Over Half of US Latinos Consume News in English
Latinos make up 19.5% of the US population, which equates to 65 million people.
As of 2023, about 75% of Latinos living in the US speak Spanish, 17% speak English, and over half (54%) of the Latino population in the US fall somewhere on the bilingual spectrum.
Despite Spanish being the second-most spoken language in the US, a new report by the Pew Research Center found that found that 54% Latino adults get their news in English.
Let’s explore the news media habits of US Latinos further.
Latino News Consumption by Language
While 54% of US adult Latinos receive news in English, the rest consume news in mostly Spanish (21%) or in both languages (23%), according to the report.
When it comes to preferability, 51% of Latino adults prefer news in English, 24% in Spanish, and 23% do not have a preference.
However, there is a stark difference in the preferences of language used to consume news between Latinos born in the US and those who immigrated from other countries.
Most Latinos born in the US get their news in English, compared to the 26% of those born outside the country.
In addition, 41% of those born outside the US receive news in Spanish and 31% get it equally in English and Spanish. They also tend to prefer news in Spanish (47%) over English (22%), although 31% don’t have a preference.
What’s more, the amount of time spent in the US had an impact on their news preference in that over time Latino immigrants became more partial to receiving news in English.
Latino News Consumption by Method
Most Latino adults tend to get their news through digital devices, compared to other platforms, according to the report.
87% of Latino adults polled said they get news from digital devices sometimes and 65% reported that they preferred it over TV, radio, and print.
Altogether, 21% of Latino adults get their news through social media, 19% through news websites or apps, 18% by search, 7% podcasts, 23% television, 4% radio, and 4% print.
Additionally, the report found that Latinos are more likely than white Americans (55%) and Black Americans (50%) to get their news digitally.
Along the same line, Latinos are also more likely to get their news from social media and is more prominent among Latino adults younger than 50.
73% of Latino adults in this age group prefer news on digital devices and 27% of those who get news by digital means do so through social media.
Latino News Consumption by Media
As far as attention to news media is concerned, 22% of Latinos say they follow the news most or all of the time, while 36% follow it moderately.
News attention span also has a lot to do with age.
Of the Latino adults between ages 18 and 29 polled, 10% say they follow the news most or all of the time, while 44% of Latinos 65 or older follow the news closely.
For receiving news, many Latinos tune into Latino news outlets.
Just over 20% of respondents said they turn to Latino news outlets at least very often.
What’s more, 54% of Latinos seek out news from their or their family’s country of origin some of the time, compared to 24% who do it often.
Latino immigrants are more likely to get the news from Latino outlets at 62% and 72% get news about their country of origin.
Compared to Latinos born in the US, 33% occasionally turn to Latino outlets for news and 38% get news about their family’s country origin.
News Equity
The news consumption patterns of Latinos also bring to light a larger issue impacting the Latino community — news equity.
Media outlets are responsible for reporting on a number of issues, including police brutality, housing instability, and financial hardship, many of them often associated with poorer health outcomes.
The news media also has a long-standing history of using the news platform to perpetuate dangerous stereotypes that continue to impact the systemic inequities many Latinos face.
Lack of Latino representation and coverage in news media has only widened the gap of racial/ethnic health equity, according to a study by the Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG) in collaboration with UnidosUS.
The topics covered by journalists have the ability to influence policies and public perception of events, social injustices, and other issues facing the public at large.
Depending on how the media approaches and discusses some of these topics sets a tone for how information is gathered, received, and internalized.
When Latinos are not accurately or fairly represented, it may lead to negative perceptions of the Latino community, misinformation contributing to inequities in policymaking, and racism, according to the study.
What’s more, Latinos are rarely the focus of attention where it’s needed most.
Nationally, news about racism and racial equity regarding Latinos were only mentioned 6%, according to a recent study by Berkeley Media Studies Group (BMSG).
Many of those stories dedicated to the racial inequities Latinos face tackled the problem (40%) rather than the solution.
“When the news focuses only on problems without also exploring solutions, people – including policymakers – have a harder time envisioning next steps,” Pamela Mejia, head of research at BMSG, said in the study’s press release. “Readers need to see the work that organizers and advocates are doing to improve their communities. Those are the kinds of stories that encourage action and instill hope.”
How Do We Increase News Equity?
One of the ways we can create news equity is by diversifying newsrooms.
Despite being nearly 20% of the US population, Latinos only account for 11% of analysts, reporters, and journalists, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office.
More Latinos in the newsroom can offer credibility and contribute to the Latino voice while acting as a cultural and social guide to the issues facing many Latinos.
This can also contribute to fair and accurate Latino representation in the media.
To achieve news equity, we must increase access to information, such as the internet.
There are many rural communities that don’t have the infostructure to support a steady internet connection while families living in urban areas might struggle with paying a cellphone or internet bill.
Many of these areas have large racial/ethnic populations, such as Latinos.
Creating more opportunities for financial aid to pay for these bills and investing in modern infostructure could help close the gap on information and news equity.
Foster News Equity Where You Live
Just like where you get your news, where you live matters.
The community you’re located in can determine your access to educational opportunities, healthcare, the type of food you eat, and transportation — all of which can impact you and your family’s health.
Even your local news outlet can play a role in your quality of living.
Help shine a light on Latino issues and be part of the solution to the inequities facing your community by downloading a free Health Equity Report Card from Salud America!
The Health Equity Report card uses graphs, maps, and charts to give you a breakdown of the disparities driving your community’s health.
Use this tool to bring awareness and attention to an issue by contacting your local media or sending this resource to a trusted reporter in the community so they can tell the stories that matter to you.
GET YOUR HEALTH EQUITY REPORT CARD!
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