A recent study highlights a truth evident to those who work closely with our community. When it comes to consuming news, Latinos in North Carolina trust Spanish-language media more than English-language media. Why is this? Is it just a language preference, or is there something more? Are all Spanish-language media trustworthy?
The Poynter Institute for Media Studies published a study on May 15 regarding news consumption within the Latino community in North Carolina. Participants expressed distrust of English-language media, not only because of the language barrier but also due to the lack of representation and connection with this community.
Why is this relevant?
Latinos are the fastest-growing community in North Carolina. We have grown from approximately 67,000 in 1990 to over 1.1 million in 2020, according to the Census. Spanish is the second most spoken language in the state. Nearly 10% of the population aged five and older spoke Spanish at home, and this is a growing trend. Ignoring this community is a serious problem, especially in such an important election year as this one.
When it comes to informing, having low-quality local media or media that our community does not have access to does not help. This creates what Emma Murphy from the American Prospect calls “linguistic news deserts.”
These informational deserts push many people to get their information from social media, places where misinformation circulates freely, especially in Spanish, which undoubtedly affects our democracy.
Beyond Translations
Some English-language media, in an attempt to reach the Latino community, translate some of their articles using tools like artificial intelligence, ignoring the linguistic and cultural nuances of the language.
“The American media does little to address the realities that affect Hispanic families. There is not enough translation and, sadly, many attempts lack quality because they translate very poorly and I end up uninformed,” noted one of the respondents.
The report asserts that there is a lack of connection between Latinos and English-language media that goes beyond language use. It is not the same to translate a story that arises from a newsroom where Latino voices were absent as it is to create a story from the perspective of the community.
The lack of Latino representation in the media is alarming. While 71% of the staff and 75% of the leaders in Charlotte newsrooms identify as white, only 6% are Latino, according to a recent report by the Knight Foundation.
“Community members also felt as if most English-language coverage of their community was negative, focusing on crime rather than community activities and businesses,” mentions the study's author, Chloe Nguyen, a fellow of the Poynter-Google News Initiative at WRAL.
A Matter of Trust
These findings coincide with a national trend. Both adults and younger generations of Latinos consider Spanish-language news content more trustworthy than English-language content.
“Hispanics are discerning news consumers, with many actively seeking varied perspectives while valuing local news,” notes the 2023 Hispanic Sentiment Study conducted by Nielsen.
Reaching the Latino community requires building a relationship of trust, avoiding negligent sensationalism, and offering quality journalism. Over these 27 years, La Noticia is proud to be an active partner in our community, and we value the trust we have earned from Latino families; this drives us to work tirelessly to keep them well-informed.