Newswise — -The University of Michigan is launching what is believed to be the most comprehensive university-based Spanish language news service in the United States.
The news service distributes stories on groundbreaking scientific findings, consumer-oriented health news, and other subjects including social, cultural and economic trends.
The releases are distributed nationally and internationally in Spanish with English translation to more than 200 Hispanic-serving media, from flagship publications and wire services to the most remote community-based weeklies. In its five-month pilot phase from October 2005 through February 2006, this service resulted in more than 650 stories in publications and radio and television programs.
"The United States is home to the world's third-largest Spanish speaking population, following Spain and all of Latin America," U-M President Mary Sue Coleman said. "Latinos now are the largest and fastest-growing minority community, and more than half of adult Latinos prefer to get their news from Latino-serving media. Academic researchers develop information of critical importance to this community. It is imperative that we make it available and that we bring higher education to Hispanic homes around the country."
Building on the University's successful Spanish language Web site project, called Portal En Español, this news service combines with an extensive, newly developed Spanish language health and medical information site that gives patients, prospective patients and the general public access to crucial information about medical and scientific breakthroughs, personal health, and about receiving care at the U-M Health System.
"With Spanish-language translation being the most common request to our Interpreter Services group, and the Latino population growing, this new portal will help satisfy an ever-increasing need," said Dr. Robert P. Kelch, executive vice president for Medical Affairs.
Portal En Español, launched in September 2004, focused initially on academics, undergraduate admissions and student life. It later broadened to include graduate and professional school admissions. Visits to the site have grown by 59 percent, from January 2005 to January 2006.
"The news service makes higher education more familiar and accessible to the Latino community, so that it can be seen as a part of everyday life, an attainable goal," said Vivianne Schnitzer, U-M's Hispanic communications coordinator.
Ten percent of the Spanish-speaking population in the world resides in the U.S. At 41.3 million, Hispanics account for more than 14 percent of the country's population. Increasing by 3.9 million since the 2000 national census, Hispanics account for half the total population growth since 1990.
Some of the news organizations carrying stories from the University's Spanish language news service include:
--El Diario-La Prensa (New York daily, circulation 81,780, readership 287,000)--La Opinion (Los Angeles daily, circulation 127,576, readership 477,319)--Washington Hispanic (D.C. weekly, circulation 45,000, readership 135,000)--Hoy (Chicago, New York, Los Angeles dailies, about 60,000 in each city)--La Raza (Chicago weekly, circulation 150,000)--El Vocero Hispano (Grand Rapids weekly, circulation 25,000) --La Prensa (Northern Ohio and Southeast Michigan weekly, circulation 35,000) --EFE (Madrid; distributes in U.S., Latin America and Spain) --Hispanic Media Network (online and radio)
For more information:
Portal En Español: http://www.umich.edu/Es/
Spanish language News Service and Archives: http://www.umich.edu/Es/press/
UM Health Service Spanish Language Web site: http://www.med.umich.edu/espanol/
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