Will 2024 be the breakthrough?

From AI to building leadership, trends to shape public media's Latinx endeavors

2023 brought promise for diverse audiences. There was a lot to be excited about. Some Latine strides included:

• NPR’s bold bilingual content efforts.

• Public TV and streaming initiatives to depict Latinx stories.

• Exploring AI's impact on diverse audiences and public media’s connections with them.

• Pressing public media on Latino/a hiring and service by self-questioning.

Public media's 2023 evolution was shaped by engagement, content and diversity trends. 🔎 But what’s in store today? Public media confronts rising attention on representing marginalized groups as diversity grows. 👀 These matters get more heated in contentious election years. However, I expect those engagement, content and diversity improvements will shape 2024 Hispanic priorities around programming, staffing and belonging

Here are key 2024 trends and questions for public media and Latinos. 👇🏿

🧠 How do we talk about AI beyond content?

Kudos to NPR and others for early, comprehensive AI guidance around stories, curation and audience-facing areas. 📂 Public media quickly addressed generative AI content issues. Now we must discuss AI in non-content operations.

Some stations may use AI for back-end tasks like messaging, letters, analysis and even recruitment/hiring. 🤖 We need a frank exchange on AI use outside content, as we lack a standard currently.

This matters for Latinos and diversity. AI can spread harmful stereotypes. 🤬 Homogeneous design teams can perpetuate real-world inequities. Consider what AI-sourced output means for efforts around engaging diverse communities and potential Latine staff/donors, even if edited.

(As some may recall, I offered a use case with job descriptions in a previous OIGO. I think it’s still a good exercise, and do not advocate for never using it. Rather, I’m curious about how we set internal policy.)

AI moving to the back of the house also amplifies a wider issue: access to information. Trade organizations may offer pieces of it, but can we more actively share out existing and evolving organizational policies around AI outside of content? ⚠️

Accessing each other’s existing and evolving AI policies can guide us thoughtfully without losing diversity and inclusion ideals. 🤎

🗒️ How do we increase source tracking systemwide?

Stations like KQED conduct internal content analyses using race, ethnicity and gender markers to set inclusion goals. 📊 Relying on data instead of assumptions helps identify where inclusive policies, training and recruitment are needed.

Public media faces unprecedented opportunities in 2024 as barriers to participation shrink — grants, trainings and tracking resources were available in abundance. 💰 When well done, leaders in public media can better identify areas where attention may be needed. This approach not only helps clarify diversity shortcomings within organizations and content, but also allows for the monitoring of measurable progress through key performance indicators.

In 2024, sustaining these efforts amid uncertainties and tying diversity explicitly to sustainability will be key. 🔑 But financial jitters may continue.

🤝🏽 Can we advance Latine collaboration?

Public media now partners more with outside groups for content and operations rather than just advising. 📝 With rising demands, 2024 could see us sparking editorial baselines to accelerate joint work.

Previously, we formed partnerships with deeply community-rooted outlets, exploring everything from user-generated content to generative AI. Transforming audiences into collaborators shapes narratives.

We must keep pushing audience involvement through collaborations. But we need uniform guidelines to streamline joint work, given limited resources. ☑️ Sustaining such programming cultivates benefits like finding diverse talent.

🙌🏽 Are we closer to a cohesive Latine leadership strategy?

In 2023, public media organizations made strides in addressing diversity in content and staffing, recognizing the importance of inclusion. 🤯 Notable 2024 news already includes Headway Training’s and Greater Public’s teaching and mentorship plans, creating space for the fastest-growing staff segments to become leaders.

Prioritizing this dialogue and securing financial commitments to consistently develop Latinx talent pipelines into leadership are encouraging steps. 🙏

Substantial hurdles endure, but concrete systemic changes sustained by resources will enable true reflection of multicultural communities now and in the future.

There is no finish line, only gradual systemic change through embracing diversity editorially and organizationally. 🟢

Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Pew Research published a slate of new data on Latinx voters, which may prove helpful in your content and engagement planning. 🎁

• Related: Journalist’s Resource offers a roundup of resources on public attitudes related to the health of the economy. 💵 People judge the economy in the lens of how they’re doing. As you can guess, income inequality is a factor.

• Boise State Public Radio covered a unique development in Idaho. 🔥 Tropico, a low-power community radio station that airs Spanish-language music with English-language commentary, will expand its signal in the region.

• Public Media for All announced it is going on hiatus. 🛑

• Radio Ambulante released its new Spanish-language podcast series. It’s a good one, covering the rise of Nayib Bukele, El Salvador’s president. 🤩 Bukele has seen a controversial figure; he championed bitcoin as currency, is accused of negotiating peace with the notorious Mara Salvatrucha gang, and allegedly ordering human rights violations.

  • 👉🏿 HMU if you’re with a station and would be interested in English-language audio promo to air — the great team there gave me one at my request and I’ve been sharing with colleagues to use.

El radar: try this 📡

• Offer a food tour. 🥑 WBUR did a delightful look at the Latine cuisine of heavily Hispanic East Boston. With a ‘guide’ to assist, a range of area Latinx-owned restaurants are profiled.

• Probe local mortgage discrimination. Futuro Media presents a new series, in English and Spanish, exposing financial institutions for rejecting Latino/a mortgage applicants at higher rates than their white counterparts. 🏡 Those who got mortgages paid higher interest rates than white borrowers. Futuro’s series looks at New Jersey, but this story can be localized.

• Or housing issues. 🔨 Connecticut Public covers a local report on the subject of barriers facing Black and Hispanic homeowners. I suspect your regional nonprofits may be conducting studies worthy of content.

• Look at shoulder holidays. Beyond Cinco de Mayo, there are many interesting Hispanic holidays to build content and engagement events around. 👪 ABC Tampa and in Raleigh as well as WLTX are among the media organizations that covered Three Kings Day. Good cues to learn from. Check my recent OIGO on other holidays to consider covering.

• Get a head start on Latino voter campaigns. ✅ KGOU jumps in to investigate the Latino lawmakers, business leaders and grassroots groups that are seeking to sway Oklahoma Hispanics in 2024, but also for years to come. Also to read: Gabriela Lozada offers a nice profile of four Latino men and their feelings about the GOP primary.

OIGO is back February 2. As always, my inbox is open if you have work you want to talk about or have me share, or even if you have a question. Reach out anytime.

And welcome to everyone who subscribed after yesterday’s Current webinar on generative AI. 👋🏾 For those new to this newsletter, I laid out my approach around language and content in the first OIGO in 2021, if you’re curious.

Current has published our initial guide to gAI use in public media. Disclosure to everyone: at the Current webinar, I mentioned I would put two AI-generated images in today’s newsletter to demonstrate ways the tools can be used. They are in the main article.

Also on the generative AI front, you’re invited to Headway DEI Training’s monthly meeting Thursday at 4 Eastern/1 Pacific. I’ll be talking about generative AI and inclusion - tools, questions and conversations. 💬 I’ll be presenting, but this is a chance to ask and let me show you anything you’re wondering about. You can join here, or hit Reply and I can send you an Outlook invite.

🥤 Like the newsletter? You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support.