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Ethnic media still ignored by presidential candidates, says US media organisation

Posted: 03/11/08 By: Judith Townend
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On Tuesday night the US could elect its first President from an ethnic background.

But the US election campaign 2008 has not been one of ethnic diversity, says Mary Ambrose, managing editor of New America Media (NAM), the US's largest national ethnic media organisation and source of more than 2,000 ethnic news sources.

Last month it was reported that media had to pay large sums of money to get close to the candidates: Huffington Post reported that access to the Obama Barack campaign file centre cost $935 and even a position on 'a riser with a view' cost $880.

This is something of concern to organisations like NAM, which, founded in 1996, syndicates and publishes translated articles from American ethnic media - most of which have very low budgets.

"The election has spurred media pundits into overdrive. Yet on these round table prognostications about the coming elections it is rare to see anyone from the ethnic media," Ambrose tells Journalism.co.uk.

She describes the irony that there have 'even been analysts on TV programs discussing the important Latino vote, who are unable to read Spanish, so can't access the Latino media'.

"It's hard to believe in a full democracy when a candidate charges the media for access on a night meant to celebrate democracy," she says.

"Diversity of the media is crucial for the health of democracy, as biodiversity is for the health of the planet. "

Earlier in the campaign, Ambrose shared her thoughts with Journalism.co.uk on the levels of ethnic participation. The best-known anecdote, she says, is how Hillary Clinton's team turned Asian media away from a fundraiser in 2007.

"They [the team] turned away two of the biggest Chinese papers. They had various ridiculous excuses," she says.

The team asked the women for four different pieces of ID, she says. Afterwards, when the whistle was blown, 'they realised what they'd done' and organised an Asian-only press conference, explains Ambrose.

But, Ambrose says, her organisation is not there to set up events: "We can't make those things [refusal of entry to ethnic media] not happen."

Many people don't understand the prevalence or significance of ethnic media and the 'very different role' it plays compared to the mainstream media, she says.

"They're community based – they're answerable to their communities. They're decision makers – what they say really holds weight. A lot of people who don't speak other languages don't have other news sources," says Ambrose.

The nomination of Obama may be a positive thing in terms of ethnic representation in US politics, but Ambrose says it does not necessarily mean that ethnic voices were given more exposure during the campaign.

Obama, for example, she says, 'hasn't been courting the Latino press'.

"We have had no luck getting an ethnic media briefing with any of the candidates. Nothing with Barack Obama. Nothing with John McCain."

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