White House to host forum on Latinos in media

Details: The White House is partnering with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to host a series of discussions to highlight Latino contributions across the nation's media ecosystem.

• This first in a series Thursday will feature media executives and talent, including CEOs of the film and music industries.
• Reps. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) and Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.) will moderate two panels with entertainment figures who are pushing for more representation.

The intrigue: Castro, a former chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, has been outspoken about the lack of Latinos in film and in newsrooms. He asked for the GAO audit.

• That GAO report found that Hispanics only made up around 11 to 12% of the media industry workforce from 2014 to 2019, even though Latinos represented 18% of workers in all other industries combined.
• In 2019, about 8% of staff in newspapers and publishing were Hispanic, the report said.

What they're saying: “For generations, Latinos have contributed to the success of the United States, but far too often our stories are missing from the American narrative," Castro told Axios.