On public media's Latino content crisis

How public media is missing out on Latine engagement and what we can do about it

One of the most common questions I’ve gotten lately is, ‘why isn’t there more industry effort to highlight and collect Latino/a audience engagement and content?’ I give the same answer.

Frankly, I don’t know.

Last week, I had the opportunity to connect with a diverse group of professionals from the public media sector. The conversations were rich and enlightening, yet one recurring theme particularly stood out: the systemic challenges in communicating and scaling Latine content and engagement initiatives across our industry. 📖

Why does it matter? As public radio and television continue to expand our repertoire through both traditional broadcasting and digital platforms, the need for a cohesive strategy to track and share these efforts is more pressing than ever.

The closest thing public media has had to such collaboration may have been the Latino Public Radio Consortium. In the early 2000s, it was part of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters’ desk structure, where “desks” were devoted to particular work (Tribal, Latino and Historically Black College and University station service being among those). 📒 Long-timers may recall the days NFCB was one of the only organizations engaging major-market public media (my current organization, KQED, was among several top-tier members), rural community licensees, Radio Bilingue, Pacifica and myriad other stations. Such effectiveness back then was likely due to the relationships founders Tom Thomas and Terry Clifford established. Cracks happened under the leadership of Lynn Chadwick and fully unspooled after Maxie Jackson’s ouster. LPRC sprung out on its own around 2011.

The Consortium was best known for conducting a study I’ve previously covered in OIGO. However, its larger thrust was supporting stations providing mostly Spanish-language audience services. Today, the gaps in support for Latinx content in public media are quite vivid. 🚨

Let’s examine this problem and how to fix it.

The growing emphasis on Latine content

We’re in an important moment for Latino/a audience service, because there seems to be unprecedented momentum and interest in diverse content efforts.

Public media has long brought diverse voices to American society. In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the creation of content aimed at engaging the Latino community, showcasing our stories, challenges, and triumphs in a bid to foster a more inclusive media landscape. 🕯️ I’ve featured some in OIGO, but there’s far more out there than I can report on.

There seems to be growing consensus that this content not only enriches our programming but also plays a crucial role in educating and connecting audiences. 📻 Our challenge is showing what we’re learning together. =

The difficulties of tracking and sharing

A significant obstacle persists in tracking the extent and impact of these initiatives. How much Latino-focused content is being produced? How many organizations are actively engaged in these efforts? What levels of investment are being committed, and what outcomes are we observing? 🔦 These are some of the critical questions that many of us in public media are grappling with.

A lack of attention from industry publications only compounds the problem. Name an organization doing original reporting on what public media is doing around Latinx engagement and content. 🪫 I offer up OIGO reprints from time to time, which I don’t mind, but a transparent commitment from journalists to cover the great work happening to engage Hispanics would be nice.

However, the result when we have no way of tracking? Public media professionals committed to Latinx engagement at various stations find themselves in silos, informally exchanging insights and strategies without support or a structured way to capture and disseminate this valuable learning. 🤔

Knowledge now

Undoubtedly, the absence of sharing best practices and data stifles innovation and undermines our effectiveness in engaging with the Latino community.

The ideal scenario is the establishment of industry-wide platforms where organizations can submit their Latino/a-focused projects. This would enable comprehensive documentation of scope, reach, engagement metrics and qualitative outcomes. 🧮 Yet we’re no there, it seems. However, by addressing this fragmentation, we not only enhance our ability to leverage successes and learn from failures but also mitigate the risk of duplicated efforts or missed opportunities.

The fragmented approach currently in place impedes our capacity to capitalize on successes and rectify mistakes. 📑 Lack of a unified system for gathering and sharing outcomes increases the likelihood of duplicated efforts and missed opportunities to implement effective strategies.

Proposing solutions

Addressing these gaps requires a strategic approach. ☎️ Here are a few ideas that could pave the way for more effective sharing and scalability of Latino content and engagement initiatives:

• Find a collaborative model. Maybe it’s re-instituting a body with many stakeholders, with an expanded scope of more public media organizations. ☀️ Or perhaps it’s more of a collaborative hub like existing regional newsrooms that support networking, resource sharing and coordinated initiatives among members focusing on Latine content.

• Figure out how we collect information. A standardized framework for reporting and evaluating Latinx-focused projects across the public media landscape could be a game changer. 🛟 This set of metrics would help in uniformly measuring and comparing the effectiveness of different initiatives, thus promoting best practices and successful strategies.

• Dedicate time to report openly. Outlets within and outside the public media sector should consider dedicating resources to share with the industry their Hispanic engagement and content efforts regularly. 🔔 Consistent coverage that focuses exclusively on the development and impact of Latino/a initiatives in public media should be a priority.

• Conference focus. Organizers of the system’s annual or bi-annual conferences may seek to intentionally create sessions that focus solely on the engagement of Latino audiences in public media. These events could serve as platforms for sharing best practices, discussing issues, and exploring innovative solutions. 📢 Workshops can be targeted to help professionals develop specific skills related to Latine content creation and engagement strategies.

Even if these ideas aren’t the answer, we should all agree that public media must significantly improve its approach to Hispanic audience engagement and content creation. 🎧 We must ensure that these efforts are more coordinated, visible and impactful.

Conclusion

The conversations I had last week are a clear indication of the passion and commitment within public media to serve and engage the Latinx community effectively. However, as our efforts continue to grow, so does the need for a more organized system to harness and share the wealth of knowledge and experiences across our industry. 🚀 By implementing these strategies, we can enhance our collective impact, foster greater inclusion, and ensure that our content not only reaches but also resonates with one of the fastest-growing demographics in the country.

Moreover, the task before us is not just to create more content but to build an ecosystem that supports continuous learning and improvement in content. Let's commit to these changes, not just for the benefit of our industry but for the communities we aim to serve. Together, we can turn these challenges into opportunities for innovation and greater impact. 🟢

Cafecito: stories to discuss ☕

• This cafecito is a special on Hispanic audience research, because a lot just came out:

  • Chapman University’s new El Futuro Es Latino study digs in on the demographic changes in California as a potential influential shift that will affect the country. 💯

  • Tons of data and insights from a panel of groups on Latine media habits at an April 15 panel. 🗣️ Slide decks and video replay are here.

  • Pew Research has a new survey on attitudes around marijuana. 😎 With crime gaining ground as an election issue. Latinx opinions — we’re least likely to favor legalization, allowances for medical use, or recreational use — might be a topic to watch.

  • Excellence in Education has a new report and database that could be of interest to university licensees particularly, but has applications elsewhere. 💭 It chronicles successful programs for reaching Latinx students.

• NBC News is among those suggestion abortion rights could be the Democrats’ wedge issue in attracting Latine voters in November. 👀

El radar: try this 📡

• Talk about parenting. How do you not love the NPR piece on Latino parenting tips for helping siblings to get along? 🙇‍♀️ It’s a serious subject with lighthearted moments that you might consider localizing.

• And also babies and health. I enjoyed this KPBS video on new California legislation that would see folic acid added to corn masa. 🌽 It’s a health move that needs a little explanation, and the station does it smartly. Even if your state is not enacting a similar bill, this is worth watching for how it makes a health story so culturally fluent.

• Write a newsletter. 🎯 My colleague Blanca Torres’ newsletter K Onda KQED returns with its May edition soon. Read the April newsletter and subscribe here.

• Explore the growth of Catholicism among Hispanics. The decline of religion is a story we’ve all heard, but new research indicates Catholicism among Latinos is up four percent since 2007. ⛪ Most striking are the regional differences. Area faith leaders and residents are sure to have thoughts about this matter.

The next OIGO arrives May 10. There’s still time to register for my May 21 keynote at the Native Broadcast Summit in Phoenix. 🌵 I’ll be there a day or two early, with lots of time to meet up if you’re interested.

Radiodays North America has announced my involvement in a June 3 panel. 🌆 I’ll be in Toronto, representing the U.S. broadcasting story around matters of diversity in building audience. I hope you can come.

🥤 You can buy me a coffee if you’d like to support the newsletter.