KCPT Fixed Their "Week In Review" Problem

What a surprise. I've written a few times here that Kansas City Public Television's show "Week in Review" had real issues of representation on their program. It was virtually always 3 white people and a Black man and that was it. Not one Hispanic or Latinx person represented usually on their panel. Once in a while, yes. Usually, regularly, no. Absolutely not.

So how did they fix it? They didn't have even ONE guest on the program for a panel whatever. Problem solved? Ironically, as Nick Haines interviewed Mayor Quinton Lucas on the show tonight, the Mayor mentioned his own going to the West side of the city on Cinco de Mayo to talk to the Hispanic citizens there. Pretty hilarious. At least he recognizes there is a Hispanic community here and they need to be included.

Question for Kansas City Public Television

You have someone named Vickie Diaz-Camacho telling us how great KCPT is in your advertising but you can't get an Hispanic or Latinx person on "Week In Review" every week?

Seriously?

KCPT and "Week In Review", Covering That White Person's Point of View

Yes sir and ma'am, Kansas City. If you're a contributor to KCPT, rest assured, Kansas City Public Television will cover the white person's point of view. And they'll do so with more white males than anyone else.

This week's version had, yes, two white men, one white woman--very blonde--and thank God for Eric Wesson, showing up week after week.They'll ask for money from everyone--including the local Hispanic community--but have a Hispanic, Latinx person on the show? Fuggedaboudit. I say again, in the year that the Kansas City Star so publicly apologized for covering only the white person's point of view over the years, KCPT keeps giving more of same old, same old. Stunning. Really stunning. And know this. I wouldn't write these things, time and again, if I thought what KCPT and PBS did and stood for was unimportant.

KCPT Week in Review--- 3 White People and a Token Black

Once more, one more time this week, KCPT, "Kansas City Public Television" and their "Week in Review" program has 3 white people and Eric Wesson, a token Black man, on their program. That's it. Three white people and a Black man.

Thank goodness, again, Eric Wesson shows up. Thank you, sir, for being there, time and again. To KCPT, "Kansas City Public Television", there are no Hispanic people in the community. Thank goodness they got 2 white women to appear on the program so they have at least SOME more minorities on the show. So hoping one day they fix this. Hey, we can hope.

Our KC Star Finally Gets It on Race -- Will KCPT?

 Yes, as I wrote earlier last week, I thought it pretty incredible and courageous and soul-searching for our Kansas City Star local newspaper to own up and 'fess up to their very racist, white supremacist past. Great for them, great for us. Progress. Surprising and again, incredible. Very encouraging and hopeful.

So now, a next step, it makes me wonder aloud here if our local PBS station will ever "get it" on race, too. If KCPT will ever be truly inclusive. I've written about it before.

They used  to have 2 weekly news programs and now they're down to one. Both were heavily, heavily represented by---wait for it--white people. Only. Singularly. And the one now gone was also heavily full of Right Wing and/or conservative and/or out and out Republican Party guests and viewpoints. It was dispiriting to say the least.

And even now, still, to this day, their "Week in Review" program is heavily all white. Here's the latest example.

Where it used to be a solidly, dependably, weekly all white panel, now they seem to have finally, finally committed to having a reliable, token Black person, a Black man.  At least there is that improvement.

But to this day, as in this week's episode, there are 3 white people.

That's it.

Three men, one woman and one Black man, that's it.

Occasionally, occasionally they will include a Hispanic or Latinx member of the community but it is rare, at best. They apparently take money from and advertise the Dos Mundos newspaper but no steady representation of our Hispanic community. It's almost as though they don't live here. Or at least, it's as though KCPT either just doesn't or doesn't want to recognize them, Hispanics in the community.

In their defense, I know this isn't true. I know the station and the host, Nick Haines, want to be fair and representative of us all.

But it ain't happenin'.

It's 2020, very nearly 2021, of course, and still no representation, no reliable, steady, dependable representation of ALL in our community.

But hey, if you're white? Or more, if you're a white man? They got you covered. Great for you.

So come on, KCPT. Do it. Somehow, do it. Get it done. Commit to, somehow, having, say, one white maile, one white female, yes a Black person, male or female and the---wait for it---a Hispanic or Latinx person, again, male or female on your program, on this program, on "Week in REview", week after week after week. Reliably. You owe it to yourself. You owe it to good, fair representative media. 

You owe it to all of us.

A Question for, a Plea to Dos Mundos

 To the Dos Mundos Newspaper

You advertise on Kansas City PBS. 

Can you not arrange, somehow, to help Nick Haines get someone from the Hispanic/Latinx community each week for his program "Week in Review"? You are frequently, repeatedly not represented on the program. Can't someone in the community help him/them get someone reliably on the show? 

Please? 

For your own sake, the sake of that Hispanic/Latinx community and for the sake of the entire community?

Weekly, weekly, there are 3 white people and a token Black man or woman on the show and that's it.

Give the poor man some help.   Help him help you.  Heck, help him help all of us. Let's hear from the ENTIRE community.

Thank you, in advance.

Links:

Kansas City PBS

Kansas City Week in Review