The National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), one of the country’s foremost Latino media advocacy and civil rights organizations, announced today that thirty-three organizations have signed on to a letter urging the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to grant NHMC’s Petition for Inquiry into hate speech in media.

The Petition requests that the FCC initiate an inquiry into the extent, nature and effects of hate speech, and explore ways to counteract or reduce its negative impacts. These signatory organizations represent a variety of diverse communities and include the Asian American Justice Center (AAJC); Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good; the National Organization for Women (NOW); Reclaim the Media; and the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ. (see letter below for full list).

In recent weeks, the horrific murders of a 9-year-old girl and her father in Arizona, and the shooting of a security guard at Washington, DC’s Holocaust Memorial Museum remind us that hate crime is still frighteningly prevalent. Recent studies by the UCLA Chicano Studies Research Center, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights document a dramatic rise in hate speech and the possibility for more violence unless the problem is examined.

The diversity of signatories to this letter show that the problem of hate speech is not limited to the Latino community. Women, African Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, gays and lesbians, people with disabilities, and even Caucasian Americans have all suffered harms as a result of hate speech. Hate speech is pernicious in its effect; it can cause psychological harm to its recipients, especially youth, as well as creating an environment that encourages the commission of hate crimes.

The NHMC anticipates that by initiating an inquiry, the FCC will be able to collect necessary data and information about hate speech, raise public awareness of the issue, and allow citizens to comment on the hate speech happening in their communities in an accessible and transparent forum.

The groups' full letter:

July 2, 2009

Ms. Marlene H. Dortch Office of the Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street SW
Washington, DC 20554

Re: National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Petition for Inquiry into hate speech in media

Dear Ms. Dortch:

We, the undersigned, urge the Commission to promptly grant the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s (NHMC) request that the Commission initiate an inquiry into the extent, nature and effects of hate speech, and possible ways to counteract or reduce its negative impacts. In the alternative, we request that the Commission put NHMC’s petition for inquiry out for public comment.

As the NHMC acknowledges, hate speech does not only affect Latinos. Many groups have suffered harm at the hands of hate speech, including but not limited to: women, African Americans, Asian-Pacific Americans, Muslims, Jews, Catholics, gays and lesbians, people with disabilities, and even Caucasian Americans. As noted in the petition, these harms are twofold: hate speech is a factor in hate crimes and it causes psychological harm to its recipients, especially youth.

By opening a docket for comment on the petition, the Commission will collect data and information about hate speech, raise public awareness of the issue, and allow citizens to comment on the hate speech happening in their communities in an accessible and transparent forum.

Respectfully submitted,

Asian American Justice Center (AAJC)
Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good
CeaseSPIN, Inc. (CeaseSPIN.org)
Center for Media Justice
Center on Latino and Latina Rights and Equality of the City University of New York School of Law
Common Cause
Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting
Florida Public Interest Research Group
Free Press
Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials (GALEO)
Hispanic/Latinos Anti-Defamation Coalition, SF
Industry Ears
Main Street Project
Media Action Grassroots Network
Media Alliance
Media Mobilizing Project (MMP)
Mexican American Legal Defense & Educational Fund (MALDEF)
Minnesotano Media Empowerment Project, Department of Chicano Studies, University of Minnesota
National Association of Latino Independent Producers (NALIP)
National Organization for Women (NOW)
Oregon Alliance to Reform Media
Prometheus Radio Project
Public Interest Pictures and Broadcast Blues
Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
Reclaim the Media
Texas Media Empowerment Project The Benton Foundation
The Center for Rural Strategies
The New Mexico Media Literacy Project
The Praxis Project
United Church of Christ, Office of Communication, Inc. (UCC)
UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc
U.S. Public Interest Research Group

cc: Chairman Julius Genachowski, Commissioner Michael Copps, Commissioner Robert McDowell, Sherrese Smith, Bruce Liang Gottlieb, Rick Chessen, Rosemary Harold