El Comercio de Colorado and Enterate Latino both serve Spanish-speaking audiences across Colorado. So as the 2022 mid-term elections were drawing near, publishers for both newspapers were all too aware of the vast local news and information gaps faced by their readers and online audiences — not to mention the targeted mis- and disinformation.
Enterate Latino, in particular, is one of the only Spanish-first original sources for local civic news and information on the Western Slope. Publisher Hector Panaguia Morales is a staff of one — working with local professors, community and civic leaders, and other volunteers to translate and publish a monthly print product. Hector then personally delivers the paper to tiendas, libraries, and other places where immigrants congregate — from Grand Junction to Parachute.
Meanwhile, El Comercio de Colorado publisher and editor Jesus Sanchez Melean recently expanded his award-winning reporting team on the Front Range to add bilingual coverage of Colorado’s new congressional district, which stretches from north Denver to Greeley.
The two publishers have gotten to know each other, through their participation in Colorado Media Project’s Community News Network — which in January 2022 provided three-year grants to six news organizations that reach some of the most underserved audiences in the state. During a mid-year check-in for the grant in July, CMP invited the newsrooms to consider what they might be able to accomplish if they joined forces to cover the 2022 Elections.
The publishers met for a few brainstorming sessions, and decided to coordinate on outreach and interviews of candidates across the political spectrum — with a goal of offering comprehensive, non-partisan Spanish and English coverage of Colorado candidates statewide via trusted community news sources.
"Frente a Frente con los candidatos" — or “Face to face with the candidates” — is published as a special section in Spanish and English at elcomerciodecolorado.com and enteratelatino.com and promoted through digital channels, with some articles appearing in the monthly print publications as well.
“Our voices matter, as do the policies impacting our community,” said Sanchez Melean. “We are the only ones offering this many interviews with candidates, reflecting the turning point in reaching Hispanic audiences and no longer ignoring the need to reach this influential audience.”
The special section consists of 16 interviews with both Democrats and Republican candidates for different posts in Colorado, including the races for U.S. Congress, Colorado Governor, and the state legislature, as well as local races for sheriff and Colorado Board of Education. Each interview has written version and a video with Spanish subtitles.
“Our objective is that the Spanish-speaking community understands the most important issues on this election,” said Sanchez Melean. “This innovative effort combines translation and recorded interviews to encourage as much voter participation as possible, removing language barriers for our Spanish speaking community.”
Colorado Media Project provided philanthropic support to El Comercio and Enterate Latino to underwrite production of the special sections, but in no way influenced editorial decisions, selection of candidates or issues covered, or content created. CMP adheres to the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, which strictly upholds newsroom independence in editorial decision making and coverage.