Spanish-Language Media Suffering Less Than Mainstream Outlets

Spanish-language media remain important to Latinos in the United States and suffered smaller declines than mainstream outlets in 2010, according to a study released by the Pew Research Center.

English-language dailies had a 5 percent drop in circulation between March and September 2010 compared with the same period the previous year.

Meanwhile Hispanic dailies actually increased their circulation by 1.9 percent and their finances “also appear to have improved after a rough 2009,” the report said.

Television networks broadcasting in Spanish had an even more positive year. Univision’s audience, for example, continued to grow, and on some occasions in 2010 “even surpassed one or more of the English-language networks.”

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Magazines and Hispanic radio stations also showed growth. The number of Spanish-language radio stations grew by 8 percent, from 1,224 in 2008 to 1,323 in 2009, the most recent year for which figures are available.

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The analysis found that the digital divide between Latinos and whites continued in 2010. Last year, 65 percent of Latinos and 66 percent of African Americans had Internet access compared with 77 percent of whites.

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