Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) has joined with other civil rights and minority media organizations to urge the presidential candidates, party national committees and top SuperPACs to include minority media buys in their campaign ad plans, and not as last-minute afterthoughts.
"Credibility and engagement of voters must be earned over time from the beginning to the end of campaigns," they wrote. "They cannot be produced with a 20-year-old recycled ad template published in the final two weeks of a campaign – a pattern that we have seen appear every two years."
The candidate letters went to "The Honorable" Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, and Bernie Sanders (all current or former legislators), and "Mr. Donald Trump."
Among those also signing on to the letter were the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, the NAACP, and the National Urban League.
They asked for an answer within 10 days on their specific plans to use minority broadcast, print and online media.
"Our community deserves more than last-minute advertising," said MMTC President Kim Keenan. "Candidates from every party, PAC, and as individuals need to put their messages in diverse media so these communities can be mobilized to vote. Advertising in trusted, minority media sources helps voters to identify which candidates have their best interests at heart, and is a prime opportunity to meet a key voting segment 'where they are.' Candidates must invest their ad dollars in minority- and women-owned media."
