Members of Congress Write to Phil Griffin, Executive-in-Charge, MSNBC

Phil Griffin
Executive-in-Charge
MSNBC
30 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10112

Dear Mr. Griffin,

We are writing as Members of Congress who have strong interests in issues affecting the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities in the United States. We are deeply concerned that the lack of coverage of Asian voters in the 2008 presidential race by MSNBC and other media outlets unfairly suppresses a growing and significant political constituency. We request a meeting to discuss these matters, and have also provided specific recommendations below.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders make up the fastest growing racial group in the United States. Nationwide, approximately 7 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders are eligible to vote, and close to 3.5 million have registered to vote. Nearly 3 million Asian American and Pacific Islander voters cast ballots in the last presidential election. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders currently make up more than 5% of the U.S. population, and by 2050, the AAPI population is expected to grow 213% to 33.4 million. It is time that due attention is paid to this rapidly growing and politically relevant community.

The 2008 Presidential primary cycle has already seen contests in states with significant Asian American and Pacific Islander populations, including California, Nevada, Virginia, New Jersey, and New York. MSNBC's coverage and exit polling data of Asian voters has been resoundingly lacking. In California, where Asian voters represented 8% of the population polled by MSNBC, and exceeded the African American population by 1%, AAPI voters were nonetheless excluded in the exit polling analyses for the categories of "Gender by Race," "Age by Race," and "Party by Race”. This detailed analysis for the African American community, however, was provided when available. In other key states with large pockets of Asian American voters, such as New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Nevada, no data was provided at all.

We were particularly disappointed when MSNBC’s January 15th debate in Nevada, originally scheduled as a “black and brown” debate, failed to include Asian and Pacific Islander sponsors, or feature any discussions during the debate on the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. This community constitutes 6.71% of Nevada’s population, and in the past six years, the Asian American and Pacific Islander population in the Las Vegas metro area has doubled from 4% to 8%. This population adds to Nevada’s rich diversity, which is one of the very reasons that the Democratic Party chose Nevada as an early caucus state. The fact that MSNBC failed to highlight the importance of this community in its January 15th debate is unacceptable.

Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are poised to play significant roles in the upcoming contests in Hawaii, Wisconsin, Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Clearly, significant delegates remain at stake in this intensely close contest, and AAPI voters will turn out to cast their ballots. Whether their voices will be heard in the political process will depend in large part on whether the media plays a part in recognizing or ignoring these voices.

We are requesting that MSNBC:

• Meet with the undersigned to discuss ways to improve coverage of the AAPI community;

• Ensure that polling data is collected on the AAPI community, particularly in the Hawaii, Wisconsin, Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania and North Carolina primary contests, and that the AAPI vote be discussed during the highly televised primary night coverage;

• Provide more coverage and stories on the AAPI vote. This should not simply be a matter of producing additional stories, but should involve substantive, in-depth coverage on our communities;

• Make a committed effort to include more AAPI perspectives when covering larger issues that impact the AAPI community, including immigration reform, education, and healthcare;

• Work with the undersigned to develop a roster of interviewees, experts and guests who are able to speak intelligently on the AAPI community and these policy areas; and

• Designate an MSNBC representative, and/or a specific producer, to have responsibility and oversight for ensuring that the AAPI community is represented in news coverage, particularly for this election cycle. This representative and producer should engage in an ongoing dialogue with the undersigned.

We thank you in advance for your attention to this matter, and look forward to your timely response.

Michael M. Honda Member of Congress Eni F.H. Faleomavaega Member of Congress Madeleine Z. Bordallo Member of Congress Xavier Becerra Member of Congress Mazie K. Hirono Members of Congress

Robert C. Scott Member of Congress Neil Abercrombie Member of Congress Al Green Member of Congress Doris O. Matsui Member of Congress David Wu Member of Congress