Name: As COVID-19 cases rise among Latinos, Gov. Abbott does live interview on Univision after two months of requests
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As COVID-19 cases rise among Latinos, Gov. Abbott does live interview on Univision after two months of requests

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1:54 PM on Jul 1, 2020 CDTUnvision’s Dallas affiliate, KUVN-DT (Channel 23), had spent two months seeking an interview with Gov. Greg Abbott to address the Hispanic community about COVID-19.On Thursday, after more pressure from Univision, Abbott finally appeared on the Spanish-language network for a five-minute interview.The interview was done live, in English, while a translator voiced over Abbott.During the interview, anchor Johana Suárez and Abbott discussed the governor’s new statewide masking order, the rise in COVID-19 cases across the state, and what the school year could look like for students in fall.Suárez finished the interview by asking Abbott if he would commit to five minutes each week with KUVN to address the Hispanic community.“Sure, listen, your audience is so important,” Abbott said. “We look forward to having the opportunity to visit with them.”Univision’s attempt to get Abbott on air started with an email request on April 30. Since then, the TV station and the governor’s press office had been playing email tag, but Abbott had yet to do an interview with KUVN. The governor has also not done interviews with Unvision’s affiliates in Austin, Houston or San Antonio, despite their requests.As COVID-19 cases surge across the Lone Star State, the virus is disproportionately affecting people of color. In Dallas County alone, more than 60% of residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 are Hispanic.Dallas County is about 40% Hispanic. Of those households, about 42% speak English “less than very well,” according to U.S. census data.Casi 2 meses solicitando una entrevista con . La comunidad hispana merece respuestas a sus preguntas. Nearly 2 months asking for interviews w/ TX Gov. We'll keep asking until he finally agrees. — Noticias23DFW (@Univision23DFW)“When 91 percent of your news audience is unduplicated, it is your responsibility to ensure your viewers have all the information they need to make informed decisions, especially when it comes to their health,” said Raquel Amparo, vice president of news at Univision DFW. “That is why we have been requesting an interview with Governor Abbott since April.”In the two months that Univision had sought an interview with Abbott, the governor had done several interviews with TV stations across the state — in some cases several interviews per day — including one last week with WFAA-TV (Channel 8) and this week with KXAS-TV (NBC5).“He has been on the English language stations several times since our first request, but he also needs to inform and engage with his Hispanic constituents and there is no better way to reach them than Univision,” Amparo said.Last week, KUVN aired a report showing its viewers the two-month exchange of emails with the governor’s office. KUVN got close to securing an interview with Abbott in early June.“Let’s make it happen,” read a June 1 email from the governor’s press office. “Things are a little crazy right now, but let me see what I can do to make this happen.”That interview never happened in June.“The Hispanic community deserves to hear directly from the governor his plan to combat the coronavirus pandemic and survive the economic crisis,” anchor Ana María Vargas told viewers during the broadcast, promising that the station would continue to seek an interview with Abbott.Related:Lack of messaging to the Hispanic community regarding COVID-19 has been a concern for weeks.“I would agree that it’s not going well at all. Everyone is trying their hardest, but that’s on me,” Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins told in early April. “It’s my job to get the word out, and it’s not going as well as I would like with that.”Among some of the county’s efforts, there has been increased messaging in Spanish on social media, with information on the proper way to wear a mask and details about testing sites.“In a city with 42% of Hispanics, many of them migrants, there is always a margin to do more things in Spanish,” said Francisco de la Torre, consul of the General Consulate of Mexico in Dallas. “However, I believe that both Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins, and, of course, Commissioner Elba Garcia, and the city of Dallas through the Office of Inclusion and Equity are making an effort and adapting to the new times where communicating in Spanish is urgent and can save lives.”The governor’s office on Tuesday released a public service announcement featuring former Texas Rangers catcher Ivan Rodriguez addressing the importance of wearing a mask, which was recorded in English and Spanish.“My whole entire career I’ve been using this mask,” Rodriguez said in the PSA while holding up a catcher’s mask. “Now I wanted to ask you to wear your mask to keep our businesses safe for you. So please, if you keep your mask on, we’re going to keep our businesses open for you.”Get email alerts on breaking news stories as soon as they happen.By signing up you agree to our

1:54 PM on Jul 1, 2020 CDTUnvision’s Dallas affiliate, KUVN-DT (Channel 23), had spent two months seeking an interview with Gov. Greg Abbott to address the Hispanic community about COVID-19.On Thursday, after more pressure from Univision, Abbott finally appeared on the Spanish-language network for a five-minute interview.The interview was done live, in English, while a translator voiced over Abbott.During the interview, anchor Johana Suárez and Abbott discussed the governor’s new statewide masking order, the rise in COVID-19 cases across the state, and what the school year could look like...

As COVID-19 cases rise among Latinos, Gov. Abbott does live interview on Univision after two months of requests

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