The meaning of Twelve…

Here we go again..!

Another anniversary..! Another Editorial from my part..! Another special dedicated front-page..! Another series of questions like “…what are you going to do to celebrate it..?”, or like “…how do you feel to do such of a huge accomplishment..?”, or like “…are you now going to cover Buffalo..?, or like “…are you sure it is 12 years..?” – and I will probably will be giving the same answers I have given for the last… 12 years.

Although I don’t want to sound repeatedly again with this February’s editorial, this year repeats what I have been saying in other anniversaries, we have experienced again, the “ups & downs” in many aspects of the business and (my) life, including with changes of personnel and office spaces, variations of profits and investments, losing old advertisers and gaining new ones, increasing our participation with Festivals and closing some other annual events, including more services to our repertory and reducing the demand of others, and “Adapting” with the changes we all have to deal in life. I guess the one thing I might say about this particular anniversary year, is that we are more experienced and more clear in what our future will be, and the direction our media business most likely will take.

While looking online for an image (for the front-page) that will represent the number “12”, I found out the many, many (many) significances and meanings, and other relations this number has with many things (symbology meanings, mathematical relations, astrological values, religious meanings, biological significances, mythology meanings, time correlations, – go to www.cnylatno.com/12 for a list), but I could not associate any of these meanings, to our milestone anniversary. In any respect, when we apply 12 to a time scale, it could mean a large period of time. In the business word, 12 years can be a long time, and even if no progress has been achieved (and I am not saying that we – CNY Latino – have not), the existence of any business organization is a celebrated achievement in today’s economy.

In the Latino culture (and while based in the USA), when you say “we are celebrating 12 years of existence”, that’s apparently either a huge benchmark, or some source of an incredible accomplishment, and I have even heard an unbelievable achievement… which has always made me “scratch my head” and think… why is it an “unbelievable” achievement? Is it because of the length of time? Is it because of being Latino?, until one of those times I had the courage to ask that (directly), she answered… “…yes, because of (both) those, and also… because of the newspaper industry…” (yes… I am still scratching my head)

As I believe I have mentioned in past anniversary editorials, the Newspaper Industry (under the “paper” format) is not doing that well. Whether you are in this field of not, we all know already about the many newspapers organizations that have closed (or ceased printing) their “paper” format part of their publication, and becoming (or adapting) into the “digital” format. Even the newspapers that are still (barely) printing their “paper” editions, are much smaller (less sections, less pages, less color), their frequency is shorter (instead of daily, or weekly), and distributed to a narrower geographical area, restricting as a consequence, any valuable content (which is for the readers’ interest), and any profitable advertisement (which is for the publisher’s interest). So, all these make us assume that newspapers will all eventually ended up to be fully, a digital format publication. And, of course we have started doing that…

Back in 2010, we had already established our Internet presence, with the digital version of our monthly “bilingual” newspaper, at www.cnylatinonewspaper.com. Just about at the same time, we started our Social Media accounts, and with the help of our “Internet Consultant” (and several Interns), we started to “adapt”, just like many in this Industry are. In the meantime, because of our culture, our “paper” version is still alive, and serving a community that still likes to touch and feel “paper”, a community that is growing everywhere (in the USA), a community that is loyal and devoted to its language and its culture, the community of… the Latino culture.

Regardless of anything, it has been really a pleasure doing this publication… not only because of the people that have worked with me, not only because of our diverse readership we have had (for 12 years), not only because of our clients, vendors, and associates that have supported us, not only because I am doing something to serve my culture and my community, but also because of the experience and knowledge I have constantly obtained throughout all these years, the interesting diverse people I meet, and the positive responses and overwhelming reactions I have received each and every one of those 12 Februaries…

Here we go again… and we’ll continue to go for more..!