Spanish-language news media to serve the rapidly growing and economically robust Latin American community with reliable information is essential to maintaining a strong democracy and building a fully inclusive society. At a time of widespread public distrust of institutions, El Tiempo Latino is committed to being a trustworthy institution that provides useful and timely information to Spanish speakers in the United States.
The government, in particular, has suffered a decline in confidence. Today, less than 20% of Americans trust the government to “do the right thing all the time or most of the time,” compared to more than 70% during the days of Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy. In more modern times, trust rose from 19% to 44% under the Clinton administration, then peaked at 60% under President George W. Bush when the government responded to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. according to Pew Research.
Latinos, however, are confident in their own future in this country. Three-quarters are happy with their lives, and two-thirds think it’s a great time to be Latino in the United States.
It is a hardworking and resilient community. The impact of Latinos is also increasing impressively. A series of measures clearly show that their presence is felt in the economy, demographics and politics.
News Media in Spanish: Politics
Recent elections have highlighted a strong desire to connect with the Latin American population as a political force. The Latino vote has the ability to influence the outcome of local, state and national elections. In the 2020 general election, 16.5 million Latinos voted, up from 12.7 million four years earlier. Many more Latinos – 32 million – are eligible to vote, representing more than 13% of all voters in the country. No party can take them for granted. Several studies show that a third of the Hispanic population is unsure of their political affiliation or identifies as independent.
As encouraging as the numbers are, the Latino community still faces enormous challenges. Latinos earn 73 cents for every dollar earned by the non-Hispanic white American population. The percentage of poor Latino children in the United States is 1.5 times that of the population as a whole. And, especially relevant to the mission of El Tiempo Latino, our community is disproportionately subject to misinformation and manipulation through social media and other means.
This context explains the deep sense of responsibility of our own company. Our goal is to provide our audience with the information, especially through reliable news media in Spanish, that they need to make good decisions and to help them feel included and empowered in this country. This year at El Tiempo Latino we are focusing on two specific efforts.
News media in Spanish: fighting misinformation
To fight misinformation in Spanish as the mid-term elections in November 2022 and legislative elections in 2024, we rely on our own proven strategies to produce and distribute the most engaging political content. Our ambition is to be a clear and attractive channel in the midst of overwhelming noise.
- We believe it is easier and more effective to identify and prioritize the distribution of trusted sources of content in Spanish than to filter an overwhelming amount of misinformation from thousands of ever-changing sources.
- We find geographical hotspots and topics where there is a lot of misinformation and publish stories based on accurate information. This is not a fact-checking exercise. We fight misinformation by distributing simple, reliable stories about the very issues that have been a source of misinformation. With Spanish-speaking audiences, we have found that proving truth is more effective than disproving lies.
- We have partnered with leading institutions such as Arizona State University and Harvard Medical School to provide both content and resources to help us increase our impact on Spanish-language misinformation hotspots on specific topics.
To amplify the Latin voice, we redouble our efforts during Hispanic Heritage Month, serve as a platform for leaders and experts to discuss issues of vital importance to our community.
- Our coverage during this period will focus on the importance of the Latin American community to the future of the United States.
- We will lead a series of conversations with nationally recognized figures about the lack of Latin American representation in positions of political, cultural and corporate leadership and influence. These conversations will be led by our columnist Enrique Acevedo and will accompany his reporting in El Tiempo Latino.
The whole of the United States will benefit from a more complete integration of the Latin American community into our society and, to this end, will facilitate access to valuable information in Spanish. The goal is to reduce political polarization, narrow the economic gap, inspire entrepreneurship, provide more work opportunities, celebrate a vibrant culture, protect public health, and empower everyone to live life to the full.
Understanding and connecting with Latinos deserves a priority for government institutions and corporations seeking attention and money from the nation’s largest minority. At El Tiempo Latino, we take pride in our own efforts and seek to encourage continuous progress.
Latinos: an economic superpower
If Latinos in the United States were a country, they would rank as the 7th largest economy in the world. Their GDP as a community is higher than that of France. Between 2010 and 2019, the Latin American economy grew twice as fast (measured in real GDP) as the rest of the US economy. As a community, our economy has grown faster than Canada, Germany and Great Britain, second only to China and India.
Demography: Growth three times higher than the average growth of the American population
Over the past decade, the Latin American population has increased by 23%, more than three times the increase in the population of the country as a whole. Contrary to what many people might suspect, this growth has not been driven by immigration. Rather, it is due to the 9.3 million babies born between 2010 and 2019 into families in our community. This growth makes us the largest minority in the country, with 18.7% of the total population.
Executive Committee of El Planeta Media
- Javier Marin, publisher and CEO
- Marcos Marin, Associate Editor and COO
- Rafael Ulloa, Executive Vice President of Content
- Zulema Tijero, Executive Vice President of Advertising
Advisory Board:
- Ana Julia Jatar-Hausmann Senior Advisor
- Marty Baron
- Rodrigo Martinez
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