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Columbus, Ohio
You would expect to find an abundance of Spanish-language newspapers in large cosmopolitan cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, or New York, but did you know that in many smaller and medium-sized cities across the United States, Spanish-language newspapers are becoming more prevalent each year? This is especially true in the Midwest where many cities have seen the Hispanic population increase significantly in the last decade.
Columbus, Ohio, is one such city. With a diverse metropolitan population of more than 800 hundred thousand, a vibrant art and cultural scene, and a family-friendly atmosphere, it’s no wonder many families with Hispanic heritage have chosen Columbus, Ohio, as their home.
With the goal of reaching out to this growing segment of Spanish speakers, TSJ Media, a company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, now publishes a Spanish-language newspaper called La Jornada Latina. The paper contains both national and international news, as well as local news in Spanish for Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton, Ohio, as well as for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company also runs several Spanish-language radio stations serving Ohio broadcasting markets. Besides providing news and entertainment, La Jornada Latina also connects its readers with important resources available to them in the community, such as educational, health, and legal outreach organizations targeted at the diverse Spanish-speaking population.
If you think reading a newspaper in Spanish would be an enjoyable challenge, but your city or town doesn’t have a Spanish-language newspaper yet, don’t worry! There are several Spanish-language newspapers available online, from El Nuevo Herald in Miami and El Planeta in Boston to La Prensa de los Ángeles in L.A., and many more.
Explore More:
1. This article discusses Spanish speakers and a Spanish-language newspaper in Columbus, Ohio. Look at the latest census figures to see what percent of your town’s population is Hispanic. Then look at the previous census figures. Is the population of Hispanics increasing where you live? If so, at what rate and what in your area might be attracting these Spanish speakers? If you know someone of Hispanic origin in your community, perhaps you could interview this person in Spanish to learn more about his or her background and to find out why his or her family originally came to the United States.
2. Investigate how your community is recognizing the positive contributions of the Hispanic population. With some classmates, prepare a presentation in Spanish that highlights these contributions. If your school hosts or participates in a multicultural fair or festival, make your presentation at this event.
3. Visit La Jornada Latina Web site and skim a recent issue of the newspaper. How many headlines can you understand? Do any particular articles seem interesting to you? If so, read them and then tell the class about them in Spanish.
4. Go to Glencoe World News Online. Click on one of the links to read the news in Spanish. Look for all the cognates and false cognates in the article. Do your best to guess the meaning of any words you don’t recognize by using information you find around the unfamiliar words. Then write a short summary of the article in Spanish, incorporating some of this vocabulary.
5. Next time you’re at the grocery store or in a mall, see if you can spot signs or advertisements that are in both English and Spanish. Write down what they say and share them with the class.
Share What You Know:
1. Does your hometown, or a town near where you live, have a Spanish-language newspaper? What is its name? Find an article you can somewhat understand (remember that cognates and context clues will help) dealing with a local, national, or international issue or event of interest to the Spanish-speaking population and report on it to the class, in Spanish if possible. If your school hosts or participates in a multicultural fair or festival, you could present your report during this event.
2. Look through your local English-language newspaper for coupons or ads in Spanish. Cut them out and bring them to class to share.