The Latino News Network (LNN) was founded in 2012 by veteran journalist, and former president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), Diane Alverio.
Responding to the gap in news coverage of the Hispanic-Latino community in her then-home state of Connecticut, Alverio launched LNN with Connecticut Latino News, CTLatinoNews.com (CTLN). It was the first English-language news and information outlet dedicated to the Hispanic-Latino community in the state. Massachusetts Latino News, MALatinoNews.com (MALN) soon followed.
In 2019, LNN was acquired by nationally recognized journalist and media advocate, Hugo Balta and his wife Adriana Balta Naranjo. Under their leadership, LNN has expanded its statewide coverage, and Hispanic-Latino editorial focus to include independent news outlets in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Washington, WALatinoNews.com (WALN). In 2024, the LNN landing page, which had been a marketing tool for the seven full fledged websites, converted into a national news outlet.
“As other news outlets are forced to retreat, we are meeting the challenge and advancing,” explained Balta. “It’s a presidential election year, the migrant crisis at the border is spilling over cities across the country, COVID is still gripping the community, poverty, unequal access to health care, lack of education, stigma, and racism -coverage addressing the social determinants of health and democracy has never been more important for Latinos.”
LNN’s mission is to provide greater visibility and voice to the Hispanic-Latino community, amplify the work of others in doing the same, mentor and provide young journalists with real work experiences, and apply the principles of solutions journalism in producing stories focused on the social determinants of health, and democracy.
Hugo Balta is the Publisher of the LNN. Balta is a 30-year multimedia journalism veteran with multiple market and platform experience that includes leadership positions in NBC, Telemundo, ABC, CBS, and PBS among other storied news networks. He is the twice president of the NAHJ. Balta and his family lived in West Hartford for ten years before moving to Chicago, Illinois beginning in February 2020.
Belén Dumont is the Senior Reporter/Editor for LNN East overseeing CTLN, MALN, NHLatinoNews.com (NHLN), and RILatinoNews.com (RILN).
Among her accomplishments, Dumont was a fellow with USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism. She was “selected as one of 20 talented journalists to participate in its National Fellowship to report on issues affecting child, youth and family health and well-being in the United States.”
Both Dumont and Balta have been cohorts in fellowships led by the Solutions Journalism Network. Balta is an accredited solutions journalism instructor.
“We have also had the privilege of supporting journalism classrooms and students at Boston University and Roger Williams University through publication and guidance,” added Dumont. “It’s been a pleasure working alongside such dedicated and inclusive efforts towards our shared mission of supporting, informing, and empowering historically underserved communities across the East Coast.”
NH Latino News works with freelance Writer/Reporters across the country in producing original multimedia reporting. If you are interested in working or collaborating with LNN, please email us at info@LatinoNewsNetwork.com.
Contributors:
Sevanny Campos , Maria Clayman
Susan Lopez
Regina Royan