PRESS RELEASE
January 10, 2011
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tatiana Arizaga
(626) 792-6462
tarizaga@nhmc.org
Pasadena, CA. - The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) is horrified by the senseless shooting rampage that occurred over the weekend in Tucson, Arizona. Our condolences and prayers go out to the victims and their families.
We are saddened that it takes a tragedy of this nature for the media and the public to notice that we have a serious problem in this country with extremist rhetoric and activities.
Indeed, this month marks the second anniversary of NHMC's call to action on hate speech in media, whereby NHMC made two requests: (1) that the Federal Communications Commission open a public docket to examine the extent and effects of hate speech in media, and non-regulatory options for counteracting the violence that extreme rhetoric breeds; and (2) that the National Telecommunications and Information Administration update its 1993 report, The Role of Telecommunications in Hate Crimes so that it may address the realities of how people communicate in the digital age. To date, the government has not acted upon our requests.
In the meantime, we have witnessed the horrific murders and maiming of countless victims, many of whom remain in the shadows. The government must act NOW so that it may understand the underlying reasons behind hate crimes and other acts of rhetoric-induced violence. Only with this understanding may it protect the people of this country, including our members of Congress, who must be able to interact safely with their constituents in their districts so that they may represent them on the Hill - a fundamental tenet of our democracy.
To learn more about NHMC's campaign against hate speech in media, please click here. If you would like to join our plea for government action, please visit http://www.nhmc.org/content/take-action.
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The National Hispanic Media Coalition is a non-profit, media advocacy organization established in 1986 in Los Angeles, California. Our mission is to improve the image of American Latinos as portrayed by the media, increase the number of American Latinos employed in all facets of the media industry, and advocate for media and telecommunications policies that benefit the Latino community.
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National Hispanic Media Coalition | 55 S. Grand Ave. | Pasadena | CA | 91105
