August 16, 2012 Ms. Janet H. Brown Executive Director Commission on Presidential Debates Via Email Dear Ms.

Brown: I write to express the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies1 (Jo Center) deep oint concern that the Commission on Presidential Debates (The Commission) has not selected any journalists of color to moderate any of the presidential debates being broadcast this election broadcast season. We respectfully ask the Commission to reconsider its approach for selecting moderators. k approach We also ask that the Commission take measures to remedy this oversight by adding more debates to the calendar. As such, we ask it to reconsider its decision to deny Univisions request for a forum to be hosted by two of the nations most respected journalists--Jorge and Maria Elena.2 journalists Jorge Elena We further ask the Commission to pursue similar initiatives with other media outlets boasting large audiences of African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, Native Americans, and other Americans, Americans, people of color. In addition, the Joint Center would be willing to host a town hall with the candidates. In your letter rejecting Univisions request, you concede that [t]he general election debates have he always focused on issues of national interest that affect all citizens, including Univisions Univisi 3 audience. However, it has long been the practice of the television industry to avoid placing t people of color in front of the camera for fear of running afoul of such mass market concerns.4
1

The Joint Center for Political and Economic studies is a catalyst for research on topics of concern to African Americans and other people of color. Initially founded to encourage African American political participation in the wake of the passage of the Voting Rights Act, the Joint Center continues to promote civic and political engagement, oting and support black leadership as the primary route to greater equality and opportunity for people of color. The Joint Center's current research and analyses address critical issues in four key areas: media and technology, critical political participation, economic advancement, and health policy. In conducting research and policy analysis and in disseminating our products, we seek to build partnerships and coalitions with black elected and appointed officials at elected official every level of government. 2 Letter from Randy Falco, President and CEO, Univision to Janet H. Brown, Executive Director, Commn on Janet Presidential Debates (Aug. 15, 2012) available at http://images.politico.com/global/2012/08/120815_janet_h_brown.html. http://images.politico.com/global/2012/08/120815_janet_h_brown.html 3 Dylan Byers, Debate Commission Denies Univision R Request, POLITICO (Aug. 15, 2012, 10:35 AM) available at http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/08/debate-commission-to-univision-no-forum http://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2012/08/debate forum-132224.html. 4 MICHAEL CURTIN AND JANE SHATTUC, THE AMERICAN TELEVISION INDUSTRY 25 (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009) ([African American viewers were] an audience that the three major networks ordinarily ignored, believing that they networks believ

Janet H. Brown August 16, 2012 Page 2 of 2 The Joint Center sees the Commissions exclusion of people of color as moderators from this he years televised presidential debates as a derivative of that practice. The Commissions refusal to either select people of color as presidential moderators after more moderators, than 20 years, or grant Univisions forum request is especially disturbing given the nature of the current political climate. A number of issues being debated this election cycle are of particular concern to people of color. For example, while the nations overall unemployment rate was mployment 8.3% in July, 2012, the African American and Hispanic unemployment rates were 14.1% and 10.3%, respectively.5 This is compared to the White unemployment rate of 7.4%.6 Health policy is also an issue of critical concern to people of col , given the correlation between low life color, expectancies and census tracts with a higher percentage of people of color and low-income low 7 residents. Presidential candidates should have the opportunity to address these issues before moderators bearing some rational resemblance to the Americans who are most negatively affected by these disparities. While the Joint Center is concerned about the exclusion of journalists of color as moderators, we applaud its selection of Candy Crowley and Martha Raddatz as the first female presidential presidenti debate moderators in 20 years. In 1992, Carol Simpson was the last womanand African woman Americanto moderate a presidential panel. The Joint Center hopes the selection of Ms. to Crowley and Ms. Raddatz will set a new course for the Commission. Sincerely,

Ralph B. Everett President and CEO The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies

would follow the tastes of the mass-market, white audience. The majors furthermore contended that programmes contend pitched at African American viewers ran the risk of alienating white viewers ). hed 5 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, HOUSEHOLD DATA SEASONALLY ADJUSTED, A-4. EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF THE CIVILIAN NONINSTITUTIONAL POPULATION BY RACE, HISPANIC OR L LATINO ETHNICITY, SEX, AND AGE, SEASONALLY ADJUSTED, (2012) available at http://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cpseea04.pdf. http://www.bls.gov/web/empsit/cpseea04.pdf 6 Id. 7 See JOINT CENTER FOR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC STUDIES, PLACE MATTERS FOR HEALTH IN COOK COUNTY (2012) ALTH available at http://www.jointcenter.org/sites/default/files/upload/research/files/Place%20Matters%20for%20Health%20in%20C ww.jointcenter.org/sites/default/files/upload/research/files/Place%20Matters%20for%20Health%20in%20C ook%20County.pdf.