Page 147 - Historical Dictionary of Political Communication in the United States

PRESS
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SPANISH-LANGUAGE
Rights movement. Specifically, the SCLC looked to increase black voting, end
segregation, and outlaw job discrimination based on race or culture.
Perhaps the best-known demonstration organized by the SCLC was the 1963
March on Washington at which Dr. King gave his famous "I Have a Dream"
speech to thousands of Americans at the Lincoln Memorial and millions who
watched at home on their televisions or listened on their radios.
After King's assassination, the SCLC suffered an identity crisis and organi-
zational turmoil, despite the diligent efforts of Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, King's
successor. The organization is still active today but has failed to recapture its
momentum of earlier years.
SOURCE: Jack Salzman, David Lionel Smith, and Cornel West, eds., Encyclopedia of
African-American Culture and History, 1990.
Jacqueline Nash Gifford

SPANISH-LANGUAGE PRESS. The first Spanish-language newspaper, El
Misisipi, was founded in New Orleans in 1808. Much of its content focused on
international issues, and many articles were translated into English. Other
Spanish-language papers were soon established elsewhere around the country,
reflecting immigration from Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. This early Spanish-
language press often mixed news and editorial opinion. Today, Spanish-language
newspapers range from dailies to community-based weeklies. Papers circulating
in the United States include some published in Latin America. A recent count
lists 450 Hispanic dailies, 86 percent of which are published in Spanish. The
two oldest in the continental United States are El Diario-La Prensa, which was
established in 1913 in New York, and La Opinion, which was founded in 1926
in Los Angeles. The Spanish-language press emphasizes news from Latin Amer-
ica and local Latino issues and events. While its readers share a common lan-
guage, their ethnic origins still vary geographically. Major metropolitan
newspapers have delved into the Hispanic market, with special Spanish-language
editions. One current example is the daily El Neuvo Herald, a supplement of
the Miami Herald. In addition, Spanish-language magazines are flourishing as
advertisers target the growing Latino population. In 1996, there were 222
Spanish-language magazines.
SOURCES: Rafael Chabran and Richard Chabran, 'The Spanish-Language and Latino
Press of the United States: Newspapers and Periodicals," in Handbook of Hispanic Cul-
tures in the United States: Literature and Art; The 1997 Hispanic Media Directory.
Carol M. Liebler and B. Carol Eaton

SPIN is the word used to characterize the deliberate actions of political con-
sultants and commentators to influence public opinion. "Spin doctors," as they
are commonly called, offer their own analysis of a political event to the media.
Their purpose is to interpret and offer reasons for statements and actions by
political candidates or incumbents. Good spin doctors are adept at spinning the