(L-r): Vansh A. Gupta, Siliconeer’s Head of Digital, Gen-Z Editor; Sandy Close, Executive Director at Ethnic Media Services; Janam A. Gupta, Gen-Z Editor; Seema Gupta, Siliconeer’s CEO and Publisher (Amar D. Gupta).   

The Ethnic Media Awards hosted by Ethnic Media Services was held on August 28th at the Kimpton Sawyer Hotel in Old-Town Sac. Journalists, publishers, ethnic media outlets, community leaders, and political decision drivers were all mingling as they celebrate the wins of Ethnic Media. We also have a little treat, with a live updates as the event happened published to X. 

In a media briefing on September 8th, the winners came together to have an open dialogue with other ethnic media outlets to share their success stories. Siliconeer was recognized for having the best South Asian website in the country. We thank our readers to make this amazing feat possible.

Speakers

(Top L-r) Nate Tinner-Williams, Black Catholic Messenger; Mireya Olivera, Impulso News; Rachel Tan, Skylink TV; Diana Ding of Ding Ding TV; (Bottom L-r) Esmeralda Mendoza, Radio B’alam – Mayan language; 
John Dinh Xuan Thai, Little Saigon TV; Anh Thai, Little Saigon TV;
Pamela Anchang, The Immigrant Magazine – serving the African diaspora (EMS).
  • Nate Tinner-Williams, Black Catholic Messenger
  • Mireya Olivera, Impulso News
  • Rachel Tan, Skylink TV
  • Diana Ding of Ding Ding TV
  • Esmeralda Mendoza, Radio B’alam – Mayan language 
  • John Dinh Xuan Thai, Little Saigon TV
  • Anh Thai, Little Saigon TV
  • Pamela Anchang, The Immigrant Magazine – serving the African diaspora

And So it Began…

The conference commenced with lunch and an opening session, honing in on influence ethnic media holds. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, welcomed attendees addressing the pivotal role of diverse media outlets in shaping public opinion. US Census Director Robert Santos’s keynote displayed how ethnic media is vital in bridging the gap that is communication. This is to ensure every ethnic communities are accounted for in the Census, which may otherwise miss the memo. The lunch concluded with the Communications Champion Awards, recognizing outstanding contributions in the ethnic media space.

The first plenary session of the conference focused on building inclusive communications and new strategies for messaging by state agencies. Administration leaders wanted to ensure all communities are well informed and connected. Using culturally tailored messaging and engaging with ethnic media outlets to reach out to diverse audiences, the state has a better chance of serving their dish right.

We at Siliconeer have seen this first hand, with misinformation about government spending being flung at us left and right by those in the community. 

Ethnic Media’s Role in Community

The role of ethnic media in combating inter-ethnic violence was brought up in the next one. Organizations and these media outlets come together to shed light on hate crimes and foster community relationships. They showcased initiatives spanning from El Cajon to Half Moon Bay, spotlighting innovative strategies for this war on hate crimes.

The third plenary session focused on impacts handing to more a diverse range of media outlets by the pandemic and strategies that were tested out during the 2020 Census. Of course, the pandemic left a rather deep cut. Declining revenues and changing consumer habits contributed towards nearly shuttering them. These ethnic media outlets had to adapt to innovative ways to reach audiences during the pandemic, and so they did.

The conference featured several breakout sessions, digging deeper into breaking the silence about community taboos, community building, and more. The attendees also got their chance to voice themselves, sharing experiences, and insights.

Of course, how can a day go by without talking about the biggest elephant in every room with internet, AI. Secretary Amy Tong gives her two cents on the implementation of AI throughout the world, and maybe perhaps our government? Well, the only thing we can do is wait.

Awards Ceremony

A high note was in order for the finale, with an awards ceremony for outstanding journalism in print, online, and broadcast media. The awards recognized contributions of journalists and media outlets which made a significant impact in the ethnic media space. Siliconeer received a special award for having an Outstanding Website in the Ethnic Media space.

Overall, the Ethnic Media Awards event provided a valuable forum for journalists, community leaders, and decision-makers to join hands, as a community. The conference highlighted the importance of ethnic media in promoting inclusion throughout the diverse communities in media and ensuring that they all are well connected. The event emphasized the need for partnerships, strategies, and tactics to address hate crimes seen by the African and Asian American communities.

The Ethnic Media Awards event was a resounding success allowing to bring various Ethnic Media outlets together and celebrate everyone’s wins. 

A special Desi shoutout Ethnic Media Services and Sandy Close for having us for an eventful, impactful, phenomenal, and “mast” day.

Read more EMS stories on Siliconeer.