In the name of Democracy

Hugo Balta

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Elections are instruments of democracy. Through voting, people can voice their opinions, express their hopes and aspirations, and ultimately influence the direction of their local, state, and national governments.

Voting in the United States can often be an inaccessible process preventing eligible voters, particularly in marginalized communities, from casting their ballot. This is especially true for Hispanic Latinos. Many of them are new to the electoral process, either because they just came of age or in the case of foreign-born members of the group – they just became naturalized citizens.

The New Hampshire state primary election (September 8) and midterm election (November 8) are coming up. New Hampshire Latino News (NHLN) is committed to providing Granite Staters with the information and coverage they need to perform their civic duty.

To that end, NHLN is partnering with AARP New Hampshire (AARP NH) in hosting: Community Conversation: Voting in the New Hampshire Midterms and General Election at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics on August 30 at 7 p.m., which is open to the public.

This non-partisan event will feature a panel of industry experts who will explain the voting process in New Hampshire and share resources that can help residents engage and answer questions. Panelists include New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan and Executive Director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College, Neil Levesque.

NHLN and its sister digital news and information outlets under the Latino News Network are taking a collaborative approach to prioritize communities through solutions-focused reporting rather than problem-focused.

That change in newsroom culture begins with you helping shape the programming of the upcoming Community Conversation. A survey asking the public what questions they have about the elections is being shared ahead of the August 30 event. Our newsroom sees communities as more than just an audience; they are collaborators. Please take the time to answer the short questionnaire at the end of this article.

NHLN is also working with Be The Ones, a grassroots organization dedicated to increasing voter turnout and civic action by rallying Americans to become more informed and educated citizens and voters. 

Be The Ones, will help the Latino News Network provide voters with resources and information to better understand which seats are up for election and the impact the outcome will have on reproduction rights and voter access.

Collaboration and inclusion are best practices our newsroom adopted from the Democracy SOS fellowship. NHLN is one of 20 U.S.-based newsrooms elected to participate in the Hearken and the Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) fellowship, committed to building understanding, trust, and engagement.

New Hampshire Latino News’ mission in covering the election and democracy is dedicated to building trust with our audience through collaboration, inclusion, and transparency. We will achieve this by:

  • Before making assumptions about what communities need to know, we commit to genuinely listening to them through surveys and in-person and virtual events in order to provide information that they’re missing.
  • We will partner with trusted organizations, that help us increase accessibility to the public, broaden the reach of our coverage and prevent misinformation.
  • Our reporting will not just revolve around the candidates or one day (Election Day), but rather voters and year-round with a focus on the work of policymaking process.

Collaboration is integral to the health of news and the health of democracy. 



About New Hampshire Latino News 

NH Latino News is part of the Latino News Network (LNN). LNN oversees an independent group of local news and information, English language, digital outlets with a statewide, Hispanic-Latino community editorial focus in New Hampshire, Illinois, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts.

About Hugo Balta

Hugo Balta is the Owner/Publisher of the Latino News Network. A 30-year news veteran, Balta’s experience includes leadership positions with NBC, Telemundo, CBS, and ABC News networks.

The twice-elected President of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), Balta has dedicated his career to championing the fair and accurate treatment of Hispanic Latinos and other marginalized communities in newsrooms and news coverage.