TelevisaUnivision CEO Defends Donald Trump Interview: “We Will Not Be Deterred By Partisan Interests”

Ted Johnson
·6 min read
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The CEO of TelevisionUnivision defended the network’s recent interview with Donald Trump, amid criticism from Democratic lawmakers and others that the influential Hispanic outlet was giving a softball platform for the former president.

Wade Davis wrote in a memo to U.S.. staffers today that “interviewing the current Republican frontrunner, according to the polls, the sitting President, and any other candidates is our responsibility if we are to present the full landscape of ideas. The interview with former President Trump was the first in 22 years of a current or former Republican President. There have been many interviews of a current or former Democratic President over that same period. Further, we have offered, and welcome, an interview with President Biden on reciprocal terms and believe our viewers would greatly appreciate hearing from the President.”

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The Trump interview itself was regarded as non-confrontational, with the Post noting instances where Trump was not challenged on certain key facts. The interview, conducted by Enrique Acevedo, also was a contrast to Univision’s reporting on Trump under previous ownership. Perhaps most famously, the Trump campaign kicked Jorge Ramos, perhaps the network’s most recognizable personality, out of a press conference in 2015. Ramos had pressed Trump on his rhetoric toward immigrants.

Amid reports of staffers criticism of the interview, anchor León Krauze stepped down last week. According to Semafor, corporate executives from TelevisaUnivision were present at the Mar-a-Lago interview, and the The Washington Post reported that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was involved in arranging it. Actor John Leguizamo called for a boycott of the network, citing its decision to cancel Joe Biden campaign ads that would have run during the Trump interview. More than 80 groups, including MALDEF and America’s Voice — signed on to a letter to Univision objecting to the interview and expressing concerns about the direction of the network. The Post also reported that the Congressional Hispanic Caucus was preparing a letter requesting a meeting with the network.

In his memo, Davis wrote that Univision “made a decision to adopt a strategy that is different than what some other major networks are using, which has been labeled as partisan. Univision’s news strategy is one that is non-partisan and objective, and we serve our audience by being welcoming of competing issues, ideas, candidates and parties. We are here to serve our audience, not any political party, any one candidate or partisan groups.”

He added, “Univision is an independent news organization, and we will not be deterred by partisan interests and agenda-driven advocacy. Our responsibility is to our audience; we are strongly committed to this and will stay the course.”

The complete memo is below:

Team,

Let me start by saying THANKS to you all!

I hope you’re all getting ready to enjoy good family time as we lead up to the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. For those of you in our newsroom, we know all too well that you never stop. There has been a continued press cycle of coverage around our interview with former President Trump, which has caused further questions from and discussions amongst our employees.  As a result, I think it is useful for me to further expand on the evolution of our news strategy.

Recent events reflect a clear recognition of the importance of Hispanics as the largest swing vote in the upcoming 2024 Presidential election. This is powered by the fact that the Hispanic population is large, and the fastest growing demographic. There is now well documented consensus among political analysts of both parties that the Hispanic vote may determine the Presidential election outcome.

Engaging with the entire Hispanic community in all spheres is the foundation of TelevisaUnivision’s mission. We are here to inform and empower Spanish speaking audiences. We deeply understand our community, and know Hispanics are diverse, dynamic and certainly not uniform in their political views.

We made a decision to adopt a strategy that is different than what some other major networks are using, which has been labeled as partisan. Univision’s news strategy is one that is non-partisan and objective, and we serve our audience by being welcoming of competing issues, ideas, candidates and parties. We are here to serve our audience, not any political party, any one candidate or partisan groups. In the realm of politics, where opinions can be passionate and divergent, providing a space for varied voices reflects a dedication to the values that underpin civic life in a democracy. It’s a recognition that the strength of a democracy relies in its ability to navigate differences through dialogue and, ultimately, to make informed choices that shape the future.

To that end, interviewing the current Republican frontrunner, according to the polls, the sitting President, and any other candidates is our responsibility if we are to present the full landscape of ideas. The interview with former President Trump was the first in 22 years of a current or former Republican President. There have been many interviews of a current or former Democratic President over that same period. Further, we have offered, and welcome, an interview with President Biden on reciprocal terms and believe our viewers would greatly appreciate hearing from the President.

Univision will continue to maintain this clear vision by giving Democrats, Republicans and independents an equal voice in the coming months, and my hope is that we will be judged based on the entirety of our coverage of the 2024 election.

At the same time, we must understand that Univision will draw extra attention and scrutiny, particularly among partisan groups, because of its unmatched reach with Hispanics. We embrace the responsibility to provide our audience the information to make decisions based on accurate coverage of the election process. We will reject all efforts to destabilize this vision, including from partisans within the press or the political machinery. Univision is not a tool of any party or organization. Univision is an independent news organization, and we will not be deterred by partisan interests and agenda-driven advocacy. Our responsibility is to our audience; we are strongly committed to this and will stay the course.

Great companies have alignment in vision from the shareholders to the employees. From the very top, we are aligned behind Univision News President, Daniel Coronell, and the rest of the news organization to execute this strategy. It will require the focus and attention of all constituencies within TelevisaUnivision to ensure that this vision is properly executed. I hope and trust you share in this important mission and vision for our Company.

Wade

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