Public media and Latino news habits
New research shows you consumption trends to inform your strategy
Public media outlets face a critical juncture as the Hispanic community's news consumption habits evolve. 🛣️ That’s according to a comprehensive report by the Pew Research Center, just released.
How Hispanic Americans Get Their News, conducted in late 2023 and released this month, sheds light on the changing landscape of media engagement among Latinos. 🛰️ It also offers valuable insights for public media organizations striving to serve this increasingly important audience.
This is an evolving landscape — that of news interests among Latinx audiences. Also, it is critical, given that this is a demographic group that is diverse in terms of origin and language preference. Four key findings from the report reveal quite a lot. 👇
Changing news interest
The study reveals a concerning trend of news disengagement among Hispanics, particularly the younger generation. ☠️ Only around one-in-five Latino adults (22 percent) say they follow news all or most of the time. That’s down almost ten percent since 2020. News engagement skews toward those who are older, educated and consume media in English.
This trend, mirroring observations in the general U.S. population, may pose challenges for political engagement and civic participation. 🥺 Trusting News unpacks a bunch of reasons why people are not as plugged in to news as we might expect. Latine news disengagement should prompt public media leaders to talk with teams about how we can innovate and develop strategies that resonate with and recapture the attention of this audience.
Language preferences
At the heart of the report is a striking dichotomy in language preference for news consumption among U.S.-born Latinos and immigrants. 💭 While a substantial majority of U.S.-born Latinos opt for news in English, the preferences of Hispanic immigrants are more varied, with about half leaning towards Spanish-language news.
Beyond consumption habits, among the interesting data points, respondents were asked what language they prefer for news. 🎈 The answers were striking. 51 percent say they prefer to get news in English, and only 24 percent say they prefer news in Spanish.
This linguistic divide underscores the necessity for public media to consider offering bilingual content, pivot to English, or consider distinct platforms to cater to the diverse Hispanic community. ✨
Embracing digital platforms
Digital platforms emerge as the dominant source of news, reflecting broader trends across the general U.S. population. An overwhelming majority of Latinos, regardless of age, show a preference for digital devices over traditional media channels such as television, radio and print. ⚽ This digital inclination is even more pronounced among younger Latinos.
Beyond that headline, there are some actionable areas for public media. The digital preference is dominated by websites, apps, podcasts and social media channels, presenting a window for organizations that in these spaces and are considering diverse engagement. 🪁
One idea: public media should do more to promote our digital platforms on our existing channels, so to better engage with this demographic. 📻 How much you’re sharing out your work on social, apps, podcasts, etc. on the airwaves can only help you.
Leveraging ethnic media
The report also highlights the importance of Hispanic news outlets, which cater specifically to Latine audiences. 📱 These outlets play a critical role, especially for immigrants, in providing culturally relevant news and information.
More specifically, Pew says U.S.-born Latinos are far less likely to get news from these outlets. 📫 News from origin countries is a driver, with 72 percent of immigrants saying they at least sometimes get news about ancestral nations versus 38 percent of U.S.-born Latinx audiences.
The engagement with these outlets suggests a significant opportunity for public media leaders to collaborate or support such platforms to reach and serve the information needs of Hispanics effectively. 📝
In short
In response to these findings, public media organizations should consider renewed approaches in content, digital and audience engagement. 🗂️ Offering bilingual content, promoting your website/app/social and collaborating with ethnic media outlets are potential strategies for effectively reaching and serving Latinx audiences.
As the demographic composition of the United States continues to evolve, the ability of public media to adapt and respond to these changes will be crucial in fulfilling our mission to inform, educate and serve residents across diverse communities. 🟢
Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕
Colorado Public Radio announced the return of its podcast ¿Quién Are We? next week, for six new episodes. 🎙️ The award-winning series, hosted by May Ortega, aims to share intimate stories of Latinx identities.
Nieman Lab features experts who have identified key factors behind the targeting of Latine communities with misinformation. 👺
The FCC denied Latino Public Radio's request to overturn the rejection of its low-power FM bid. 👎 Radio World has the technical specifics. Latino Public Radio apparently tried to rectify the error with updated coordinates, but the FCC held firm on its original decision.
Representation in media leadership is a worldwide problem, according to fresh research per the Reuters Institute. 💩
I hope more public media underwriting teams see this Wall Street Journal story on the brisk pace of Hispanic entrepreneurship. 🐇 Many stations have yet to target these new businesses with introductory underwriting levels, meetings and so on, but the rate of new companies can’t be overlooked.
El radar: try this 📡
Investigate the fate of GOP-run minority voter centers. Wisconsin Public Radio reports on a Milwaukee Hispanic community center, opened by the Republican National Committee nearly three years ago and closed in 2022. 🔕 WPR notes there are similar closures following a significant organizational shakeup.
See how Super Tuesday and primaries are impacting Latine political leadership. WTTW broke down how Chicago results reshaped diverse political currents. I’d wonder how this is playing out elsewhere. 💫
Cover Latinx centers serving child care needs. Delaware's growing Latino population has heightened demand for services such as child care. 👣 WHYY says gaps are being addressed by the Latin American Community Center in Wilmington. LACC is eyeing new services, particularly early education, to improve the quality of life for Latino Delawareans and their children.
Keep probing the translating of city forms. Orem, Utah’s fifth most populous city, is making municipal materials bilingual. KUER reports it’s an initiative driven by City Council member Chris Killpack, who heard from Latino/a business owners during his campaign about the difficulties in filling out city applications without a translator. 📃 In a related story, New Hampshire Public Radio covers Massachusetts’ effort to make benefits from its Paid Family and Medical Leave program accessible to a diverse workforce. 🏥
Is your area sharing the water conservation message in Spanish? 🫗 Aspen Public Radio shared word of nonprofits’ efforts to tell Spanish-speaking residents about the necessity of saving water in the region.
The next OIGO arrives April 12. I’ll see a number of station leaders next week in St. Petersburg, Fla. ✍️ If you’re in the region and would like to schedule time to talk, please reach out.
Also, my colleague Blanca Torres is leading a Latine newsletter for KQED, which debuts next month. 🎀 You can sign up for K Onda KQED now.
🎁 Lastly, you can buy me a coffee if you’d like to give a little encouragement. 🎁