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 and CALatinoNews.com launched.
“As other news outlets are forced to retreat, we are meeting the challenge and advancing,” explained Balta. “A quarter of all Hispanic, Latino eligible voters, some 8.5 million, live in California. LNN needed to expand coverage to that state in this presidential election year.”
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 live in Chicago, Illinois.
Jacqueline Cardenas is the Multimedia Journalist/Editor, leading LNN West overseeing WALatinoNews.com (WALN) and California Latino News (CALN).
Cardenas is a recent graduate of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. In 2022, they was recognized as part of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists DePaul chapter and was awarded “Student Chapter of the Year” at the Las Vegas NABJ/NAHJ Convention and Career Fair.
“I want the stories I tell to be about the people who made the brave decision to challenge the status quo,” said Cardenas about joining LNN. “The skillful organizers, the disruptive activists, the powerful mothers, the tired teachers, the healers, and the open-hearted criers. My hope is that in sharing their stories, readers can begin to see themselves as capable of changing the course of history for the better and dare to take that first step.”
CA 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.