This week’s Hispanic Blogger Profile is with Sylvia Franco Garcia of The Americano, a bilingual conservative blog build to engage Hispanics in the conversations we should be having, from the perspective of how they affect us.
HPRB: Tell us about your self, any relevant journalism experience you have and why you started your blog?
GARCIA: My name is Sylvia Franco Garcia. I graduated from the University of Miami in Broadcast Journalism and Spanish Language. Upon graduation, I worked as a writer and reporter for a television station in Latin America, then as a Senior Editor at an Internet portal. For the past five years, I have worked as the Hispanic Outreach and Media Director for Speaker Newt Gingrich.
I started TheAmericano.com because I felt that the Hispanic community was not receiving the complete message. I wanted to present a bilingual conservative site that touched upon the topics that really affect our community- our economy, education, national security, government, life, Hispanic Heritage, and health- and engage them in discussions that we should all be having. I wanted to present today’s news, but from the perspective of how these stories actually affect American Hispanics.
HPRB: Who is the target audience of your blog and what data can you provide us about the size of your audience?
GARCIA: Our target audience is American Hispanics. It is that broad because our goal is to reach the Hispanic community far and wide with a message that is more conservative than what they find in regular media.
HPRB: What makes your blog unique and when did you first start blogging?
GARCIA: We launched TheAmericano.com last September. We started with a great group of bloggers from the U.S., Latin America, and Europe.
TheAmericano.com was created to meet the demands for conservative news and perspective of importance to American Hispanics, while celebrating the vibrant and rich traditions of Hispanic heritage. We strive to make The Americano the place for those who care about issues relevant to the Hispanic community to give voice to their opinions, engage with like-minded individuals who value traditional principles, and make a positive difference through sharing insights that will have a direct impact on the Hispanic community.
What makes us unique is that we have our principles laid out on our site. We tell our readers what we believe in and invite them to give us their opinion and thoughts. In the end, engaging our community on The Americano is most important.
We stand for liberty and democracy in the U.S. and throughout the world and defend those who have this right taken away. Therefore, we often write about the daily fight for freedom of many countries in Latin America.
HPRB: Do you have any accompanying Twitter, Facebook or other social media contact information you would like to share?
GARCIA:
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Americano/153020545733
- Twitter: http://twitter.com/TheAmericano
HPRB: How frequently do you update your posts?
GARCIA: Each morning we upload opinion and news pieces, as well as that morning’s headlines from other sites and media.
HPRB: What is the key contact information for you and or your blog?
GARCIA: Sylvia Garcia, Editor@TheAmericano.com
305-416-0041
1441 Brickell Avenue, Suite 1400
Miami, Fl 33131
HPRB: What topics are of special interest to your blog and which ones are definitely not?
GARCIA: All topics pertaining to the Latino community are of interest: economy, education, family, religion, immigration, and national security. We even did extensive sports coverage of the World Cup and important games.
HPRB: What are the best days and hours to reach you and/or your staff with a specific type of story or interview? What are the worst days/times?
GARCIA: Mornings are always best on weekdays. Weekends are worst.
HPRB: What are your policies in terms of accepting press kits, photos and/or multimedia video files?
GARCIA: Send to our email editor@TheAmericano.com
HPRB: Is there anything you would like to add about your blog or about working with you?
GARCIA: This December 2nd and 3rd The Americano is having its First Annual Forum and Gala in Washington, DC. We would like to invite everyone to join us in what will be an amazing event!
The Forum – The Road To Freedom: Sharing American Liberty with Hispanics Around the Globe is one that resonates today more than ever. The Conference will focus on the importance of defending American values, democracy, and how best to counter political messages that threaten our natural right to freedom.
The Gala – We will be celebrating with an “Outstanding Hispanic” by flying them and a friend to DC and presenting them with an award for their achievements. We will also be honoring Lincoln Diaz-Balart with a “Lifetime Achievement Award”, and President Alvaro Uribe with a “Freedom Award.” Through a silent auction, we will be raising funds for grants that will go to Latino education.
Speakers – Speaker Newt Gingrich, Prime Minister José María Aznar, Governor Jeb Bush, Secretary Carlos Gutiérrez, Leslie Sanchez, Ambassador Roger Noriega, Rachel Campos Duffy, Jeb Bush Jr., Ruben Navarrette, Juan José Daboub, Adolfo Franco, Sherrie Madia, Nestor Carbonell, Reverend Luis Cortez, Hector Barreto, Reverend Sam Rodriguez, Juan Rangel, many more.
Discussions
- Conservatism throughout the Americas
- Democracy, Freedom, and Terrorism in the 21st Century
- The Effects of “Big Government” on U.S. and World Economies
- The Hispanic Challenge: How to Effectively Reach Hispanics through Grass Roots
- Hispanic Media and Its Impact
- Latino Blogging and Social Media
Sylvia is an very dedicated person. She brings much to the table and takes great initiative with new ideas to keep the blog fresh and interesting. They offer great internship. You will learn much without noticing it.