Ethnic Media Services

Ethnic Media Services
Name	Ethnic Media Services
Formation	1980s
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California
Region served	United States
Services	Media translation, press briefings, cultural programming

Ethnic Media Services is a nonprofit intermediary that connects immigrant and diaspora news outlets with mainstream journalism sources, public officials, and cultural institutions. Founded in the late 20th century in Los Angeles, it organizes press conferences, translation services, and training for ethnic and multilingual journalists, while liaising with municipal agencies, foundations, and media organizations. The organization acts as a bridge among communities represented by outlets such as La Opinión, The Korea Times, El Diario La Prensa, World Journal, and broadcasters affiliated with public media like KCRW and KPCC.

Definition and Scope

The organization defines its remit as serving ethnic, immigrant, and multilingual newsrooms including print, radio, television, and digital platforms such as New York Amsterdam News, Chicago Defender, India Abroad, Nikkei, The Filipino Times, Arab News, and diasporic broadcasters tied to networks like Univision, Telemundo, NHK World, Al Jazeera English, and Deutsche Welle. Its scope covers translation, press conferences, media literacy, and facilitating access to policymakers from bodies like the U.S. Department of State, Department of Homeland Security, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, and international missions such as the Consulate General of Mexico and the Embassy of the Philippines. Partnerships often include philanthropy from foundations like the Ford Foundation, MacArthur Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and institutions such as Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

History and Development

Emerging amid waves of immigration and the rise of community papers in the 1970s and 1980s, the group developed relationships with ethnic outlets rooted in cities with large diasporas: New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, and Houston. Early connections included working with newspapers born out of postwar migrations like The Irish Echo and veteran immigrant presses such as Der Tagesspiegel-affiliated émigré initiatives. Over time the organization adapted to changes triggered by events like the 1992 Los Angeles riots, the post-9/11 national security debates tied to the USA PATRIOT Act, and migration shifts after the 2016 United States presidential election. It has hosted briefings with officials from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and delegations from the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Types and Formats

Services include multilingual press briefings, translation and transcription for outlets including ethnic versions of NPR, community radio stations, and cable channels; trainings patterned after programs at Poynter Institute and Knight Foundation workshops; and roundtables modeled on forums like those convened by Aspen Institute and Brookings Institution. Formats range from in-person town halls at venues such as Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Los Angeles Public Library to webinars leveraging platforms used by The New York Times and BBC World Service. They produce content for newspapers like Star Tribune and niche broadcasters including Radio Free Asia and community television groups akin to Free Speech TV.

Role in Multicultural Societies

By enabling access between immigrant communities and civic institutions, the organization intersects with public health campaigns by agencies such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and civic engagement drives run by groups like Rock the Vote and League of Women Voters. It helps amplify coverage of diasporic concerns—ranging from labor disputes involving unions such as Service Employees International Union to human rights issues spotlighted by Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International—and supports cultural programming tied to festivals like Lunar New Year and Diwali. It fosters relationships with ethnic advocacy organizations such as NAACP, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, and transnational networks including Council on American–Islamic Relations.

Funding, Ownership, and Regulation

Funding streams typically combine grants from philanthropic entities like Carnegie Corporation of New York and Annenberg Foundation, project fees from municipal agencies such as Los Angeles Mayor's Office and federal grant programs administered by agencies like Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Ownership is nonprofit-based, similar to structures used by ProPublica and Center for Investigative Reporting, and governance follows board practices resembling those at Public Media Group of Southern California. Regulatory interactions involve compliance with laws and policies from bodies such as the Federal Communications Commission, nonprofit oversight from Internal Revenue Service, and reporting standards aligned with journalism ethics exemplified by organizations like the Society of Professional Journalists.

Audience and Community Impact

Audiences include first-language readers and viewers among communities represented by outlets like El Universal, Haaretz, The Hindu, The Jakarta Post, The Straits Times, and radio listeners of stations akin to KQED and WNYC. Impact manifests in improved civic participation during elections monitored by Federal Election Commission rules, targeted public-health messaging in collaboration with World Health Organization guidance, and coverage of diasporic remittances tied to institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The organization’s interventions have been cited in coverage by mainstream outlets including Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Reuters.

Challenges and Contemporary Issues

Contemporary challenges mirror those confronting ethnic and independent media globally: digital disruption driven by platforms like Facebook and Google, misinformation amplified during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, financial precarity amid declines in classified advertising felt across publications from The Guardian to local weeklies, and press freedom pressures exemplified by cases handled by Committee to Protect Journalists. Tensions also arise around language access under policies debated in legislative bodies such as various state legislatures and the United States Congress, and in adapting to data privacy regimes influenced by rulings in courts like the Supreme Court of the United States.

Category:Nonprofit organizations based in California