CNN's Diversity Council Changing Leaders

Advertisers Spend Only 3 Percent on Black Media

"Although annual Black spending is projected to rise from its current $1 trillion to $1.3 trillion by 2017, advertisers allot only 3 percent of their $2.2 billion yearly budget to media aimed at Black audiences, a new Nielsen report has found,"George E. Curry reported Wednesday for the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service.

"The study, 'Resilient, Receptive and Relevant: The African-American Consumer 2013 Report,' was released at a news conference Thursday at the Congressional Black Caucus Legislative Weekend by Nielsen and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA). The findings were released by Cheryl Pearson-McNeil, senior vice-president, public affairs and government relations for Nielsen, and Cloves Campbell, chairman of the NNPA and publisher of the Arizona Informant.

"'Advertising expenditures geared specifically toward Black audiences reflected only three percent of advertising dollars spent,' the report stated. 'Advertisers spent $75 billion on television, radio, internet, and magazine ads in 2012, with only $2.24 billion of that spent with media focused on Black audiences. . . .'”

• Ken Smikle, Target Market News: McDonald's future focus on black consumers raised as chief marketing officer retires

CNBC Host Apologizes for Quip About Indian Americans

"The host of CNBC's 'Squawk Box,'Joe Kernen, knew he was treading on dangerous territory during a conversation last Friday about India's currency,"Bobby Caina Calvan wrote Wednesday for the Asian American Journalists Association, for which he is Media Watch chair. "Yet Mr. Kernen knowingly stepped in it when he used accented speech and ethnic stereotypes when talking about the rupee.

"The program's co-hosts, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin, knew better. Ms. Quick even admonished Mr. Kernen, telling him to stop. Yet Kernen proceeded. He spoke with a mocking accent when referring to [Mahatma] Gandhi. He also asked, presumably of Indians, 'Are they good at 7 -Eleven?'

"Ms. Quick rightly called the comment 'insulting.'

"While we are glad Mr. Kernen has issued a statement, we at the Asian American Journalists Association joined the Indian American community and others in expressing earlier concern. . . ."

Ryan Chittum added in Columbian Journalism Review, "the coup de grâce is that Kernen's boss — CNBC's editor in chief — is Nik Deogun, who hails from… Kolkata.

"For once, somebody making fun of Indian immigrants has to answer to an Indian immigrant. Kernen should call him 'sir.'"

CNBC Host Apologizes for Quip About Indian Americans

"The host of CNBC's 'Squawk Box,'Joe Kernen, knew he was treading on dangerous territory during a conversation last Friday about India's currency,"Bobby Caina Calvan wrote Wednesday for the Asian American Journalists Association, for which he is Media Watch chair. "Yet Mr. Kernen knowingly stepped in it when he used accented speech and ethnic stereotypes when talking about the rupee.

"The program's co-hosts, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin, knew better. Ms. Quick even admonished Mr. Kernen, telling him to stop. Yet Kernen proceeded. He spoke with a mocking accent when referring to [Mahatma] Gandhi. He also asked, presumably of Indians, 'Are they good at 7 -Eleven?'

"Ms. Quick rightly called the comment 'insulting.'

"While we are glad Mr. Kernen has issued a statement, we at the Asian American Journalists Association joined the Indian American community and others in expressing earlier concern. . . ."

Ryan Chittum added in Columbian Journalism Review, "the coup de grâce is that Kernen's boss — CNBC's editor in chief — is Nik Deogun, who hails from… Kolkata.

"For once, somebody making fun of Indian immigrants has to answer to an Indian immigrant. Kernen should call him 'sir.'"

NAHJ Puts Fox on Blast Over Chris Wallace Segment

"The National Association of Hispanic Journalists doesn’t think a recent Fox News segment was very fair and balanced," the Huffington Post reported Wednesday.

"NAHJ President Hugo Balta blasted the conservative news organization for mischaracterizing Latinos in a segment that referred to U.S. citizens with undocumented parents as 'children of the corn.'

"Chris Wallace guest-hosted the Sept. 19 edition of Fox News 'Special Report, according to Media Matters, where he covered a recent analysis by Los Angeles county that estimated undocumented parents would receive some $650 million in government benefits this year. But the segment did not clarify that the undocumented immigrants received the assistance to benefit their U.S. citizen children.

"As Wallace spoke, a graphic appeared in the upper right corner reading 'children of the corn,' the title of Stephen King horror story that has been adapted to film. It's not clear what the term meant, though presumably it refers to role of corn in the Mexican diet. . . ."

Balta wrote, "There have been many speculations as to what this meant – but one thing is certain it invoked a negative image. . . ." He added, "The economic impact of the Latino community is 55+ million strong. Many are immigrants who are pumping nearly $1 trillion dollar into the U.S. economy. . . ."