News = Noticias

Latinos are mostly interested in immigration and get what they need while watching the news on Univision and Telemundo, the two Spanish-language broadcast networks which inform nearly 57 million US Hispanics. http://www.telemundo.com/noticias http://www.univision.com/noticias

As a crossover journalist, who worked as a news executive for both media giants as well as in general market English-language media, the comparison between the two formats offers parallel worlds with different viewpoints. http://abcnews.go.com/US http://www.cbsnews.com/

Last weekend, for example, President Trump boasted about his first 100 first days, which according to him was an extremely important milestone which led him to issue a contract with America at one moment and 99 days later, not so much. Then at a rally in Pennsylvania, outlining self-proclaimed victories, he once again attacked the press by making fun of the media which celebrated in our nation's capital at the White House Correspondents Association’s annual dinner and another separate gathering organized by Samantha Bee, speakers mocked the president back. These dueling digs highlighted what could be seen as separate Americas.

Meanwhile, back on the tube, for broadcasters like Univision and Telemundo, the giants in this parallel version of America, their main story for the last week in April was Trump's assertion to build or bill a wall. After lingering over these remarks, the two broadcasters produced reports on an impending protest march against the new administration’s immigration policies, to which Univision added a report on the many times Trump has criminalized undocumented immigrants and refugees since taking office.

In 2015, according to the census bureau, there were 56.6 million Hispanics in the US, a number expected to double by 2060. Latinos get the news, by and large, not from the English-language, Spanish speakers watch Telemundo and Univision. Research shows Hispanics pay closer attention to their news. But a week of watching the leading Spanish-language broadcasts during the days leading up to President Trump’s 100-day rally is like watching the news through a very different lens.

Monday, 4/24. ABC, CBS and NBC evening news broadcasts began their countdown to the first 100 days of the Trump administration. All three networks highlighted Mr. Trump’s pressure on Congress to add funding for the border wall in their budget negotiations. Univision and Telemundo also focused on the border wall, but on the narrower issue of whether Mexico would pay for it. Univision reported on the confusion about the fate of dreamers, young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, while Telemundo featured a report about the declining numbers of undocumented immigrants in the US. The two Spanish-language news highlighted another story that English-language networks failed to report on which is an ongoing battle to replace El Chapo as the leader of the Mexican drug Cartel.

Tuesday, 4/25. The three English-language network newscasts opened with the deepening investigation into former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn and Ivanka Trump getting booed in Berlin. The top stories on Univision and Telemundo were the dispute over who would pay for the border wall and the threats by Attorney General Jeff Sessions to punish sanctuary cities. Flynn and Ivanka weren't top stories.

Wednesday, 4/26. ABC, CBS, and NBC opened with Mr. Trump’s one-page tax reform proposal, and tensions between the US and North Korea. Both Univision and Telemundo also opened their broadcast with Mr. Trump’s tax reform proposal emphasizing the likely impacts on the Latino community. That was followed by a story about the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals blocking the Trump Administration proposal to defund sanctuary cities. Telemundo added a report on a proposal by Texas to outlaw sanctuary cities altogether. North Korea was not the lead.

Thursday, 4/27. NBC Nightly News led with a report about a possible settlement with the United Airlines passenger who had been dragged off a plane for refusing to give up his seat. CBS and ABC led with the widening investigation of Flynn. Telemundo led with a story about Central American gangs infiltrating the US and recruiting in America, while Univision opened with Mr. Trump’s contempt for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling on sanctuary cities.

Friday, 4/28. The English-language networks covered the failed missile launch by North Korea and the approach of Trump’s 100-day mark. Telemundo also reported on the 100-day milestone, then switched to a report on Attorney General Sessions’ comments that much of the drugs that are being distributed in America today are being distributed by illegal aliens. This was followed by a report on protesters accosting Sessions with charges that he is obsessed by immigrants and anti-Latino. Univision led with Sessions’ comments, the anchor remarking that the attorney general seemed to be painting all immigrants with the same criminal brush.

Interestingly enough all of them are reporting news for the same nation, but with different priorities and varying realities.