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About Us / Quiénes somos

North County Informador is a weekly bilingual publication targeting Latino households in North San Diego County who have been living in a news desert. The weekly eNewsletter and monthly print edition connect community service providers and leaders with the people they serve.

Over the years a lack of trust has grown between our communities and the institutions that have traditionally provided news and resources but who are failing here. There are no other local news sources based out of North County, much less in Spanish. Local funding for media coverage in the area is almost nonexistent.

Our needs assessment included a comprehensive readership study survey and interviews with community members and leaders to discover the wants and needs of those we are reaching. We took part in a wide-reaching research project called the National Latino Readership Study, carried out by LatinoLYTICS. This study surveyed readers from over 200 Latino newspapers, magazines, and digital websites, and ePublications. We were honored that North County Informador’s readers were included and were excited to gather incredible insight on what our readers want. The survey showed that 98% are concerned about fake news and scams. Meanwhile, 68% of them prefer to read in Spanish!

Our communities deal with mistrust, language and mobility issues, isolation, and a lack of Internet access. Their number one wish was for more health articles, with 93% requesting increased health coverage. For example, we learned that 59% of the readers want more on both women’s health issues and mental health coverage. On the civic engagement front, 71% of our readers are first-generation in the US, yet 95% are now citizens, indicating a desire to become involved on a permanent basis here in the United States. Just 32% of Informador’s readers prefer reading only in English. After health, the next most desired editorial topic was Latino Success Stories, at 65% of the readers; Education, at 62%; and Events, at 59%.

Moreover, our 27-year history through parent nonprofit Empowering Latino Futures (ELF) has shown us that Latinos in the North County are especially isolated from health services, educational opportunities, financial information, and civic engagement. Our service provider partners tell us it is difficult for them to reach the communities in their language and preferred format. And community members have shared in focus groups that the only news coverage they get is negative.

Our response has been decisive. We launched the bilingual outlet North County Informador three years ago and have since developed relationships with over 120 local service providers, the county offices, local representation, and grassroots-level organizations who now depend on us to connect with their otherwise neglected audiences.

Our original stories both bolster and uplift our readers, focusing on community leaders who inspire.

Editorial Sections

Four cornerstones:

Health / Salud

Education / Educación

Financial Empowerment / Empoderamiento financiero

Civic Engagement / Participación cívica

We also cover:

Community, Food, and Government Services / Servicios comunitarios de alimentos y gubernamentales

Success Stories / Historias de éxito

Community Empowerment / Empoderamiento comunitario

Community events / Actividades

Targeted Communities / Nuestras comunidades

Bonsall

Carlsbad

Encinitas

Escondido

Fallbrook & Rainbow

Oceanside

San Marcos

Solana Beach & Rancho Santa Fe

Temecula

Valley Center & Pauma

Vista

Our Vision & Mission • Nuestra visión y misión

ELF vision: When actor Edward James Olmos and Kirk Whisler co-founded in 1997 what is now the 501c3 nonprofit Empowering Latino Futures (ELF), they saw the organization as a facilitator to give Latinos more access to a multitude of resources to help improve their futures and to help mainstream America view the Latino community in more accurate, less stereotypical ways. Visit the ELF Website.

North County Informador Mission: North San Diego County is home to 360,000 Latinos who are living in a news desert. The North County Informador is a bilingual digital weekly news outlet and monthly magazine targeting the region’s 11 chronically underserved communities. Informador focuses on four cornerstones—education, health, financial empowerment, and civic engagement. To help deliver on these topics, we also cover local success stories, community & government services, and cultural events. Fostering trust, we act as a facilitator between service providers and the communities we serve.

Ethics Policy & DEI Statement

North County Informador is committed to serving the public interest, fostering democracy, and providing a platform for diverse yet otherwise neglected voices.

The 2022 National Latino Media Study, the largest media-usage analysis of Latinos and Latino media outlets in history, in which we participated, found that 98% of North County Informador readers are concerned about fake news from other sources. For this reason, Informador is committed to gathering news and presenting it in a truthful manner. We pledge to gain an understanding of the unique communities and individuals we serve and seek to provide an informed, unbiased account of the issues and events.

We write in English and Spanish, with a level and style appropriate to our audiences. We insist on fact checking and source and editorial accuracy. We follow all industry-related laws and take responsibility for editorial decisions. We shall not use technology to alter media content or to mislead audiences. We pledge to be timely in the correction of any errors or omissions.

North County Informador commits to the goals of serving the public interest, fostering democracy, and recognizing diversity within our communities. We encourage the understanding of complex issues through civil discourse and diverse viewpoints, treating everyone with respect, compassion, honor, and integrity.

North County Informador provides no-cost information and services. We pledge to remain independent of political or business interests. The personal opinions of our employees shall have no place in our coverage. We work actively to avoid conflicts of interest.

North County Informador pledges to produce original journalism through rigorous reporting that follows the best practices of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics.

These practices include:

·     Seek truth and report it

·     Minimize harm

·     Act independently

·     Be accountable and transparent

The 2022 National Latino Media Study, the largest media-usage analysis of Latinos and Latino media outlets in history, in which we participated, found that 98% of North County Informador readers are concerned about fake news from other sources. For this reason, Informador is committed to gathering news and presenting it in a truthful manner. We pledge to gain an understanding of the unique communities and individuals we serve and seek to provide an informed, unbiased account of the issues and events.

We write in English and Spanish, with a level and style appropriate to our audiences. We insist on fact checking and source and editorial accuracy. We follow all industry-related laws and take responsibility for editorial decisions. We shall not use technology to alter media content or to mislead audiences.

North County Informador commits to the goals of serving the public interest, fostering democracy, and recognizing diversity within our communities. We encourage the understanding of complex issues through civil discourse and diverse viewpoints, treating everyone with respect, compassion, honor, and integrity.

Editorial Independence

We subscribe to standards of editorial independence adopted by the Institute for Nonprofit News:

Our organization retains full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization. We maintain a firewall between news coverage decisions and sources of all revenue. Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services, or opinions.

We accept gifts, grants, and sponsorships from individuals and organizations for the general support of our activities, but our news judgments are made independently and not based on donor support.

North County Informador provides no-cost information and services. We retain full authority over editorial content to protect the best journalistic and business interests of our organization.

We pledge to remain independent of political or business interests. The personal opinions of our employees shall have no place in our coverage. We work actively to avoid conflicts of interest.

Acceptance of financial support does not constitute implied or actual endorsement of donors or their products, services, or opinions.

We maintain editorial control of all coverage and reserve the right to review and edit all editorial content.

Our organization will make public all donors who give a total of $5,000 or more per year. We will accept anonymous donations for general support only if it is clear that sufficient safeguards have been put into place that the expenditure of that donation is made independently by our organization and in compliance with INN’s Membership Standards.

Corrections Policy

At North County Informador, we strive to provide current, accurate information to our audience. If errors or omissions should occur, we pledge to correct them as soon as possible on the digital versions and platforms—including website, social media, and eNewsletter—and/or to publish a bilingual correction or retraction in the following month’s print issue, on the editorial page.

DEI Statement

Empowering Latino Futures envisions a world where inclusion and equity principles grant everyone access to educational community-building and empowerment programs, as well as opportunities to pursue their professional dreams.

Empowering Latino Futures’ policies and practices welcome, include, value, and support members of underrepresented groups. We strive for greater understanding and more diverse, equitable, and inclusive outcomes as well as cultural competency among board, team, and audience members. We engage, support, and partner with underrepresented groups, with a special emphasis on Latinos, in our community. Our materials are bilingual—English and Spanish—, and in some cases, trilingual—Portuguese.

Empowering Latino Futures is involved in expanding access for marginalized groups, Latinos in particular, to publishing industry events through the International Latino Book Awards, and to educational and cultural opportunities through the Latino Book and Family Festival and other programs. The Awards also attract an international audience, mainly Spanish and Portuguese authors.

The Empowering Latino Futures board and team are diverse and include Latino and non-Latino members as well as a balance between women and men.

ELF has always been proud that our leadership is representative of the communities we are serving. Ten of our 11 board members are Latinos, and 73% were in the first generation in their family to go to college.

North County Informador is published in English and Spanish and is focused on making diversity, equity, and inclusion practices the anchor of our activities. We are aware of the unique perspective, experience, and ideas of every member of our team and every person with whom we are in contact. Our dual-language reporting is designed to uplift and connect the underserved Latino communities in North County San Diego.

Informador’s editorial board is made up of community members with different business and social capacities. Our entire editorial staff is bilingual and includes Latinos and non-Latinos.

We respect the views of different races, genders, religions, sexual orientations, ethnicities, nationalities, socioeconomic status, languages, disabilities, age, and political perspectives.