Rising to the challenge

Luis Ortiz on public television's promise for Latino communities

Even if it’s not on traditional sets, public television plays a crucial role in engaging Latino audiences for several reasons. 📺 By showcasing stories, perspectives and experiences of Latinos, it can provide a platform for authentic and diverse representations of the Latine community. In addition, public television can play a vital role in preserving and promoting culture. Programming that highlights customs, music, dance, art, language and history serves to educate the broader public about the richness and diversity of Latino culture, but also helps to reinforce cultural identity and heritage among Latino viewers.

This is one reason leaders like Luis Ortiz are so crucial. 💡

As Managing Director of Latino Public Broadcasting, Ortiz oversees the development, financing and production of Latino-themed programming which is distributed for broadcast on public television. He administers LPB’s Public Media Content Fund and Current Issues Fund process and supervises the distribution of LPB funded programs to PBS. Few people are on the frontlines of this matter quite like him. 🔥

Ortiz sits down to discuss a range of subjects. Whether it’s PubTV’s accessibility for Latinx communities the ways it can address streaming competition, and provide valuable learning opportunities for Latino audiences, Ortiz has a real passion for this work. We also discuss his secrets for longevity.

By providing representation, preserving culture, fostering community engagement and delivering reliable news and information, public TV still has a key place in public life. By fulfilling these roles, it also contributes to cultural enrichment, and empowerment within the Latino community. Check out Ortiz’s efforts. 👇👇👇

What has your LPB journey been like?

Well, I've been with the organization for 21 years. I always wanted to work in media and entertainment, and that was the goal. I've always been a fan of independent film. And also I was involved in Latino issues while I was in college. I have a backstory that a lot of us are familiar with, but which maybe the second-, third- and fourth-generation Latinos don't experience as much as maybe the first generation. All of that together propelled me forward into the work that we were doing here.

I was very inspired by the co-founders of the organization, who happen to be Edward James Olmos. He is still the chairman of LPB and — I'm born and raised in Los Angeles — he was a prominent figure for me growing up. I remember him after the LA Riots as the first figure that I saw that came out and said, ‘We've got to come together. We've got to get past this and clean up the city.’ I was always inspired by him and his passion to support Latinos and uplift, and he continues to do that. I think that kept me going and continuing this path with the organization.

What first attracted you to public broadcasting?

I had always grown up on on public media — Sesame Street and all of that. I also remember Canciones de Mi Padre with Linda Ronstadt and that was a staple in my house. So, there was always this connection to culture in a different way that we hadn't seen through commercial media. When I found out about this organization, it just was such a wonderful way to be able to connect to culture and share it with the American public in the most accessible, authentic way. I think that's what's always been beautiful about public media.

What is the most transformative advice that you've received to help you get to where you are?

I've worked with every executive director that we've had at LPB, but there was one piece of advice that I always thought about. I still think about to this day. It is so important and it is that an organization is only as successful as its team, as its people, so the most important thing is keeping your team and people happy and creating a good working environment. When you have that as a base, that always turns into productivity and good work and elevates the organization. I hold that very close to me all these years to now, and for me the people that work with you and the team that you have are the most important.

LPB has seen such tremendous growth under your leadership. What factors do you feel are part of that?

I haven't done that alone. It's been very much a collaboration. I think, because I have such longevity with the organization, I have been that sort of throughline all this time. It’s given me a chance to build a certain relationship with the community and keep a certain amount of institutional knowledge through all this time. That also has helped us to keep that flow going. Even with different iterations of other leadership that we've had, the organization creates a space that the film community connects to and knows that there's that continuity there. They can count on LPB, and that's been powerful to me.

How do you feel content has evolved over the last few years?

Since I started with LPB, content has evolved tremendously because the pool of talent has evolved. When I first started with this organization, there were a handful of Latino filmmakers that were the ones that were the go-to people because the future content makers hadn't started yet. And so you had a smaller pool of talent and a smaller pool of content that was coming out. Now, talent has grown tremendously, but they've also gotten very good and it's become a community that's been very supportive of each other. They help each other move forward and get better at storytelling and their craft. They’re devoted to getting these stories out to public media.

I have seen tremendous leaps as the community grows and as younger makers come in. I see more creative ways to tell stories. I see more experimentation. And I think that's the progression in terms of Latino content. Today, we have a bigger pool of content that's out there. But also that it's very intriguing and offers fresh perspectives.

Are there particular content and storytelling trends that you think audiences and organizations will see more in the coming years?

The fact that we have shifted over to streaming and that streaming is the predominant way the public is consuming content is huge. It has allowed for more diversity within media in general, not just public media. It’s also allowed for more experimentation and opened things up for documentary film. It also helped to build a resurgence in documentary film. The younger generation has definitely gravitated to it more because it's been made available within commercial media. Now they see PBS is the home of documentaries and where they can find the content they really love. It's digital. As a result, we're going to be able to get programs out and in new and different ways. It's going to allow for different types of content.

We've been supporting more Latino drama and getting that out into the public media space, because Latinos like good drama as well. We want to showcase those stories too. We're trying to push more series that'll live online and in short formats. I'd love to see more.

How much interest is there in drama from filmmakers that maybe wasn’t represented previously?

There's huge interest. In fact, younger makers gravitate to drama more. Especially when they first get out of film school, that's what they want to do and they don't think of public media as a space to be able to do it. I think it's primarily because of the nature of PBS. People see a lot of nonfiction work or British drama. Yet that's what's great about the digital space, in allowing for experimentation. We're one of the few places that funds short content, and through that, we are funding short dramas for the online and the digital space. It's a great way to bring in new voices to public media, who would not have traditionally considered it as an outlet for their work.

Speaking of young creators, what practical advice would you give as someone who has seen a lot and done a lot in public media?

My advice to emerging creators is to get involved and be part of the community within public media. There's such a good group of filmmakers that are out there. If you're a new filmmaker, it's important to build that community and learn from your peers, talk to your peers, and connect with others to move forward.

We recently saw the reports about Latino representation out of UCLA not too long ago. There's only room for us to grow, and, coming together, this community can really help each other. Connecting with others, you're able to talk to people and organizations, like myself at LPB, a key person at PBS or ITVS, or one of the leaders in your market. It's about relationships, and finding those avenues to move you forward. That would be my advice.

What's coming up for LPB that you’re most excited about?

The most exciting project is a new limited series called American Historia with John Leguizamo. The three-part series will see John travel to different parts of Latin America and within the U.S. to tell the history of Latinos and unsung heroes to the American public. We’ll get to educate and showcase how much impact we've had since the inception of this country. It may be a travelogue with John, with his wonderful charisma and humor, telling these amazing histories of our community. That's going to be our standout for the year, and an exciting project.

Also, we have our open call now. It’s our invitation to independent filmmakers from across the country, who have program ideas or concepts that they think would be great for PBS. From both long-form and short-form, we want to take a look at that. Our deadline is June 21, and so it would be a great way to get some folks who may not have heard of us or thought about applying to send ideas.

How can those in the system engage more deeply with LPB?

The entry point to start with that is to sign up for a newsletter. We have two great newsletters. You can also follow us on social media and connect to us. 🟢

La próxima ⌛

The summer OIGO schedule brings us back July 7. Artificial intelligence is a big conversation in public media. The next edition looks at avenues public media could explore around AI and Latinx audiences. 🎯 Click the comment button if you have thoughts.

🖱️ If you’re on LinkedIn and find yourself wanting to share OIGO or summaries of some of the past articles, I launched OIGO RMX there. Get newsletters right to your feed.

I expect to be speaking at the 2023 Community Media Conference in June and the Public Media Development and Marketing Conference in July. 🎤 If you’ll be in Denver or Atlanta, let me know. I’d love to chat with you.

Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• Here’s a brilliant look at a Wyoming Spanish-language news startup serving Latinos in the state. 🎙️

• ICYMI the Pivot Fund posted a fresh study on the needs of diverse news orgs. “BIPOC founders were clear about what they need: General operating support, streamlined reporting requirements, and investments large enough to build capacity.” 💰

• Bilingual viewers adopted streaming at higher rates than other communities, according to research. Rapid TV News has more. 📱

• Radio Bilingue’s Hugo Morales has received an honorary doctorate 🎓 from Harvard University in acknowledgement of his work lifting up Latine voices in media.

• A potential story to watch is the Peruvian Press Council’s alerts about the future of press freedom there.

El radar: try this 📡

• Inquire about your state’s dual-language immersion programs. 🏫 Axios recently covered San Francisco’s dual-immersion programs at area schools. There are many employment and educational angles. This reporting may inspire your own coverage.

• Keep talking about population shifts and impacts on Black Americans. 📊 The Washington Post investigated this issue and what it means for traditionally Black Compton when Latinos grow in constituency.

• Gauge post-Title 42 opinions. 🤔 New Hampshire Public Radio got feedback about the status of undocumented residents in the region. How are your community members feeling?

• Ask how malls are changing as places of Hispanic life. 🛒 The New York Times explored how the moribund malls of America are being revitalized by Mexican and Latine immigrants launching businesses. Is this happening near you?

• See how Latinx students are faring post-pandemic. 🚌 WFDD investigated the services available to students and their struggles in school since stay-at-home orders.

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