Ethnic Newspapers in the United

¶ … ethnic newspapers in the United States

The first ethnic newspaper in the American colonies was Philadelphische Zeitung meaning the Philadelphian Newspaper, a German language paper published in Germantown, Pa, started in 1732 published by the legendry Benjamin Franklin. It stopped publication soon after, however, ethnic papers have contributed significantly in aiding immigrants adapt to the United States. According to Barbara Straus Reed, professor of Journalism at Rutgers University who is also the author of a book on ethnic press felt that several matters of genuine concern to immigrants either do not find place in the mainstream English dailies or are given less attention. Ethnic newspapers help the immigrants to find the local institutions within their communities which will render the transition simpler. (as Mainstream Papers Cut Back, the Ethnic Press Expands)

It might be unbelievable that apart from seven mainline English newspapers published from New York, there are 198 ethnic newspapers published in 4 other boroughs which is thrice the number compared to what was a decade back. Ethnic newspapers, publishing a range of linguistic and cultural point-of-view, inclusive of Chinese, Hispanic, Arabic, Caribbean, Russian, Korean and more others are burgeoning throughout U.S. In Chicago for instance there are in excess of 80 publications; in Los Angeles 60 local ethnic papers get published, La Opinion is presently the largest Spanish daily circulated throughout the nation. New California Media, which is a statewide network of ethnic news group, contains more than 200 publications among its members. Nevertheless, whereas ethnic newspapers gain ardent support from their loyal readers, marketers do not reckon ethnic newspapers to be having potential which the mainstream newspapers do. Some of this neglect might be reasonable since advertisers have experienced crucial drawbacks in addressing the ethnic press. (News, Noticias, Nouvelles-non-English newspapers)

Several smaller papers function like new business. The owners who are settlers most of the times do not have knowledge regarding the manner, in which newspaper business operates in U.S., circulation audits, distribution in the newsstand and operation of advertisement sales. Majority are not members of press association that can provide the network necessary to develop a smart advertisement agency and draw business and investors. Besides, they also lack funds for conducting audits and readership surveys which the advertisement agencies demand. However, this is changing. The ethnic media which have since long ignored and taken too lightly, a lot of converging factors are rendering media decision makers to acknowledge the importance of the ethnic press. First of all, the mainstream newspaper industry is in the middle of a persisting decline in revenue as well as readership.