The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is asking for a meeting with TelevisaUnivision CEO Wade Davis to raise concerns about the network’s “spread of mis- and disinformation” in Latino communities following a softball interview with Donald Trump, in which he threatened to use the Department of Justice and the FBI to target his enemies.
In a letter from the caucus obtained by TheWrap, they write, “Recent reported actions surrounding the interview of former President Donald Trump leave us concerned about Univision’s continued commitment to its mission and its audience.” Caucus members write that they have “a responsibility to our constituents, and to the Latino community we represent in Congress to fight for their rights.”
In additional to the congressional caucus, other members of the Latino community have taken issue with the friendly Univision interview conducted on Nov. 7 with Trump at Mar-a-Lago — where senior executives from Univision’s parent company, TelevisaUnivison, were present. Afterwards, Trump quipped, “they like me.”
“On behalf of our Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), we respectfully ask that you meet with the CHC to discuss recent reports about the network’s policies, protocols, and operations,” according to the letter.
“As members of the CHC we have a responsibility to our constituents, and to the Latino community we represent in Congress, to fight for their rights and freedoms and to ensure they are getting factual information to make important decisions and inform their participation in public and civic duties,” caucus members noted.
They added that over the years, they have worked closely with Univision “to ensure our shared Latino communities, your audience, are well informed.”
By giving Trump the appearance on the network, they said, the company did not uphold its standards of “fair and accurate reporting.”
“At a time when mis- and disinformation is rampant in the Latino community, it has never been more important for our community to have trusted news sources,” the letter stated.
“It is imperative that you meet with the CHC to answer our serious concerns about these recent reports and prove that our Members, our constituents, and the American Latino community, can rely on Univision to provide accurate, balanced, and truthful information.”
Shortly after the Nov. 7 interview, Univision anchor Leon Krauze announced that he had decided to leave the network.
“My unwavering commitment, past, present, and future, is to journalism that amplifies the voices and illuminates the stories of those who so often go unheard and unseen,” Krause said. “That will remain my guiding principle.”
