Tiny News Collective exists to support early-stage news entrepreneurs all across the United States who are raising their hands to provide community-focused news and information and places for community connection. We are who we are because of the founders we serve. And we want the journalism field, the civic information space and beyond to know about the creative, impactful work of these founders. To that end, we are thrilled to highlight their stories through an ongoing series of profiles and features.
For our latest feature, we caught up with award-winning journalist Julio Ricardo Varela, the founder of The Latino Newsletter, an independent nonprofit journalism outlet that publishes stories and audio podcasts through a clear Latino lens. Julio talked about the mission of the publication, the growth in audience and how its stories provide “urgent, actionable information for directly affected communities.”
I launched The Latino Newsletter in May 2024 to address the lack of daily premium journalism that consistently centers Latino communities. It’s a continuation of the work I started with game-changing digital outlet Latino Rebels back in 2011 and builds on my years of experience amplifying Latino voices in national and public media, during my time at Pulitzer-winning Futuro Media. The newsletter is about creating a space where our stories are prioritized and told with accuracy, empathy and purpose.
I want to cultivate an audience of Latinos and allies across local communities in the United States who are searching for voices that reflect their lives and address issues that matter to them.
With 1,067 subscribers on TheLatinoNewsletter.org and 989 on LinkedIn (along with a social community of more than 13,000 profiles across all major social platforms), we’ve built a strong foundation by publishing more than 175 stories, producing multimedia content, and forming partnerships to expand our reach. We have also been featured in the following outlets: The New York Times, BBC, CBS News, GBH, NEPM, Daily Mail, MSNBC, The Cut, WAMU and WBUR.
The result has been quite impressive for an outlet that has one part-time employee only right now: me. While we want to find ways to keep growing the newsletter model and also create multiple distribution formats, the homepage and its content have already generated more than 100,000 visits. Our social channels are already becoming profiles to follow on the platform of your choice. It’s been fun to start from scratch again. We are also now syndicated by MSN.
But data aside, we also have an incredible group of supporters who write to us daily just by replying to our newsletter emails. Their messages have been so positive and supportive. I believe that is the biggest reason why we have 121 donors and have raised more than $10,800 with no development team or fundraising budget. It was all organic.
There is something here. I don’t know what, but I want to keep finding out. At the same time, we need to start thinking of creating a permanent team — where it takes on the day-to-day and I move into a more part-time and flexible role as the founder and board member.
Over the last 75 days, some of the most-read stories have been A Crowdsourced List of Families Displaced by L.A. Fires, Immigration Raids Reported in Bakersfield, and Rental Manager Says Alleged Arsonist Left Cabo Rojo After Fire.
These posts gained traction because they provided urgent, actionable information for directly affected communities. The Rise of Latino Podcasting also resonated because it highlighted the growing influence of a medium that is shaping how we tell our stories, while The Selena Gomez Debate Isn’t About Her Accent sparked engagement by addressing broader questions of identity and representation.
The podcast is an important extension of The Latino Newsletter because it allows us to explore issues in depth and connect with our audience on another level. It fits into our editorial goals by giving voice to stories that matter and into our audience goals by building loyalty and engagement.
From a business perspective, it opens up opportunities for sponsorships and diversified revenue streams. We are thankful to the Latino Community Foundation for being our first funder, along with New England Public Media and Hispanic Federation. In 2024, we produced 21 episodes for Season 1 and 5 stories from The Latino Election Project, showing how the podcast complements our broader mission. We are on pause until we secure more funding for Season 2.
I want The Latino Newsletter to become an indispensable resource for Latinos across the country, providing journalism that not only informs but builds power within our communities.
Over the next few years, my goal is to grow our reach exponentially, creating a platform where stories about Latinos, by Latinos, are at the center of local and national conversations. Financial sustainability will come through a combination of subscription growth, recurring donor support, new sustaining members (if we can get 120, why not 1,000), strategic partnerships, and diversified revenue streams like podcast sponsorships, along with production and media services. We want to be a daily journalism outlet but also help partners and clients produce work for Latino communities. We can be both.
The operational foundation we established in 2024 — securing fiscal sponsorship, implementing robust financial tools and prioritizing long-term stability — gives us the infrastructure to grow boldly and ensure that The Latino Newsletter becomes a trusted, influential voice for years to come.
Learn more about other TNC founders by reading these stories:
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