In December, the Chicago Sun-Times created a buzz by publishing a Spanish-language edition that wrapped the Dec. 20 newspaper. Now, after months of gauging feedback from Chicago and suburban Latinos, a new project to fill the void left by the demise of the Chicago Tribune’s Hoy publication is set to begin.
The print edition, La Voz Chicago, is being re-launched as a Spanish-language news website at suntimes.com/la-voz.
Starting on Sunday, Mother’s Day, readers can go to the site and find a wide range of Sun-Times stories, including ones about the coronavirus pandemic, translated into Spanish. As the site grows more established, they’ll also find original Spanish-language reporting.
A new email newsletter “La Voz a las dos” will put these stories directly in readers’ email inboxes at 2 p.m. each weekday; readers can sign up at getrevue.co/profile/la-voz. Stories also will be distributed in Spanish on Twitter at twitter.com/lavozchi and on Facebook at facebook.com/lavozchi.
The newsletter and all La Voz Chicago content will be available free through a grant from AARP Chicago.
“AARP Chicago is proud to help return a much-needed Spanish-language voice to Chicago — one to serve as a trusted resource and wise friend to people in the diverse communities which make our city great,” said AARP Illinois State Director Bob Gallo, whose organization represents 1.7 million older adults and their families across the state.
COVID-19 coverage will be a key part of La Voz Chicago’s news offerings. The Sun-Times already has published numerous stories on the pandemic’s impact on the Latino community, and continued coverage now will be available in English and Spanish.
“La Voz Chicago’s launch could not come at a more crucial time, with recent data showing that the Latino community is trending to become the largest group in Illinois with positive COVID-19 cases,” Gallo said. “AARP is committed to working with La Voz to bring crucial and important information to Chicago residents to keep people safe and healthy – for this critical time and beyond.”
The Sun-Times has hired Jacqueline Serrato, a “barrio journalist” whose reporting is known for capturing the conditions and world view of Mexicans and Latinos in Chicago, to work part-time on La Voz Chicago. Serrato also serves as editor-in-chief of South Side Weekly, a not-for-profit newspaper dedicated to supporting cultural and civic engagement on the South Side.
Serrato, a Little Village resident, will help oversee the “La Voz a las dos” newsletter, story selection and the La Voz Chicago social media feeds. She got her start in journalism after launching a bilingual community Facebook page that gained 150,000 followers.
Sun-Times Interim CEO Nykia Wright, who with Editor-in-Chief Chris Fusco engaged community stakeholders about how a Spanish-language news website should look and feel, said she is “thrilled to be officially launching La Voz Chicago on our online platform.”
“This choice affords us flexibility and creativity to meet a very important demographic in our city,” Wright said. “We will have the ability to more quickly reach this audience with timely stories and the ability to grow this audience while continuing to manage the costs of running a broader news operation.”
