Spanish-Language TV's Wall St. Woes

Section: Community

Claire Atkinson

The economic downturn that has slowed or reversed the fortunes of even the soundest sectors is expected to bring declines to one of the industry's strongest categories: Spanish-language television. That sector, which has shown almost uninterrupted growth for several years, was starting to show signs of leveling off before Wall Street's recent historic woes. That fact, combined with such particulars of the demographic as a high concentration in hard-hit major markets and a higher-than-average unemployment rate, makes Hispanic media especially vulnerable in these times.

For the full story from Broadcasting & Cable by Claire Atkinson, click link.

News in NAM and the ethnic media
Domestic Workers Clean Up Their Work Environments
Ethnic Elders Beat: Cornerstones of the Family
Mum's the Word on Prop 8
Obamamania Conquers the World
NAM NEWS
Voter Education PSA Targets Inconsistent Rules and Regulations

While the 2008 presidential race has electrified voters, there are still rules and regulations that could keep people from making their voices heard on November 4th. Actor Hill Harper urges media outlets to educate their communities by broadcasting NAM's voter education PSA. Harper currently stars in the hit television drama CSI: NY and is the New York Times bestselling author of "Letters To a Young Brother" and "Letters To a Young Sister".

To learn more about NAM's campaign, or to download our TV, radio, or print PSAs, click here, or go to NAM's homepage and click on the word "VOTE".

To read Hill Harper's commentary on what to know on Election Day, click here.

Clean Energy Act Campaigns Present to Ethnic Media

This November, the issue of public power is on the San Francisco ballot. Measure H, the Clean Energy Act, mandates deadlines for higher renewable energy standards, and requires the San Francisco Public Utility Commission (PUC) to study options of how the city could provide clean and affordable electricity. It also allows the Board of Supervisors to issue revenue bonds to fund needed infrastructure, without voter approval. Supervisors voted 7-4 to put the measure on the ballot. New America Media invited campaigns on both sides of the issue to address its ethnic media editorial board to make the case for or against city-controlled power and explain what’s at stake for Asian American, African American and Latino residents. Ngoc Nguyen is an editor for New America Media.

For the full story by NAM editor Ngoc Nguyen, click here.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS : NAM MULTIMEDIA
Postville Raid Targets Tell Their Own Stories
On May 12, 2008, in what was then the largest single-site workplace immigration raid in U.S. history, ICE agents burst into a kosher poultry processing plant in the small town of Postville, Iowa. 389 men and women, mostly Mexican and Guatemalan, were picked up in those raids. Over the next few months, NAM contributing editor Marcelo Ballvé and video producer Cliff Parker have followed the story of that town and the decisions the men and women made about their futures.

But what happens to the story when the reporter moves on? There is always the next raid, the next story. As raids occur in Laurel, Mississippi, what happens to the women in ankle bracelets in Postville, Iowa? After profiling some of the women in Iowa, NAM decided to provide them with flip cameras so that they could continue telling their stories. Here are some of the stories they told (and continue to tell), supplemented by the print reporting and videos produced by NAM.

For the full video report from Postville, click here.

EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
Chevron and the Ronn Guidi Foundation Present:
Oakland Ballet Company's Fall Program

The Oakland Ballet Company, led by Ronn Guidi, Artistic Director, begins its second exciting season with two performances on Saturday, October 25, 2008 at the historic Paramount Theatre in downtown Oakland. The company will perform excerpts from Ronn Guidi’s critically acclaimed Romeo and Juliet, Ron Thiele’s How’d They Catch Me? and Michael Lowe’s Bamboo with a special musical performance by Melody of China. Michael Morgan will conduct members of the Oakland East Bay Symphony.

Paramount Theatre, Oakland:
Saturday, October 25, 2008 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Ticket prices: $15-$50. For tickets click here, or call (510) 625-8497
For information: Paramount Theatre, (510) 465-6400
www.oaklandballet.org

Facing History And Ourselves and The Allstate Foundation Present:
Marian Wright Edelman, Speaker and Author, The Sea Is So Wide and My Boat Is So Small

Sunday, October 26, 5:00-7:00 pm
The Cowell Theater at the Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA

On October 26, 2008, Facing History and Ourselves and The Allstate Foundation will host a community event with Marian Wright Edelman, President, Children’s Defense Fund and best-selling author. Through discussion of her newest book, The Sea Is So Wide and My Boat Is So Small, Edelman will examine how to create a safer world for children. The event is the eighth in Facing History’s Community Conversations series that brings prominent authors, filmmakers and policy leaders into communities to discuss topics of civic participation, individual and collective responsibility and diversity. Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of The Sea Is So Wide and My Boat Is So Small.

For more information or reservations, call (510) 786-2500 ×227 or click here; or contact Liz Vogel, Associate Director, Facing History and Ourselves, (510) 786-2500 ×22.

Conscious Youth Media Crew Film Premiere: "A Choice of Weapons"

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008. 6:30 - 9:30PM
Brava Theater. 2781 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110 (Parking at 23rd and San Bruno)

Conscious Youth Media Crew proudly presents "A Choice of Weapons," our first entirely youth-produced feature filmdocumenting the story of San Francisco youth as they discover the threats of evictions, toxic waste, and redevelopment facing their Bayview Hunter's Point community. The premiere evening will feature refreshments, a live DJ, photos and art displays, the feature film, and a post-screening panel to meet the filmmakers and Bayview community leaders. $5-15 sliding scale at the door. "A Choice of Weapons" posters will be available for sale in the lobby.

For more info about CYMC, check out its website here, email cymc2000@yahoo.com, or call 415.621.5353 or 650-491-4176.

Telephonic Symposium: Immigration And The Latino Vote

October 29, 2008 at 1:00 p.m. EST/10:00 a.m. PST

NCLR, NABJ Media Institute and New America Media present the third of three briefings on immigration and the Latino vote featuring dialogue and presentations by chief actors in the immigration debate to provide members of the media with the resources and information necessary to accurately and fairly cover immigration. Discussants will include Cecilia Muñoz, National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Bobbi Bowman, Diversity Director, The American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE), Frank Sharry, Executive Director, America’s Voice, Efrain Escobedo, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) and others.

Please RSVP to scotton@nclr.org for the conference code. Click here to learn more about the briefings, and dial 866-244-4576 to join the call.

NAM Regional Ethnic Media Awards Ceremonies

NAM will host three regional awards ceremonies to honor hyperlocal journalists and the stories that matter most to them and their communities. Join us to celebrate the community and ethnic media's most outstanding journalism of 2008, and to network within the ethnic media community in your area. NAM is proud to partner with the Twin Cities Media Alliance, the New England Ethnic News, UMass-Boston's Center on Media and Society, and the American University School of Communicati on to bring you the 2008 awards.

Twin Cities, Minnesota: Thursday, November 13, 2008, 6:00 pm
Hoa Bien Restaurant, 1105 University Ave W., St. Paul, MN 55104

For more information about the Minnesota awards, contact Emily Ryan at Emily@tcdailyplanet.net or Anthony Advincula or aadvincula@newamericamedia.org.

New England: Thursday, November 20, 2008, 5:30 pm
University of Massachusetts - Boston, Dorchester, MA 02125

For more information about the New England awards, contact Frank Herron at Frank.Herron@umb.edu or Anthony Advincula at aadvincula@newamericamedia.org.

Washington, D.C.: Thursday, December 4, 2008, 6:00 pm
University of California, Washington Center,
1608 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Washington D.C. 20036

For more information about the New England awards, contact Angie Chuang at chuang@american.edu or Alex Moe at amoe@newamericamedia.org.

Refugee Women's Network Presents 9th Refugee & Immigrant Women’s Leadership Conference:
In Our Hands: Building Solidarity and Community

November 14-16, 2008
Westin Peachtree Plaza, 210 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30309

Join Refugee Women’s Network Inc. to share your experiences, network and learn. Our theme,“In Our Hands: Building Solidarity and Community,” highlights individuals, organizations and communities who have worked tirelessly to build solidarity and community. Workshops will emphasize collective learning with panels of speakers, facilitated groups and interactive learning sessions. Learn and deepen your knowledge about health, gender and gender-based violence, human rights, social justice advocacy, microenterprise, youth leadership, and personal development. Celebrate the strength and courage of women refugees and immigrants in overcoming challenges and building a strong and just world for everyone in a collective closi ng ceremony. If you are an individual, a community leader, a refugee service provider agency, a mutual assistance organization, a resettlement agency, or from local, state and federal agencies and media, don't miss this dynamic and provocative weekend.

For more information and to register, click here or contact Satyam Barakoti at info@riwn.org or 404-299-0180, ext. 226.

New Tang Dynasty Television Presents Divine Performing Arts Chinese New Year Spectacular

January 7-15, 2009, San Francisco, CA
The War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102
Flint Center, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, CA 95014

Inspired by the spirit of the ancient chinese culture, Divine Performing Arts brings to life classical Chinese dance and music in a gloriously colorful and exhilarating show. Divine Performing Arts has performed to acclaim in 70 cities worldwide. DPA seeks to breathe new life into traditional Chinese culture and provide audiences with an experience of sublime beauty.

For more information, click here.

IMMIGRATION MATTERS
Access Washington summarizes the latest developments in immigration reform from bills coming up in Congress to last-minute amendments. The column is available in Spanish, Chinese and Korean. Articles related to Access Washington are available at the Access Washington page.

Alex and the Beast
Every year thousands of young people make the long and dangerous trip from Central America to the United States. More remarkable than that is the fact that many do so by riding on top of a freight train that travels the length of Mexico. Because of the danger and notoriety of the trip, Central American immigrants call the train "The Beast." Josue Rojas, a video producer at NAM, traveled to Honduras to collect the stories of immigrants like Alex Alvarez, who traveled on "La Bestia" from Honduras to San Francisco in 2005.

For the full video report from Honduras, click here.

JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES
California HealthCare Foundation Seeks Communications Officer, Better Chronic Disease Care

The California HealthCare Foundation, an independent philanthropy committed to improving the way health care isdelivered and financed in California, invites applications for its Communications Officer position. The Communications Officer creates and implements communications strategies and plans for the Foundation. The Communications Officer is assigned to the Better Chronic Disease Care program area and has responsibility for managing all communications and publications-related activities for that area. These activities include a full range of strategic and tactical communications services and support; writing and editing of press releases and other documents; and outreach to appropriate audiences. While this position will interface regularly with staff for the specific program area, an estimated 25% of his or her time will be devoted to other, specific communications activities (noted below). This position reports to the Director of Publishing and Communications.

Salary is negotiable and commensurate with training and experience. The Foundation provides a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, disability, long term care, and life insurance; a cafeteria plan; commuter checks or monthly parking; EAP and wellness programs; educational assistance; paid time off; and retirement benefits. To apply for this position, please email a cover letter that includes your recent salary history, and attach your resume in Microsoft Word format to: jobs@chcf.org. Please reference the position code (CO-CHCF) in the subject line of your email. Local applicants only, please. We will accept resumes until the position is filled. The California HealthCare Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes applications from individuals who will contribute to its diversity.

For a detailed job description and to learn more about CHCF, click here.

Comprehensive New Survey Shows Asian Americans Could Play Key Role in Outcome of Presidential Election

Among Asian American voters, many are supporting presidential candidate Barack Obama, but another sizable portion remains undecided - a development that could set the stage for Asian Americans to play a pivotal role in the outcome of the election, according to a new national survey released Oct. 6. The multi-ethnic, multi-lingual survey of more than 4,000 Asian Americans likely to vote in the election was conducted from Aug. 18 to Sept. 26. It is the most comprehensive survey to date of the political views of Asian Americans, with interviews conducted in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese.

This groundbreaking study was conducted by researchers from four leading universities: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley); University of California, Riverside (UC Riverside); and University of Southern California (USC). The researchers' 2008 National Asian American Survey (NAAS) shows that 41 percent of Asian Americans are likely to favor Obama, while 24 percent support John McCain. In battleground states, where either candidate could win on Election Day, Obama leads with 43 percent of Asian Americans supporting him and 22 percent favoring McCain. Researchers point out that a key finding of the study is the high proportion of undecided Asian American likely voters: 34 percent. Among the general population, national polls conducted since the major party conventions show that undecided voters are approximately 8 percent of the electorate.

For more information about the National Asian American Survey, click here.

Need a non-partisan, expert source of information about Social Security and Medicare?

The National Academy of Social Insurance can provide you with information, issue briefs and experts on these vital topics. If you have election season forums, candidate debates, or if you are preparing for the busy legislative session next year, you can benefit from NASI’s ‘Tool Kit" of facts about Social Security and Medicare. The National Academy of Social Insurance is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization made up of the nation's leading experts on social insurance. Its mission is to promote understanding of how social insurance contributes to economic security and a vibrant economy. Social insurance encompasses broad-based systems for insuring workers and their families against economic insecurity caused by loss of income from work and the cost of health care. NASI's scope covers social insurance such as Social Security; Medicare; workers' compensation; and unemployment insurance, related public assistance, and private employee benefits.

To access NASI's online Sourcebook and Tool Kit, click here.

Society of Professional Journalists Accepting Nominations for 2008 Awards

Since 1997, the Greater Los Angeles Chapter has given four awards — print 100,000+ circulation, under 100,000 circulation, television broadcast and radio broadcast. The nominees may, but not need be, reporters or news anchors; previous winners include behind-the-scenes writers, editors and producers whose achievements merit recognition.

This year, the Board of Directors voted to add the Distinguished Work in New Media Award. This category honors journalists whose work in post-print and post-broadcast "new media" areas successfully fulfills their editorial mission, effectively serves their audience and uses the new media's unique characteristics and capabilities while striving to uphold traditional journalism's highest standards of honesty, accuracy, responsibility and accountability. Among the criteria is general excellence of content. Depending on the kind of "new media," technical criteria such as interactivity, rich media, design and ease of navigation also would be considered. When submitting a nomination, please describe what kind of work the journalist does and how long he or she has been doing it and provide samples of the nominee's work, such as online stories or a Web site link.

2008 Freedom of Information Award: The Greater Los Angeles Chapter honors a non-journalist who has helped promote First Amendment issues. Previous winners have been involved with a gamut of First Amendment issues and come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including the legal profession, academia, government and non-profit groups. Nominations may be e-mailed to: spjlauren@yahoo.com or faxed to: Roberta Wax at 818-993-5971 NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, OCT. 24, 2008.

To access the 2008 nomination form, click here.

Job Opening - Freelance Financial Business Writers

The USASIA Financial Times seeks Chinese, Japanese, or Korean freelance finance and business writers, or English writers familiar with the Asian markets. The USASIA Financial Times, published in English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, will provide the latest pertinent financial news from Asia and America to today's Japanese, Chinese, and Korean business professionals.

Interested parties should contact Mark Hayashi at royalasianservice@gmail.com or 630-433-8712.

Job Opening - AAJA Executive Director

The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) seeks an Executive Director responsible for the national, non-profit organization's $1.2 million budget and $2 million endowment campaign. Primary duties are fundraising, financial and organizational management, and convention planning. Since 1981, AAJA has promoted newsroom diversity. With a membership of approximately 2,000 professionals and students, AAJA's mission is to encourage Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) to enter the ranks of journalism, to work for fair and accurate coverage of AAPIs, and to increase the number of AAPI journalists and news managers in the industry. For more information: www.aaja.org

Managers Being Recruited for Census 2010 In many offices located in Southern CA
Northridge, CA - The Los Angeles Regional Census Center is actively recruiting managers for the twelve Early Local Census Offices (ELCO’s). Eleven will be located in Southern California, and one in Hawaii. With the exception of the U.S. military, the nationwide recruiting effort for the decennial census is the largest peace time hiring of temporary federal employees. In the fall of 2008, these twelve Early Local Census Offices will open to direct Field Operations for the region’s population count on Census Day, April 1, 2010. These offices will be located in East Los Angeles, Fresno, Long Beach, Downtown Los Angeles, Norwalk, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Ana, Santa Maria, Van Nuys, and Honolulu. Testing will be ongoing in each of the ELCO cities and their surrounding areas. Please call (877) 232-3385 to reserve a seat for testing. For more information on Census 2010 jobs in the Los Angeles Region, go to www.census.gov/losangeles. Click on the link for “Regional Employment.”

Contact - Lynne Choy Uyeda at (818) 435-6344 or lynnechoy@earthlink.net

NAM DIRECTORY OF ETHNIC MEDIA

New America Media has been working with journalism schools across the country to expand and update the NAM Directory of Ethnic Media, the largest database of ethnic print, radio, TV and online media in the US. We have also added special features to the directory, including a custom search feature by name, city, state, media type, language and ethnicity.

To order your copy today or subscribe to the online edition, contact Elena Shore or email directory@newamericamedia.org.

NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION
Dear Newsletter subscribers,

Please pass along information about fellowships, job opportunities and other upcoming events to your networks. If you have any questions, or would like to sign up for the newsletter, please contact me at the email address listed below. Thanks for staying in touch with ethnic media and have a great week!

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