We are Still… fighting
In the publishing world (or perhaps of Journalism in the sense of creating “newspapers”), to make it one more year each year, nowadays it should be a great celebration, whether celebration is of 52 issues of a weekly newspaper, 26 editions of a newspaper-every that’s made every two-weeks, 6 editions of a newspaper-every-two-months, or… 12 issues of a monthly newspaper… In this edition, we’re celebrating in CNY Latino the creation our 108 edition of a monthly publication … our ninth year anniversary ..!
In that world of publishing, and also today, to make it to another year every year is a great achievement, because the decaying situation with this industry, does not leave much hope for many companies that publish newspapers of
success and sometimes of surviving. During these nine years, although the demand for more content and distribution has increased, other production costs have also increased. Keeping in mind that our publication is distributed free, the cost of printing has increased (because the cost of the paper), gasoline (which we use in vehicles to distribute the newspaper) has increased, and several aspects related to this type of business, have also increased (postal costs, banking services, loan interest, consultations prices, etc.).
However, being an ethnic newspaper, being a Hispanic publication, and serving a growing faithful and loyal population, CNY Latino is still maintaining positive growth. Last year we started to cover the cities of Watertown and Binghamton, and last month started with Geneva and Seneca region. In other aspects of the business, however there have been many “ups and downs”, our earnings were kept constant but generally mobile. Although we lost the second largest customer, on the other hand won several small clients, and although in general (in this industry) demands to put ads on any of our periodical, has decreased, having an Latino audience has encouraged many of our advertisers to start (or continue) reaching this sector of Hispanic consumers.
At the risk of sounding repetitive (to past anniversaries messages), my original passion to provide for the Latino community it is still being develop and in progress. Even though we had to cancel our radio production last year and we put aside the Central New York Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, there is still a chance this year of reviving these sections of our media.
We also have plans to increase our internet presence, not only by improving our website and implementing a digital format of our newspaper, but also by establishing a better social media presence (such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc..), beginning to utilize advertisement on-line and digital marketing as another source of income for us. By the end of spring, we will revive the “Who is Who” (Latino Professionals in Central New York) directory project, the Latino Website portal project for New York State and the re-creating of the Domino Tournament in Central New York. I still have to “put on hold” the “TV Program” project and the acquisition of a new building for our company.
As always, this was not my effort alone, and I could have never done it without the cooperation of many, including my partner in life and business, Marisol Hernandez … my Internet expert and online guru associate, Eddy Dominguez … I also would like to thank the participation and collaboration of our columnists and contributors of articles and announcements in our community. And of course very special thank for the sporadic help of several members of local businesses, such as Ken Gravante, Sue Irving, Pete Morris, Art Zimmer (and his wife Shirley), Bernie Bregman, and others… The spiritual support and friendship of the Latino community of Central New York, like Rita and Tere Paniagua, Papo and Jenny, Taino Palerno and Edward Cuello, Orlando Ortiz, “Latino Civic Association of Tompkins County”, Sonia Martinez, Regina Veles, and many, many more… the support and help from friends like Joe and Tanya Rodriguez, Miguel & Rosie Perez, Wallie and Evelyn Santos… more than two dozen Interns from local Colleges and Universities … our family members such as Lydia Calderon Ismari Calderon, Ricardo Rivera and Lisa Hernandez… my daughters Alex and Rachael Acosta … and many, many more (no space here to list them all).
Finally, I want to express that even though things have not been easy and in many times, “the struggle” to survive and (just) live was tough, my faith in our community and the backing and support of our culture (as we say “my people”) have given me the encouragement and the courage to keep trying, to keep “fighting”, and to try harder and harder, not only to make this paper better and bigger (and more successful), but also to increase Latino representation pride and I think we have.