This upcoming Sunday, the people of Venezuela will hold an election that, if legitimate, would put an end to years of the oppressive Maduro narco-regime. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued a statement in support of the Venezuelan people: “The...
Este próximo domingo, el pueblo venezolano tendrá una elección que, de ser legítima, pondría fin a años de opresión por parte del narco-régimen de Maduro. El senador estadounidense Marco Rubio (R-FL) grabó un mensaje de video en español y emitió una declaración en...
Twenty-three years ago, the United States was attacked by Islamic terrorists on September 11, 2001. Now, Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person convicted in a U.S. court for his role in the attack, has requested the U.S. Department of Justice to allow a prisoner transfer...
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio’s (R-FL) office will host virtual Mobile Office Hours next week to assist constituents with federal casework issues in their respective local communities. These office hours offer constituents who do not live close to one of Senator Rubio’s...
As the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) opens up new facilities, many veterans are losing access to the VA’s Community Care Program and, consequently, their long-term healthcare providers. Veterans throughout the country have reported a loss of care, including...
The U.S.-India partnership is vital to countering influences from Communist China. In order to strengthen this partnership, it is essential to enhance our strategic diplomatic, economic, and military relationship with New Delhi. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)...
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) joined U.S. Representatives Val Demings (D-FL) and Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) to introduce a bipartisan, bicameral resolution calling for increased diversity in American media.
“Throughout my career, I have had the pleasure of working with local media outlets across the state of Florida,” Rubio said. “These outlets are ingrained in our communities, offering unique and important insight. We must continue to support small, diverse media outlets that are instrumental in preserving local culture and serve as an invaluable resource for our communities.”
“In order for Americans to be informed and engaged, it is important to have access to strong and diverse media,” Rosen said. “We must make an effort to ensure that our newsrooms and media companies are reflective of America, both in terms of ideas and of media figures. This is critical now, more than ever. This resolution engenders these very real sentiments, allowing us to break through barriers and realize that diversity is our strength. I’m proud to join my colleagues in taking steps toward building a more diverse media landscape.”
Demings said, “I am glad to join with Representative González-Colón, Senator Rosen, and Senator Rubio to introduce this legislation. It is invaluable for our children and our democracy to have a cross-section of perspectives that reflect various cultures and voices, in news and entertainment. America is at its best when every American can read, listen, and watch vibrant media that reflects the diversity of our great country.”
González-Colón said, “our nation is comprised of people who represent a plethora of thoughts, heritage and upbringing that is not always represented in the media, making some of these groups invisible to others. The media should be a reflection of the society they serve, which is not homogeneous. Learning about other experiences, listening to different opinions, and getting to know other’s backgrounds strengthens our nation and leads to inclusion. As a Latino woman, I take great pride in being a part of this bipartisan initiative that seeks to eliminate barriers that prevent media diversity.”
Background
The resolution reaffirms Congress’s commitment to increasing media diversity. It also pledges Congress to work with media entities and diverse stakeholders to develop common-ground solutions to eliminate barriers to media diversity. The resolution reaffirms that with increasing media experience and sophistication, it is even more important to have minority participation in local media to strengthen social cohesion among different communities and build understanding on important community issues that impact residents’ daily lives.
The resolution also expresses that “an informed and engaged electorate is critical to a vibrant democracy is deeply rooted in our laws of free speech and underpins the virtues on which we established our Constitution,” and that “having independent, diverse, and local media that provide exposure to a broad range of viewpoints and the ability to contribute to the political debate is central to sustaining that informed engagement.”