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This edition of The Latino Newsletter is a pause from our regular publishing schedule. Our team is sharing our 2026 mission statement with our community.
The Latino Newsletter is an independent, no-paywall, newsletter-first newsroom and production studio covering the issues shaping Latino life and influence in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Founded by award-winning journalist and media executive Julio Ricardo Varela, the Boston-based nonprofit pairs proximity reporting with national relevance through premium daily coverage and content. Stories and creators are distributed via newsletters, podcasts, social channels, and open syndication to outlets that seek to amplify Latino voices. The Latino Newsletter upholds rigorous editorial standards and is committed to delivering accessible, high-quality journalism.
Organization Mission: The Latino Newsletter is a nonprofit media platform amplifying the voices of underrepresented Latino communities through high-quality journalism, commentary, and multimedia projects. We provide culturally relevant and accessible content to inform, engage, and empower our community.
Organization Vision: To be the indispensable, trusted voice for Latino communities across the U.S. and Puerto Rico — expanding reach and deepening impact to redefine the journalism landscape and Latino media in the digital age.
Organization Unique Value Proposition: The Latino Newsletter delivers premium, independent daily journalism and commentary with a rigorous tone, setting the terms of mainstream coverage by making Latino expertise the starting point — not the add-on. As part of our current strategic plan, The Latino Newsletter will continue expansion into local bureaus across the United States and Puerto Rico.
Key Milestones
The Latino Newsletter launched in May 2024, marking a significant step toward amplifying underrepresented Latino voices through high-quality daily journalism and commentary. Within these first 18 months:
Established strong operational tools and strategies to scale team infrastructure of the organization to function effectively and sustainably. Became a founding member of the Latino Media Consortium.
Secured a $300,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to produce American Colony, a bilingual podcast series about Puerto Rico’s long and fractured relationship with the United States, and to expand the organization’s San Juan bureau. An expansion that has already shown its impact, when the newsroom’s San Juan bureau broke stories exposing alleged federal and state surveillance of social-justice groups in Puerto Rico.
Award-winning journalist Michelle Zacarias took over The Latino Newsletter Podcast as the new host and has interviewed influential guests, including Lalo Alcaraz, Dolores Huerta, and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey.
Partnered with El Planeta in Boston, a big step for us as The Latino Newsletter increases its footprint in Boston and Massachusetts.
Why Invest in Us
Investing in The Latino Newsletter accelerates the emergence of a national newsroom that is both culturally grounded and structurally modern.
Your support:
Strengthens an independent Latino-owned institution with no paywall, ensuring our communities are not priced out of quality information.
Expands reporting capacity and local bureaus in places where Latino life, politics, and economic power are reshaping the country — but coverage remains thin or extractive.
Elevates Latino experts, storytellers, and creators into the national conversation, shifting how newsrooms and decision-makers understand our communities.Builds durable infrastructure — legal, operational, and editorial — that allows this work to scale sustainably beyond project-by-project funding.
In short: investment in The Latino Newsletter is investment in a modern, trusted Latino public square.
Pathways to Support Our Work
I. Legal Infrastructure and Governance
Support the legal, compliance, and governance backbone that keeps The Latino Newsletter strong and independent. Investments can underwrite:
Nonprofit legal counsel and compliance
Policies that protect editorial independence and IPBoard development and governance best practices
II. Communications and Brand Visibility
Fuel the communications engine that strengthens internal alignment and amplifies our journalism externally. Investments can support:
Internal communications infrastructure that reinforces mission clarity, culture, and operational coordination
Brand strategy, design, and positioning that elevate our credibility and trust
Audience growth, list-building, and analytics for data-informed engagementStrategic communications campaigns and media relations that deepen visibility and influence
III. Core and Existing Programming
Sustain the day-to-day journalism and storytelling that our community already relies on. Investments can underwrite:
The flagship daily newsletter and editorial staff
Podcasts, explainers, and commentary
Open syndication partnerships that bring Latino stories into mainstream outlets
IV. Expanded Programming and Local Bureaus
Help us build what comes next. Investments can seed:
New local bureaus across the U.S. and Puerto Rico
Fellowships, contributor networks, and creator pipelines
New multimedia series focused on politics, culture, economy, and civic life
For partnership or funding opportunities, contact Christina Hernández at [email protected].
For media, visibility, or public engagement requests, contact: BA Snyder at [email protected].
The Latino Newsletter is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Help us reach our $50,000 goal to fund our podcast’s third season and to offer more opportunities for journalists to file their stories without paywalls or paid subscriptions.