The 2020 Census will be the first “digital” census, where 95% of the population living in the US will be asked to log into an online portal to participate. This digital-first approach has a lot of merits: it’s more sustainable, it reduces costs, and it collects data more quickly and efficiently. And now, this move to an online system ensures that even during the COVID-19 pandemic, every individual can still get counted.
In the spirit of connectivity and community, and as part of their comprehensive response to COVID-19, Comcast NBCUniversal and Telemundo have launched cross-company campaigns to encourage Americans to participate in the first ever digital census. This campaign will leverage Comcast NBCUniversal and Telemundo’s unique media and technology assets and programs to educate US residents about and lower barriers to participation in the 2020 Census.
Comcast’s goal is to raise awareness about the importance of the census as well as answer questions, address concerns, and dispel rumors. Experience from our successful Internet Essentials program has informed our approach – empowering our partners in Comcast communities all around the country to lower participation barriers.
Below are a few of the ways Comcast is promoting participation in the 2020 Census. You can also learn about Comcast’s 2020 Census efforts by clicking here to read our blog.
- Comcast Public Service Announcements: Comcast produced and will air Census 2020 PSAs on Telemundo and NBC stations featuring Joy Reid, Host of AM Joy and Jose Diaz-Balart, Anchor of Noticiero Telemundo, with the goal of increasing general awareness of the census. You can watch these by clicking on our blog by clicking here.
- Hazte Contar! CampaignA robust campaign across all of Telemundo’s broadcast, cable and digital platforms aimed at educating and empowering Latinos to participate in the 2020 Census. Visit HatzeContar.com to learn more.
- Newsmakers and Partner PSAs: In addition to our PSAs, Comcast has partnered with community organizations and leaders to create and air PSAs and short-form news segments to further explain the census and help individuals understand the significance of being counted, including PSAs translated into Spanish and several Asian languages. Our National partners include: The National Grange; The Leadership Conference on Human and Civil Rights; The Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights; AARP + APIAVote; NALEO; LULAC; The LGBT Task Force and many others. You can watch our Newsmakers segments by clicking here and scrolling down to “Featured Segments.”
- Community Impact Grants We are also supporting local nonprofit partners who are working within cities to educate communities on the importance of completing the census and providing the training necessary to allow community members to complete the census forms online. Our partners include the United Way of Columbia Willamette in Oregon, The Rose Community Foundation in Glendale Colorado, The Houston Area Urban League, The Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, Detroit Employment Services Corporation, Philly Counts, Asian Roundtable of Colorado, Asian Americans for Community Involvement and CASA De Maryland among others.
- Xfinity X1 Census Destination Recognizing that communities across the country may have questions about the 2020 Census, Comcast will launch a Census 2020 Destination on our Xfinity X1 platform. X1 customers will simply say, “Census” into their voice remote to access the latest Census web clips, news segments, and more.