Non-profit and independent Latino outlets are filling the void when trusted news is hard to find
Why did Nick Valencia leave a dream job as correspondent for CNN?
“Sólo el pueblo, salva el pueblo,” he said. “Only the people will save each other, and I truly believe that.”
Valencia is one of the growing number of journalists who are building independent news outlets designed to serve Latino communities often overlooked by traditional media. He wanted to put community service ahead of newsroom priorities with Nick Valencia News.
“A lot of times when you’re in a newsroom, you’re trying to get the attention of the editor or the boss, or you’re trying to stand out,” Valencia said. “I really look at journalism as an act of service.”
Valencia, who left CNN in 2025 after 19 years, is focusing on reaching audiences where they already consume information: Social media. His mobile audience, he says, far outpaces his desktop readership.
“I intentionally craft or curate the content that I put out there that is meant for mobile viewing consumption because that’s where everyone is,” Valencia said.
Latinos rely more heavily on social media and messaging apps for news than non-Hispanic white Americans, according to research published by the National Library of Medicine.
In an America where news deserts are spreading as fast as misinformation, trusted local reporting is becoming harder to find.
56% of U.S. counties now have only one local newspaper or none, according to the American Journalism Project. Jason Alcorn, the organization’s vice president of growth investments, says the solution is not just having a paper in circulation since many communities are receiving “ghost newspapers” – publications that maintain a name and website but produce little original reporting.
“Most of the original reporting capacity has gone away, and you may end up with wire stories or press releases that just aren’t doing that core job of journalism,” Alcorn said.
Latino reporters fill the gaps
The Latino-led news organizations that are attempting to fill the gaps are producing reporting rooted in their communities, reaching residents through platforms that they already use.
Conecta Arizona, a nonprofit founded in 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, started as a WhatsApp informational service.
The organization reports across the U.S.-Mexico border with innovative ways to bring news in a simplified way. Their methods include a weekly WhatsApp informational session, named “La Hora del Cafecito,” with a guest expert.
“Conecta Arizona believes in an honest search for quality information that allows contacting specialists or appropriate sources to understand and explain a topic in a simple way,” according to the website.
Over in the Bay Area, El Tímpano, a community-driven digital news organization, has taken its own route to bringing information in a more accessible way than graphs found in a traditional newspaper.
Tailored to the region’s Latino and Mayan immigrant communities, El Tímpano uses a text-messaging platform and a community microphone to reach its readers, according to the organization’s website.
The topics covered also reflect the gap in information affecting their readers. Health is a top concern among the communities they serve, due in large part to difficulties in accessing healthcare, according to their mid-year 2024 report.
Beyond investigative and breaking news stories, El Tímpano also provides a Spanish-language resource guide, with essential information on housing, emergency preparedness, education, healthcare and much more.
The result of newsroom innovation has been a growth in the reach of independent journalism.
Enlace Latino NC, a nonprofit Spanish-language newsroom in North Carolina, has grown from a publication serving one community into a statewide outlet reaching readers from Asheville to Charlotte.
Their content reflects its readers.
The small newsroom covers immigration policy, the North Carolina General Assembly and provides useful life tips, such as how residents can obtain a driver’s license or find financial aid for college.
“People really want information about the places that they live and their neighborhoods and their neighbors,” said Alcorn. “They want to see themselves represented, and they want to see authentic versions of themselves and their communities reflected in their local news outlets.”
Social media growth amidst immigration operations
Enlace Latino NC is one of several nonprofit publications stepping in as traditional local newsrooms shrink. Alcor’s American Journalism Project funds its cause.
When Border Patrol operations spread across North Carolina, the newsroom hosted 30 Facebook Live broadcasts that generated 1.8 million views and reached 1.5 million people, according to its annual report.
Enlace Latino NC also sent WhatsApp users nine audio briefings on topics such as scams, pesticide safety and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in agricultural areas for farmworkers.
Today, Enlace Latino NC has more than 52,000 followers across all social media, a feat when Latinos who use Spanish-language social media for news are 11 percentage points more likely to believe false political narratives than Latinos who use English-language social media.
Nick Valencia News is taking a similar approach, curating much of his mobile-first coverage around the communities most affected by immigration enforcement actions.
He counted more than 30 million views in January as he covered Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis and what occurred after federal officers killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti. His reporting has drawn millions more views across Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
But a direct reach to audiences means confronting skepticism about which independent journalists can be trusted. Valencia admits his perspective is personal and is transparent about his views reflected in his reporting, but says he uses language and attribution standards used in traditional newsrooms.
“I have a bias. I am not objective, but I am fair,” Valencia said. “Part of our success has been that consistent approach of rigorous honesty.”
Valencia’s journalism is becoming an example of why representation, timeliness and accessibility matter during such a crucial time for Latinos.
“They want to see accountability journalism,” Alcorn said. “They want to know who’s representing them, what the systems of power and influence are in the places that they live.”
“They want to know what’s at stake.”
