New York: The frontrunner for NYC mayor, Eric Adams announced his plan last week to create the Mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media. The office will expand New York City’s commitment to ethnically diverse communities and ethnic and community media outlets.
The City’s economic, social, cultural, and civic vitality depends on these communities at a moment when we are recovering from a pandemic and an economic crisis.
“Our city is the most diverse city in America and that diversity is represented well in our ethnic and community media outlets throughout the five boroughs,” said Eric Adams. “I truly appreciate the critical role these outlets play in empowering our communities, and I am committed to expanding the resources they need to continue bringing vital information to New Yorkers.”
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams in collaboration with Council Member Ydanis Rodríguez, will introduce the proposed bill in the City Council this month.
The Mayor’s Office of Ethnic and Community Media will ensure:
· The inclusion of New York City’s ethnic TV and radio outlets with no more than five staff members in the scope and benefits of the Executive Order 47 to expand the outreach to ethnically diverse and immigrant communities citywide.
· Effective coordination among City agencies for delivering vital information and resources, including paid advertising campaigns, to ethnic and community media outlets based and operating in New York City.
· Effective coordination among City agencies’ communications offices to guarantee the fair and equal distribution of government-related information and announcements to ethnic and community outlets.
· Elimination of red tape and budget caps to make it easier for City agencies to procure contracts with M/WBE media vendors based and operating in New York City, with no more than five staff members, for media campaigns and special projects, tailored to specific ethnic communities or groups.
Currently, Executive Order 47 requires City agencies to spend at least half of their annual print and digital advertising budgets on community and ethnic media outlets, which combined amounted to approximately $10 million for 2020 fiscal year. Executive Order 47 does not include spending on ethnic TV and radio media outlets.
The more than 300 ethnic and community print, digital, TV, and radio outlets citywide are the greatest media resource for the City government and stakeholders to communicate vital services and announcements to city residents, including immigrants and those with limited English proficiency.
