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Among networks, Spanish-language Univision is now a top contender
Univision has surpassed the networks in young adult viewership, according to recent Nielsen ratings. This prominence of Spanish-language media has some concerned about the cultural isolation of Hispanic immigrants.
By Ben Arnoldy | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the September 17, 2007 edition
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Oakland, Calif. - – Many Americans click past Univision's melodramatic Mexican soap operas and sportscasters yelling "GOOOOOOAL!" But after a couple of recent rating coups, the Spanish-language TV network is carving out a Latino face on the Mount Rushmore of broadcast television alongside NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX.
For the first time, Univision bested the major English-language networks for an entire week among young adults. And Univision's historic bilingual presidential debate last week attracted the most 25- to 54-year-old viewers of any televised debate thus far.
The rising prominence of Spanish-language media is prompting concerns – including from California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger – about a slowing of the acculturation of immigrants. While the Hispanic media offer a different lens on American culture, many experts argue they often help educate recent immigrants about the US while preserving Spanish among their English-speaking children.
"The difference with Spanish-language broadcast is it's really community-oriented news and it's news you can use," says Veronica Villafañe, former head of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. "They actually encourage assimilation: This is where you go to get services; these are your rights. It's really an education channel."
In heavily Hispanic regions of the US, Univision has dominated for some time in local news ratings, says Alan Albarran, director of the Center for Spanish Language Media at the University of North Texas. He concurs that Spanish-language news is more focused on community issues, spending much less time "chasing sirens."
"One of the challenges that English-language newscasts are facing is that there are so many of them doing it," says Dr. Albarran. "They are all trying to carve out some piece of the pie. So many of them have been reduced to just 'give me visual elements.' "
While Spanish-language media are expanding – especially newspapers – the comparatively narrow range of options raises concerns for some.
"If you understand English, you can get [news] anywhere. But if you are always relying on one or two [Spanish] stations, you are going to get a certain filter," says Rob Toonkel, spokesman for US English, a group advocating that English be made the official language. "People who don't speak any English could then be segmented. They could be told a message that may not jive with what's being told to English speakers."
He uses as an example past presidential candidates trumpeting opinions supporting abortion rights on their English-language websites, while omitting them en español.
There's also a more basic worry that if immigrants spend too much time listening to Spanish, their acquisition of English will suffer – a controversial argument put forth this summer by Governor Schwarzenegger, himself an immigrant.
Many Latino leaders reject this, saying immigrants are surrounded by English, particularly in the work world. Moreover, their struggles with English don't carry over to their US-educated children. By the second generation, the majority of Latinos get their news exclusively from English-language media, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
However, a 2004 Pew report found that the language in which Latinos got their news had a significant influence on their political views . For example, 63 percent of US-born Hispanics said that President Bush did not have a clear plan for success in Iraq. That number dropped slightly to 60 percent among the foreign-born who get all their news in English, but dropped significantly to 53 percent among those who get at least some news in Spanish.
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