Dozens of local Spanish-language print media from around the nation joined together to urge Hispanic leadership in the US Congress to support them survive the coronavirus pandemic which has plummeted its advertising and circulation sales.
"We ask rulers, politicians and leaders to support us in the same way that they help other economic sectors. We are asking agencies to allocate a percentage of their advertising funds to local media in Spanish. "said Gabriel Lerner, editorial director of the newspaper The opinion of the Angels.
"This help would allow us to continue printing and distributing the newspaper while the storm subsides, as well as paying journalists and not leaving journalism in the hands of Twitter or Facebook where everyone writes what they want, many times motivated by perverse reasons" , he pointed.
In a spread published in more than 30 newspapers, its managers ask the Latino caucus in Congress:
- Support and endorse efforts to provide emergency funding for ethnic and local media, ensuring that our newsrooms continue uninterrupted, providing critical information to the community when it is needed most.
- Support and participate in a project that we are launching that analyzes the ways that government agencies are currently collaborating with local and ethnic media.
- Analyze current practices in areas such as information sharing and paid advertising, and recommend ways to protect ethnic and local media as the process progresses.
Lerner stressed that the current moment is something historical that has no equal for at least a century or more.
"A very big economic crisis is developing. Newspaper circulations have collapsed. People don't go out to buy them. There are many places where it is sold The opinion they are closed ”.
Why address congressmen?
"Because they have control over aid funds, and they recognize the role of ethnic and local media to help people in this dramatic situation.. We are close to where the immigrants, the poor and the people are. We provide information to help them and we will continue working, but we need help to overcome the obstacles that this pandemic has brought us, "said the director of The opinion.
In the message to the congressmen, the newspapers establish that “the current pandemic has made the situation more serious for the Latino, ethnic and local media, whose existence was already being threatened by economic pressures in recent years. Many media outlets that were already downsizing their teams, changing ownership and struggling to continue publishing are about to close their doors. ”
Trust earned
Fanny Miller, president of the National Hispanic Publications Association (NAHP) and editor of the newspaper The Latino In San Diego, he acknowledged that the industry has had many problems, but despite this, Spanish and minority newspapers have continued to report locally.
"We can't stop breaking the news to our neighborhoods. In this age of fake news, we are the media that our communities trust the most. ”, He said.
However, he pointed out that they are also a business that employs many people with families, and that the pandemic is impacting tremendously because they depend on the advertising of local businesses.
Miller was confident they will win the support of Congressmen because he said they know the local Hispanic media personally, and they know the important role they play in the community on issues like education and health.
"Hispanic newspapers, mostly owned by women, are essential media that communities have more confidence in. ”Miller said.
Our people
From New York, the epicenter of the coronavirus in the country with the highest number of cases, Carmen Villavicencio, executive editor of The newspaper, said Hispanic media has always been of great value to the community and is more relevant now than ever.
“The figures in New York do not lie and what was most feared is occurring: that the pandemic is being taught with minorities. 34% of the fatal victims in our area are of Latino origin. ”
And he noted that El Diario, the oldest Spanish-language newspaper in the United States, has been and will continue to be there to inform, guide and help navigate the search for resources for our people.
“But the task is not easy because of the challenges that this whole process implies. It is no secret to anyone that the media industry is in the doldrums. However, we have not stopped circulating or being minute by minute on all our platforms to be with the community. ”
He added that to continue guaranteeing serious and service journalism it is necessary that federal aid also consider that the work done by the media as The newspaper is essential.
Strong impact
Evelyn Castro, Vice President of The Houston Press and secretary of the NAHP, He said that publications in Spanish are essential to communicate information about the coronavirus crisis to the largest minority in the entire country.
"Providing information in Spanish allows for a better interpretation and understanding of this detailed and critical information so that readers can understand all the details."
He added that journalism has been identified as an essential service. "We are the second platform after Spanish-language television that Latinos trust, and it is important that publishers use our communication tools between the government and the community to continue reporting what is happening locally, and now with this pandemic,"
However, he stressed that there are no funds to carry the news. "It is difficult to keep our readers and communities informed when many businesses have withdrawn their advertising budget due to the crisis, and community publications are trying to finance newsrooms, staff, printing and distribution."
He summarized that while online traffic has increased, revenue on-line They are low in nature, and far from offsetting the losses of regular traditional ads.
