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Univision CEO Responds to Trump Interview Backlash; Questions Remain

In a memo to U.S. staff, Univision CEO Wade Davis addressed the pushback that the network's received over its Donald Trump interview.

Responding to pushback from an interview with ex-reality show host & multi-impeached POTUS Donald Trump from earlier this month that many say was softer than a roll of Charmin, TelevisionUnivision Wade Davis defended Univision in a memo to U.S. staffers earlier today. "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," Davis wrote in his message (which you can read in its entirety below).

Davis made the case that interviewing Trump allowed the network to offer its viewers "the full landscape of ideas," also noting that the interview "was the first in 22 years of a current or former Republican President" and that "we have offered, and welcome, an interview with President Biden on reciprocal terms and believe our viewers would greatly appreciate hearing from the President." From Davis' perspective, "Univision is an independent news organization" that "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."

Davis' comments come a week after the network left a lot of folks scratching their heads – and not just among Democrats and President Joseph Biden's campaign. Not too long ago, Univision was being referred to by Trump as "a leftist propaganda machine" that served as a "mouthpiece of the Democrat Party." The Washington Post reported that "some journalists inside Univision" took issue with the interview and that there were concerns that Mexican media company Grupo Televisa was beginning to shift the network toward a much more conservative, right-wing approach to its broadcasting moving forward. In addition, Noticiero Univision Edición Nocturna co-anchor León Krauze left the network in what many say is fallout from the interview.

Actor John Leguizamo penned an opinion column for the Los Angeles Times criticizing Univision and the new ownership's connections to Trump, writing, "Despite…past indignities and dangerous plans, Univision's new corporate owners — one of whom is friends with Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner — have decided to shift the network's editorial approach and buddy up with Trump less than a year before an immensely consequential election for Latino voters."

What Davis' memo didn't do was address a number of serious questions that still remain unanswered. Looking back over the transcript of the interview, there are many moments of gross exaggeration on Trump's part that go unchallenged. Is Univision's new "non-partisan and objective" approach translating into just letting candidates say whatever they want unchecked? In addition, Davis didn't address reports that Univision had canceled ad buys that the Biden campaign had already secured for Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Florida. The network claimed that it had a policy prohibiting opposition advertising when a single candidate was being interviewed – a policy that apparently wasn't a factor when the deal was originally made between the network and the Biden campaign. And let's not forget the matter of Biden's Hispanic media director Maca Casado, who was reportedly set to appear after the interview to respond before having their appearance cancelled. Here's a look at Davis' memo from earlier today (along with a look at how Trump's treated Univision in the past):

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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