Could Latinos End Up Censored Online? It Certainly Looks Like It…

huffpo latinoBy Hugo Balata and Axel Caballero, Huffington Post Latino Voices

As Latino filmmakers and journalists, we understand that the stories we tell matter.

They play a critical role in defining our culture and help people make sense of the world we live in.

But too often, the stories that are being told on the local news, on cable outlets or on the big screen about Latinos reinforce dangerous stereotypes to the detriment of our community.

It is why our organizations have long pressured the industry to hire more Latinos to ensure our stories are being told. It is also why we are deeply troubled by the impact of a recent court decision on our online free speech rights.

Earlier this month, a federal court struck down the Federal Communications Commission’s open Internet rules, which were intended to prevent Internet Service Providers like Verizon and AT&T from blocking content or discriminating online.

Now these companies are free to interfere with Web traffic.

This is why we are calling on our community to sign a petition from Presente.org that asks the FCC to take action to protect Net Neutrality.

We understand the open Internet provides our members and community with the means to speak for themselves, which has been difficult to do in the mainstream media.

Latinos own few broadcast stations or major entertainment companies. It has made us dependent on large media companies to tell our stories. And if you turn on your television, or have gone to the movies recently, you can see why this has been a problem.

Media coverage of immigration often marginalizes undocumented immigrants. When Latinos do appear in major movies, we tend to be portrayed as gardeners, maids, or criminals.

This is hardly surprising since Latinos remain woefully underrepresented in the media and entertainment industries. Despite making up 17 percent of the U.S. population, only 4 percent of journalists working at daily newspapers are …

READ MORE HERE

This article was originally published in Huffington Post Latino Voices.

Hugo Balta is President of NAHJ and a coordinating producer for ESPN. Axel Caballero is Executive Director for NALIP and founder of Cuéntame.

[Photo by Shenghung Lin]

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