Majority of Hispanics are Politically Influenced By Hispanic Newspapers.

A majority of Hispanics (84.1 percent) are more likely to vote affirmative if a candidate or issue provides information to the community through their local Hispanic newspapers, according to a recent telephone survey conducted by Ethnic Print Media Group. EPMG released the results of a groundbreaking reader engagement study never before conducted in Hispanic print media. The survey found that 77 percent of Hispanics interviewed plan to vote in the next election, further underscoring the need for political advocates to reach out to the fastest growing ethnic group in the country.

The survey was conducted among readers of Hispanic newspapers with emphasis in top markets including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston. The purpose of the study was to identify the relationship between advertising, editorial content and political motivations.

“Hispanic voters are growing at a rapid pace in the United States and political advertisers can not afford to neglect this crucial demographic,” said Trevor Hansen, senior vice president Ethnic Print Media Group. “As an advocate for Hispanic newspapers we feel it is our obligation to open the eyes of political activists and let them know the fastest, most effective way to reach Latinos is through their newspapers – outlets that offer cultural relevance and speak to them in their language.”

In 2004, 7.6 million of the 10 million Hispanic voters cast ballots in the last election and about 9 percent of all American voters today are Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

“While shotgun marketing sends a message, investing in Hispanic newspapers ensures it will be heard,” said Hansen. “If the message is designed to gain trust and motivate action it is important to engage Hispanics through media that is embraced by the community as a trusted source of information.”

According to the survey, 79 percent of Hispanics interviewed chose Hispanic newspapers as a trusted source of information for political news and opinions compared to 15 percent for radio and 4 percent for TV.

Additional findings:

88.3 percent of Hispanics interviewed said editorial copy or advertising in their local Hispanic newspaper influences their voting decisions.