My Reporter's NotePad...

Sunshine Week... habla Español!

UPDATE:

Congratulations and Muchas Gracias to the Sunshine Week organizers, the American Society of Newspaper Editors and foundations, involved for listening to one journalist concerns, and stepping up to the plate. 

¡Si señor!  Starting today "Sunshine Week" has a bilingual face as "Sunshine Week" Saber. ¡Es Su Derecho!  and now all public service materials are available in Español.  You can find them here: http://www.sunshineweek.org/sunshineweek/sp06 Print, Radio and TV ads, as well as Internet materials to let everyone know... in English or Español... the importance of an open government and access to public files.

A BIG GRACIAS!!! to Debra Gersh Hernandez, Coordinator Sunshine week, and my brother Pablo Espinoza, both managed a last minute effort to make this happen, and put together the now available Spanish language materials.  Big thanks also to Mike Vasalinda Production in Tallahassee for his contribution to the production of the TV Ads.  Muchas gracias also to Cindy Rodriguez at NAHJ, RTNDA and CCNMA for getting the word out... and last, but not least, the guys at Univision 19 in Sacramento who supported Pablo's production efforts to get this done.... and also thank you in advance to Spanish language media for using the materials.

Sorry if I started a last minute headache... I hope, however, you found our effort rewarding and well worth it...!

Muchas gracias,

Patricio

''''''''''''''''''''' and here's what Debra had to say ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Subject:

Sunshine Week PSAs in Spanish

Greetings, all.

The Sunshine Week Spanish language print and broadcast PSAs have been completed.

The print ads are available on the Sunshine Week Web site at http://www.sunshineweek.org/sunshineweek/ads06sp.

There also are translated versions of the logo online at http://www.sunshineweek.org/sunshineweek/logos06.

The radio ad will be posted later today on a special page for the Spanish language broadcast ads, http://www.sunshineweek.org/sunshineweek/psas06sp.

Instructions for downloading the TV ad will be available on that page above on Monday. (It is hosted by a broadcast distribution company, and Monday is the earliest we can get it up there.) Beta tapes of the TV ad are being FedEx'ed to Univision offices in Miami and Sacramento.

Any help in spreading the word about their availability is, of course, most appreciated, and if you think of anyone else I need to send this message to, please let me know.

You'll note the Spanish language broadcast ad is different from the English language ad. For various reasons, including the physical complexity of the original ad (TV and radio), we adapted an ad from the Florida First Amendment Foundation, to whom we owe a huge thanks for giving us their ad to tinker with. Thanks, too, go to the team at Mike Vasilinda Productions in Tallahassee, who dropped everything (more or less) to get the ads done so quickly.

And thanks to NAB and RTNDA for pulling in their contacts and helping us set up distribution.

I want to specially recognize and thank Pablo Espinoza, a Univision anchorman in Sacramento, and his brother, Patricio, a Houston broadcast journalist, for their incredible efforts. Their unfaltering will to help absolutely made this happen.

Now enough of the Academy Awards speech -- go forth and spread some sunshine!

Thanks, everyone, for the help and support.

Debra

Debra Gersh Hernandez
Coordinator
Sunshine Week
www.sunshineweek.org

We the People... Sunshine Week

Unless you speak Español...?

Sunshine Week 2006 kicks off this month.  Sponsored by the American Society of Newspaper Editors with a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the spirit and efforts of Sunshine Week are commendable.

In making the case, organizers say:

Approaching its 40th birthday, the Freedom of Information Act is looking more than a little worn around the edges. In fact, what it needs is a week of good, solid sunshine, and Sunshine Week 2006, March 12-18, is just the ticket. The current administration has been characterized by open government observers—both conservatives and liberals—as one of the most secretive in recent history; a stance adopted even before the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

At the heart of the Sunshine Week 2006 campaign are a series of radio, TV PSA's and print material, BUT as commendable, and as much needed this effort is, I'm wondering... where are the Spanish language PSAs ??  Is the American Society of Newspaper Editors doing exactly what our government and the main stream media is already doing...? Ignoring a grand segment of our population where sometimes our own Spanish language media fails to serve our news and information needs...?

Both the American Society of Newspaper Editors and the Spanish language media, who should have been on top of this, need to be reminded... Spanish speaking America too "Not only have a right to know, they have a need to know" Whether it is in English or Español... then, again, in this case such an option is not available.

I also wonder if this is a clear example of the lack of diversity in our newsrooms...? Clearly a Hispanic  community sensitive journalist, aware of this campaign or part of the organizing committee, should have noticed... the oversight.

Patricio Espinoza
Journalist
Houston, Texas