age of views of its news programmes are already 10 years younger than English-language cable news. There are about 500,000 Latinos turning 18 every year for the next 10 years in the US. But most of those are bilingual, hence the move into English-language television with a focus on the Hispanic community. |
| "We need to cater to those who want to hear what we have to say in English," said Lee. "It also helps us get noticed. One of the things that helped us to start being taken seriously by the rest of the media was we started doing things in English, on the web. It's been a major change." | "We need to cater to those who want to hear what we have to say in English," said Lee. "It also helps us get noticed. One of the things that helped us to start being taken seriously by the rest of the media was we started doing things in English, on the web. It's been a major change." |
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