Latino Media Forward

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We have a special bonus episode of The Latino Newsletter podcast to share.

Last month, at the 2025 Knight Media Forum in Miami, I hosted a Late Night Snacks conversation with the Hon. Anna M. Gomez, Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, and the Hon. Alvaro Bedoya, Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission.

This was my first public appearance for my new job at Free Press, and it was one of the most enjoyable conversations of my professional career. Still, it was important to start the show with a question that many conference attendees had on their minds during the forum’s earlier sessions.

Commissioners Gomez and Bedoya did go on record about all that is happening in the federal government these past weeks. I appreciated their willingness to answer. It is all I can ask for.

Here is what Bedoya said: “I think it’s wise to be circumspect about this, but I think the thing that I have been telling anyone who asks is ‘Your eyes work. Your ears work.’ What you hear, and what you think you hear is what you are in fact hearing, and pretending like what you see is not what you see is not going to help you or anyone around you. Same for what you're hearing. I was born in Peru. I was raised in upstate New York, and I would say as someone who is from Peru and is roughly familiar with Peruvian history, I have a special appreciation for what's happening right now, but I will leave it at that.”

Here is part of what Gomez told me right before we moved to the night’s topic about Latino media: “It's particularly concerning when the threat is actually the government itself. We’re supposed to be serving consumers, not in fact, making sure that they’re kept from information.”

“I think what we need is a call to action,” Gomez added. “We can move on to what we’re going to talk about, which is Latinos in the media, but we cannot stay silent. If we acquiesce to this, it’s going to happen. So, you know, stand up, speak up.”

After that, what followed was a lively (and, yes, fun) conversation about whether market dynamics are undermining the viability and success of Latino-serving media.

Here’s the full episode, covering everything from Latino representation in media to the systemic barriers that keep our communities undercounted and undervalued. Commissioners Gomez and Bedoya broke down how flawed audience measurement tools force Latino media to sell ads at a discount, why our cultural impact in music hasn’t translated to film and television, and what needs to change for Latinos to fully own our narratives. At its core, this was a conversation about power—who holds it, who doesn’t, and what it will take to shift the balance.

I would like to thank the entire team at Knight Foundation for the opportunity to host what will always be an important topic: uplifting the voices in our community.

About the Author

Julio Ricardo Varela is the founder and publisher of The Latino Newsletter.

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