In The Community
In the ever-evolving landscape of American democracy, a new effort to counter disinformation and empower vulnerable communities with culturally resonant messages has emerged. The initiative, “Voices for Democracy,” spearheaded by New Media Ventures, is attempting to revolutionize the United States' deeply flawed media infrastructure.
The Emergence of a Media Crisis
New Media Ventures (NMV) invests in entrepreneurs and activists wrestling with the biggest challenges facing U.S. democracy. They use venture capital tools to provide solutions to the problems of building progressive political power. For the past 13 years, NMV has built a reputation as the go-to mission-aligned investor for progressive media founders with the goal of both scaling progressive power and building multi-racial narrative ownership.
Voices for Democracy is their latest innovative endeavor with an unambiguous goal: to fortify trusted, community-centric media and messengers in states that are on the front lines of safeguarding American democracy. These states include Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Texas.
Mis and Disinformation have wreaked havoc across these states with various high-profile events taking place in each. As a high-profile example, during the 2022 election, a group of Republican leaders in Arizona played a central role in President Donald Trump and his allies’ attempt to change the outcome of the 2020 election. To date, many Republican primary voters in the state continue to be fixated on election denialism, a movement fueled heavily by viral disinformation.
With a presidential election looming in 2024, the safeguards of a trusted and reliable media infrastructure can no longer be relied upon which puts the very existence of Democracy in grave danger. Voices of Democracy points out that it’s not merely about financial backing; it's about revitalizing the promise of American media.
“Given the rampant disinformation and polarization across social media and even traditional news outlets, we believe that investing in trusted messengers at the local level is essential to protecting and expanding our democracy,” said New Media Ventures President Carlissia N. Graham.
A Unique Approach
The troubled state of U.S. media has left over 1300 communities without access to local news, leaving people uninformed about critical local issues. The decline of local news and the ascent of disinformation is what prompted NMV to invest in trusted local media, a linchpin in the preservation and expansion of democracy.
However, while many organizations focus on preserving traditional media, NMV has also set its sights on building the media of the future.
With the media landscape in flux and traditional outlets struggling to adapt, NMV is now investing in new voices, new models, and new media types that capture the trust of today's audience. They recognize the need for a connected progressive media ecosystem that cultivates a pipeline of media projects and champions independent ownership.
Talent is Equally Distributed, Opportunity is Not
What became clear in the recruitment process was that this dire need is being met by organizations and companies that are stepping up to the challenge. Over 350 organizations applied in just two months, far exceeding their expectations. A noteworthy data point in a media landscape that’s predominantly white and white-owned, is the pool's reflection of the multi-racial makeup of the United States. The applicant pool included 200 applications from Black-led entities alone which was over half of the pool; a reflection of the rich diversity of our society.
Applicants came from diverse backgrounds, including LGBTQ+, immigrants, disabled individuals, and formerly incarcerated people. Many were early-stage entities, managing their capital judiciously in an environment where only about 1.87% of $31 billion in start-up funding went to startups with diverse leaders. This underscores the necessity for capital intervention to accelerate growth in this critical sector.
Building Now and Beyond
In September 2023, 14 organizations in the inaugural initiative formally joined the NMW portfolio. The non-profit and for-profit organizations include Protect the Sacred, Conecta Arizona, Black Miami-Dade, Miami Freedom Project, Canopy Atlanta, Refugee Community Partnership, Triad City Beat, Dirtroad Organizing, Make the Road Action Nevada, Impacto, Trucha RGV, OutSmart Magazine, The Austin Common, and Backbone Digital Leaders.
NMV plans on further investing $3 million over the next two years into this local media effort, joining other noteworthy media investment initiatives like Press Forward. The mostly philanthropic cohort announced an unprecedented 500 million dollar commitment to fund news and media entities to address the current crisis occurring in news and information.
As the 2024 elections approach, Voices for Democracy’s immediate goal is to bolster trusted, community-centric media outlets, especially in the face of mounting media challenges. The relationship between the people and the messenger is critical and has far-reaching implications far beyond elections. Their long-term goal is to nurture trust and participation in bottom-up democracy, fostering an ecosystem of diverse, grassroots voices and outlets.
There is an ongoing assault on the institutions and values that underpin U.S. democracy. Social media behemoths like Meta (formerly Facebook) remain unregulated and have been implicated in a slew of privacy scandals that enabled foreign countries to interfere with U.S. elections. Democracy is under assault by a robust network of media outlets and influencers who distort reality and misinform Americans. Trust in legacy outlets has dwindled, making local media and influencers crucial.
In the face of these challenges, Voices for Democracy and New Media Ventures are leading the mission to mend the media infrastructure and fortify U.S. democracy.
New Media Ventures is an investor in Luz Media. Investors play no part in Luz Media’s editorial process and Luz retains full editorial independence.
Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez, founder of Latina Rebels, a page dedicated to Latina Culture, is also a storyteller, author, and activist. She is a Nicaraguan first gen graduate, and since then, Prisca has had to claim her space and make a name for herself.
Her debut book, For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts: A Love Letter to Women of Color, is a memoir for brown girls who face challenges and have the power to reclaim their identity in a white-dominated world. She also addresses imposter syndrome and colorism. The book is for all women of color looking to embrace their individuality.
Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez is an unapologetic Latina whose book will offer you wisdom from her own experiences and empower you. Check out her book:
For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts: A Love Letter to Women of Color
For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts: A Love Letter to Women of Colora.co
Caution: Season 1 Spoiler Alert!
Gentefied has started filming for Season 2 and we are ready to tune in! Gentefied is a Netflix original centered around a family fighting gentrification in their LA neighborhood. The show captivated our hearts as we saw Ana fall in love with Yessika, Erik and Lidia have their baby and as Chris tried to figure out his identity. Created by Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chávez, the show’s characters have complex identities and struggles on what it means to be bicultural.
With the second season underway we’re excited to find out what happens between Erik and Lidia while also wondering if Ana and Yessika will get back together. We’re hoping to find out good news about Pop’s deportation as the patriarch of the family, and we’re wondering if Chris will continue being the Chef for Mama Fina’s or go on to pursue different aspirations.
All in all, we’re excited to have a show that reflects our cultura back! There are too few shows so when one sticks around we’re muy excited! To get us ready for the second season of Gentefied, we’re doing a recap of the main characters on the show. For now all we can do is wait and rewatch Season 1! Valentine’s Day plans anyone?
Valentines Day Love GIF by NETFLIXGiphy
Joaquín Cosío as Casimiro “Pop” Morales
The patriarch of the family, Pop finds himself in trouble as the restaurant he owned with his late wife is in trouble of getting shut down. With a soon-to-be gentrified community and raised rents, he is unable to find new clientele and his usual customers are being priced out of the neighborhood, leaving Pop with little to no options. He finds himself questioning his life as his grandchildren support him on the journey to keep Mama Fina’s open. But will that be enough to keep Pop’s legacy afloat?
GiphyJ.J. Soria as Erik Morales
The character played by J.J. Soria starts off as a hardcore, machista type of guy but as the show goes on, we get to see the layers peeled back and his true nature come to light with a more sensitive, intelligent tone. With a baby on the way and the thought of potentially losing Mama Fina’s, Erik must figure out a way to keep both the restaurant and his baby’s mother in his life. It’s up to him to navigate his life with a new perspective.
Chris Whatever GIF by NETFLIXGiphyKarrie Martin as Ana Morales
Karrie Martin plays Ana Morales, an aspiring artist who struggles to connect with her mother. She reflects the generational differences as she pursues a career that her mother does not take seriously. While her mother is not outwardly against her relationship with Yessika, it is evident that Ana’s lifestyle is very different from what her mother envisioned for her. Ana’s character is complex in various ways as she navigates through different opportunities in her gentrifying neighborhood. It begs the question, can upward mobility Latinx people gentrify their own neighborhoods?
GiphyCarlos Santos as Chris Morales
It’s not fun to feel disenchanted and Chris Morales, played by Carlos Santos, is feeling those exact feelings as Season 1 of Gentefied kicks off. His character gives us the opportunity to reflect on how out of place we often feel as first-generation or immigrants. Chris plays a chef who is navigating fine dining restaurants and ends up working for Mama Fina’s in what ends up being a questionable decision. His culinary background means making tacos al pastor but making it fancy – something the locals push back on while he dreams of owning his own fine-dining eatery one day to put his skills on display and make his overbearing father proud.
Julissa Calderon as Yessika Castillo
Yessika Castillo, played by Julissa Calderon, has a strong relationship with Ana that we immediately become invested in. They have been in each other’s lives since young girls and they grow up to pursue a romantic relationship that leaves us gushing about their love. All is well, until Yessika’s activism takes a priority over supporting Ana’s grandfather in keeping Mama Fina’s doors open. Can you blame Yessika though? After all, we’re seeing our own neighborhoods being gentrified with $8 tacos pandering to its nonresidents.
Annie Gonzalez as Lidia Solis
Lidia, played by Annie Gonzalez, is the highly educated Latina that is aspiring to leave her neighborhood in pursuit of a better life for her and her baby, Erik’s son. Even with a baby on the way, Lidia is a strong independent woman that isn’t seeking validation from Erik or anyone else in her life. After all, she now has a baby to care for. We stan seeing a professional woman break glass ceilings, but will it come at the cost of her true love?