Sound-off about the issues that matter to you, Univision's purchase of The Onion, other industries that will benefit from the L.A. Rams move to SoCal.
Making Hollywood more diverse and inclusive
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith and Director Spike Lee made headlines yesterday with their call for a boycott of the Oscar nominations.
In her video, Smith called for more investment and support for movies made by artists of color, calling it time to put resources "back into our communities, our programs." You can watch the video below.
Jada Pinkett Smith calls for an Oscar boycott
However, there are already some programs out there that focus on production, training and promotion of minority filmmakers.
Take Two spoke to two creators of these platforms: Numa Perrier, the co-founder of Black & Sexy TV and Ayuko Babu, the founder of the Pan African Film Festival.
Perrier co-founded the subscription digital network Black & Sexy TV with her husband Dennis Dortch, a director and writer. Last year, the T.V. channel BET picked up three of Black & Sexy TV's shows.
Perrier says because Smith is a celebrity, her call for an Oscar boycott helped it become an actual conversation – not just one on social media. But she says it can't be all talk and no action.
As for Babu, his Pan African Film Festival begins on February 5 and runs till February 15. The festival screens more than 100 films from around the world by minority filmmakers.
Babu says it's important for platforms like his to help Hollywood think broadly and prevent the institutional racism its always practiced. That being said, the Oscars matter?
"They matter but they don't matter," Babu says.
He says filmmakers of color are making things worthy of being nominated, and they're trying to get recognized in other avenues with or without the Oscars.
Perrier says the Academy Awards were created in a time of racism and bigotry, and are still steeped in those ideas. er channel wants to bring about change.
"If you have a membership and you have these guilds and you these academies that were created in racism and with racist ideas, they are still that way unless you do something radical to change that," she says.
To hear the full interview with Ayuko Babu and Numa Perrier, press the blue play button above.
The growing power of the Latino voter
According to a new report from the Pew Research Center, the number of Latino voters in the US has grown at one of the fastest clips of any group over the past eight year.
A Martinez talks to Jens Manuel Krogstad, one of the editors on the report.
Raise your hand, California: Tell us why you’re voting in 2016
The buzz around the 2016 presidential election has been with us for months. There's a lot at stake. That's why we're asking Californians what issues matter to them most this year.
What are your concerns? Talk to us about the topics you're following using the hashtag
. You can share your thoughts and photos with us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Check out the video above to hear what other Californians have to say.
This campaign is a part of our California Counts project, a partnership with newsrooms across California to bring special statewide election coverage. To become a KPCC source this election season, click here.
Here's what Californians are saying on Twitter.
Here's what Twitter has to say
Here's what our Facebook friends are talking about.
Here's what Facebook has to say
Sports round-up: Rams could reshape LA, Superbowl race, Glenn Frey's Dodger home run call
The field is narrowing in the NFL's race to the Superbowl, with the Patriots' Tom Brady facing Broncos star Peyton Manning, we listen to a rare moment when Eagle's co-founder Glenn Frey sat in the box with Vin Scully and we ask: how could the Rams return to LA change the city?
We're joined by
.
The debate over football's long-term viability
Despite all of the hits that football has taken over the years: Ray Rice, deflategate, and, most recently, the film Concussion, interest in the sport remains as strong as ever.
However, as the league continues to print money, debate over its long-term viability has started to enter the public consciousness
Even the President has weighed in from time to time on the sport that can be legitimately called "America's passion."
tackles all this and more in his new book called The Game's Not Over: In Defense of Football.
To hear the full interview, click the blue 'play' button, above.
Child slaves used to mine for materials common in smartphone batteries
Odds are you own some sort of phone with a rechargable lithium-ion battery, possibly from companies like Samsung, Microsoft and Apple. Those batteries are in a lot of things you might own these days, including hybrid and pure electric cars.
According to a recent report from Amnesty International, a key ingredient in these batteries, cobalt, is often supplied by firms that use child slave laborers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Mark Dummett is a business and human rights researcher at Amnesty International and he wrote a report on this discovery. He speaks with A Martinez about the topic.
Straitlaced media giant buys satirical website because millennials
Spanish-language giant Univision has acquired a 40 percent stake in the satirical news site, The Onion.
Details of the deal were announced by Univision Tuesday.
The Onion started in print in the late 80s and has gained a reputation for snarky news stories, many providing thinly-veiled commentary about society.
Univision has made several efforts in the past to connect with millennial media watchers, many of whom no longer watch TV.
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes for media
Amara Aguilar is an associate professor of digital journalism at USC’s Annenberg School of Journalism. She also studies the rapidly evolving media industry. Aguilar tells Take Two that Univision’s core audience is aging, so new audiences must be tapped.
“When I think of Univision, I think of my great aunts watching the telenovelas or the news shows,” Aguilar says. “It’s definitely an older Latino generation … and it’s definitely a traditional audience, and that audience is getting older and, sadly, dying off.”
Aguilar says simply changing the programming wouldn’t be enough to keep viewership numbers up.
But why, though?
The ability to recognize a media organization’s need to change with the times is an invaluable skill for studio executives, but still the question remains: why? Aguilar says the answer lies in how millennials get their content and what it takes for them to share it with their peers.
“The millennial generation, they’re getting news and information from their mobile devices, they’re getting it online, and they love to share funny content,” Aguilar says. “Everybody likes to laugh, so I think this is a very interesting move.”
Univision, The Onion, and the presidential race
The 2016 presidential race has provided the mainstream media with plenty of fodder, and The Onion wasted no time jumping into the fray. But why does the network that has given us Jorge Ramos’ “Al Punto” want to align itself with the publication that offers us such gems as, “Rubio Refutes Claim He Soft On Immigration By Dragging Undocumented Worker He Knocked Out Cold Onto Stage,” and “Huckabee Decries Obamacare’s Failure To Help Slow, Cross-Eyed Cousin Who Got Kicked By Mule?” Aguilar says that, despite the liberal skew, few can deny The Onion’s ability to make a fake story go viral.
“They are okay with reaching more people, and I think they will do that with this deal,” Aguilar says. “It might be funny content, but it can create serious discussions.”
Press the blue play button above to hear the full interview.
One writer's inside look at Tinder CEO Sean Rad
These days, young people are finding — shall we say — romantic encounters of the casual kind, with just a swipe of their phones.
Yes, we're talking about Tinder. The app allows young people to link up with each other based on location, and a few head shots of themselves. You swipe left to pass, and swipe right for a potential match.
Nellie Bowles recently profiled Tinder CEO Sean Rad. She joined host A Martinez to share more about the controversial figure behind the wildly popular dating app.
You can read Nellie Bowles piece in California Sunday Magazine.
Who wins when the Rams come to town?
The LA Rams breaking into Southern California won't just be a big boon for sports: there are pockets of industries all around the area that could benefit from a local football team.
While KPCC found that a new team won't generate huge economic benefits across the board, people in Hollywood, real estate and sales could all come out ahead.
Michael Colangelo, assistant director of USC's Sports Business Institute, joins Take Two to explain.
The Styled Side: Will the LA Rams create a fashion blitz?
Blue and gold are soooo in, right now.
People are hyped for the arrival of the LA Rams, and it's causing a blitz at local stores.
Raul Castro, who works at a big chain sports store in Culver City, says phones have been ringing off the hook since the announcement and, "it feels like the holidays haven't stopped."
NFL merchandise is a big money maker, too. Of the $12 billion the NFL took in last year, $3 billion of that was in merchandise in sales.
Castro says they're already sold out of blue and gold hats, as well as any gear with the throwback colors of blue and yellow.
His store will also be stocking "Welcome back," "Straight Outta Inglewood" and "Going back to Cali," gear in the coming weeks.
Castro also plans to up the ante on Rams gear and cut back on items from some of the other NFL teams.
Many other retailers in Southern California are following suit.
RamsFanShop.com is the best online option right now, says Michelle Dalton Tyree from Fashion Trends Daily, while Lids is a good place for hats and jerseys can be found in Locker Room.
Non-sports stores are getting in on the action, too. Accessories brand Alex And Ani, which has a hug fan base for its collectible charm bracelets, has an NFL collection. It plans to change the name of its Rams charm to "LA Rams" once the team officially moves.
Tyree also recommends Junkfood Clothing, based in LA, which has a fun NFL line.