August 21, 2014
For Immediate Release
Contact: Tracy Rosenberg, Executive Director, Media Alliance (510) 684-6853 (c) or Email: tracy@media-alliance.org
Kevin Robinson, Executive Producer, Medium Rare TV (415) 576-1130 (c) or Email: kevin@mediumraretv.org
Medium Rare TV Questions Comic-Con Press Pass Policy
San Francisco-A film, television and gaming blogging site, Medium Rare TV, which highlights the achievements of people of color in the film, television and gaming industries, has written a letter of protest to Comic-Con International, the educational nonprofit which throws the annual Comic-Con International Trade Show in San Diego and the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco.
Medium Rare TV is objecting to the refusal to issue a press pass to Medium Rare for the large San Diego Comic-Con exposition last month, a crucial forum for the industries MRTV covers. MRTV observed in their letter that despite their completed application being filed prior to the deadline, no reason for the rejection was provided, and that at least one outlet had applied after the deadline and not been rejected. They expressed concerns that diversity, both in race and demography, and in size and focus of the media outlets that were granted press passes, was inadequately considered.
After receipt of the letter, which was copied to local media watchdog, Media Alliance, Comic-Con International’s PR department responded with a note saying the criteria for press pass issuance were web traffic, social media following, and regularity of updated content. They stated they had no way of determining how many entities or individuals of color were granted press passes to report on the show.
Media Alliance executive director, Tracy Rosenberg, in receipt of the correspondence, commented in this blog, “Diversity-blindness – as caricatured in the “I don’t see race” comics found all over the web – does not generally lead to the most engaging, relevant coverage of an event. Nor does it deliver the fullest range of perspectives, unless one believes we are all the same. For participants whose work is, as Medium Rare describes, often overshadowed and overlooked, the convention’s inability to consider the advantages of a diverse press corps of small and large media outlets, mainstream and indie, those talking of art and politics, as well as industry trends, as well as those looking for stories of non-typical artists breaking new ground, this policy does not serve them. For the industry as a whole, it provides less relevant coverage for those who look for role models who look like them. In other words, the press pass policy enforces standardization of content that largely marginalizes minorities of all kinds, not simply demographic minorities, but also viewpoint minorities. What is vitally important does not always get the most clicks, but we are all the poorer if no space is made for it to be said”.
Robinson, the executive producer at Medium Rare TV, ended his note with this statement: “We understand that Comic-Con is inundated with requests for access, but being a reputable, credible outlet of color should mean something. Addressing a larger issue, we would like to know how many outlets of color did in fact receive press approval. Although it might be an oversight, we feel that Comic Con may be coming up short in granting fair and equal access to journalists of color. We would welcome the opportunity to help rectify this perceived oversight”.
Media Alliance agrees that such a large forum for artistic and alternative arts and letters can and should do better, and we look forward to a diversity-positive policy going forward.
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