Spanish-language news media company, Tiempo Company, and MEL, a Hispanic integrated communications agency, have joined forces in a ground breaking partnership to increase trust in media from US Latinos. Through this alliance, Tiempo Company, with its news brand Tiempo Latino, will leverage its extensive platform to develop comprehensive editorial content that transcends traditional boundaries by integrating data, technology, arts, psychology, and trends. Concurrently, MEL will develop integrated communications campaigns designed to propel Latino stories to the forefront of the conversation on the issues impacting Latino communities.
"We are reshaping the future of national Latino news outlets over the next decade. My uncle, founder and executive chairman, Javier Marín, consistently held the belief that a Spanish-language news organisation should be operated by Latinos who grasp the intricate socio-economic dynamics of this extensive community. We are now in a phase of scaling his vision, with the mission to inform and empower today's generation of firmly-rooted Latinos in the USA who are embracing their heritage language and crafting their own narratives," says Marcos Marín, CEO of Tiempo Company.
This partnership seeks to bridge the trust divide in communications between the over 60 million Latinos nationwide and the media that serves them. The most recent analysis from the Edelman Trust Barometer found that Latinos least trusted institution is media (42%), compared to government (43%), NGOs (46%), business (60%) and employers (74%). By leveraging data-driven content strategies at both the editorial and creative process, Tiempo Company and MEL aspire to reach millions of Latinos nationwide with invaluable news and information about current events.
"I am immensely proud of the collaborative and transformative vision between MEL and Tiempo Company. Together, we have chosen to take proactive steps to become catalysts in building trust in media among the Latino community. In the Latino media landscape, our collective responsibility as paid, owned and earned media channels needs to extend beyond content engagement. I invite us to unite and act with purpose in service of creating trustworthy, meaningful and long-lasting relationships with Latino audiences,” expressed Luis Miguel Messianu, president and chief creative officer of MEL.
The collaboration between Tiempo Company and MEL represents a pivotal step in addressing the pressing need for increased trust in Latino media, especially at a time when the media industry faces de-investment, layoffs, and bankruptcies. Furthermore, traditional advertising is failing, earned media strategies are not generating the desired awareness, and a significant percentage of US Latinos remain disengaged. Understanding that the consequences of misinformation are pervasive and foster a lack of civic engagement during a contested election year where the fight for the voting power of the Latino community will be at the centre of the political gravitas, Tiempo Latino and MEL will elevate the reputation of Latino media to resonate beyond the Latino community to all Americans.