Amend AB 1850 to save ethnic news outlets

Dear Members of the State Legislature:

Collectively, we are writing to urge you to protect the state’s Latino and other ethnic news outlets by supporting amendments to AB 1850 (Gonzalez) to extend our exemption to AB 5 and prioritize our outlets for state advertising placements.

As 39 percent of California’s population, Latinos are the state’s single largest ethnic group. It is essential that the Legislature preserve the essential channels of communication to the Latino population. Spanish-language news outlets that serve immigrant and Latino communities serve an important role that mainstream media cannot fill. Throughout the years, ethnic media has established relationships and built trust with the Latino community. Our journalists report in a culturally appropriate manner, serving as a conduit to improved civic engagement and better cross-cultural communication within our society. And during the epidemic, many readers seek essential information from our outlets on where the nearest COVID-19 testing site is, what transportation services are available to them, and how to access to resources such as housing, loans, and social services.

But ethnic media outlets are operating under severe financial stress. As niche outlets, we are more vulnerable to economic fluctuations and at higher risk of losing advertising. The pandemic has brought many of us to the fiscal breaking point.

We are very concerned that compliance with AB 5 will result in unsustainable costs for outlets that use independent contractors for operational functions and/or are delivered to homes and businesses. Additionally, we collaborate with traditional news outlets on stories that can be tailored for our readerships. These publications will have to make cuts in their newsrooms if they must comply with AB 5 for their carriers, thus impacting our ability to access shared content for our readers. A three-year extension will allow the state’s news outlets to pursue alternate distribution models, while allowing us to continue to serve unique community needs.

We also ask that AB 1850 be amended to include language to ensure that ethnic and local news outlets are prioritized for state ad and outreach campaigns. These campaigns are designed to reach distinct populations to inform decision-making and facilitate behavioral change. Our outlets reach a sizable number of the “hard to reach” audience, delivering better ROI for the state while providing a stable
revenue source for ethnic media – all without any additional funds from the state.

In conclusion, we ask the Legislature to amend AB 1850 to preserve ethnic media and solidify access to trusted news for all Californians.

Sincerely,

Gabriel Lerner, Editor in Chief
La Opinión
p.213.896.3628
gabriel.lerner@impremedia.com

Fanny Miller, CEO & President
El Latino Newspaper
NAHP President
p. 619.426.1491
fanny.miller@ellatino.com

Carlos Avilés, Hispanic
Publications Editor
Southern California News
Group (Excélsior and La Prensa)
caviles@scng.com

Jeff Schenkel, Publisher
La Nueva Voz
p. 909.224.0244
jeffschenkel@verizon.net

Mireya Olivera, Coordinator
Impulso Newspaper
p. 323.721.9773
impulsonewspaper@gmail.com

Nestor Fantini, Editor
Hispanic LA
p. 818.425.0030
nestor@hispanicla.com
nfantini@aol.com

Angelica Rossi, Publisher
El Observador Publications
p. 408.457.1192
angelica@el-observador.com

Manuel Muñoz,
Publisher and Director
Vida Newspaper
p. 805.483.1008
vidanews@aol.com

Mary Andrade
CoPublisher
La Oferta
408.436.7850
mary@laoferta.com