El Sol (Stamford)
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EL SOL News ("The Sun") is a weekly Spanish-language newspaper based in Stamford, Connecticut. It is the oldest newspaper in that language in that U.S. state, and the dominant Spanish-language newspaper in the Stamford area, serving a growing Hispanic population. It serves both lower Fairfield County, Connecticut, and Westchester County, New York.[1]
Founder Arnulfo Arteaga has said the newspaper aims to inform the Hispanic community about such issues as health, education, and immigration. The publication has two reporters, and most of the 52 pages in a normal edition are filled with wire stories.[2]
The family-run newspaper has a circulation of about 30,000.[1]
The newspaper's longtime rival is La Voz Hispana, a weekly based in New Haven, Connecticut which opened a Stamford bureau in September 2006. The biweekly Enfoque Latino, started by William Cacerces, a former sales executive for El Sol and La Voz.[1]
Founded by Arnulfo Arteaga, the newspaper is run by several of his children: Alvaro, 42, managing editor; Raul, 32, press operator and layout designer; Arnulfo Jr., or Alex, 26, distribution supervisor; and Monica, 38, occasional contributing reporter.[2]
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[edit] History
EL SOL News Spanish Language Weekly Newspaper was founded in 1982 in Queens, New York, by Arnulfo Arteaga, a native of Colombia, originally with a circulation of only 300 copies, which he distributed from a shopping cart he found in a Dumpster. Arteaga already had 20 years of experience in journalism before he immigrated to the United States in 1980. In New York City, he freelanced for El Diario and La Prensa, but couldn't get a permanent job with either because he didn't speak English well enough.[2]
The newspaper began circulating in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in 1995, and in 2002 moved its news operation to Stamford. At that time, circulation was at 10,000 copies. By 1997, the paper increased its frequency, becoming a weekly, and in 2001 it launched its Web site.[1]
In September 2007, the newspaper celebrated its 25th anniversary with a gala at the Italian Center of Stamford.[2] By October of that year, Arteaga, then 65, had recently retired as director of the newspaper.[1]
[edit] More competition in 2006 and 2007
La Voz, based in New Haven, Connecticut, began circulating in Stamford in 2000, and in 2006 it opened an office in the city. Also in 2006, two Spanish-language newspapers were founded in the area but didn't last: Los Andes, a biweekly based in New Haven, opened an office in Stamford; and La Ronda Hispana, started in April by Equadorian native Gustavo Romo. La Ronda began with a circulation of 2,000 copies, increased to 15,000 copies, then fell to 5,000 before going out of business in January 2007.[1]
As of October 2007, EL SOL News had about 120 advertisements a week and hadn't lost any to the competition.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b c d e f Clark, Stephen P., "Newspaper war: The prize: Region's growing Latino readership", article, The Advocate of Stamford, Connecticut, October 7, 2007, pp 1, A6
- ^ a b c d Clark, Stephen P., "Family-run Spanish newspaper thrives after 25 years ", article, The Advocate of Stamford, Connecticut, September 2, 2007
