The New York Times’ Bet on the Spanish-Speaking Market (2016-2019): Highs and Lows of a Pilot Project

Abstract

This study analyzes the model of the New York Times en Español. From February 2016 to September 2019, this initiative attempted to cultivate a global audience, capitalizing on the world's burgeoning Spanish-speaking population, which is currently greater than 572 million and is forecasted to reach 754 million by the middle of the century. This study outlines the characteristics of the entirely digital project, which was cancelled after it "did not prove financially successful," and focuses on the paper's language policy: in the face of other publications' neutral Spanish, the New York Times en Español demonstrated that it is possible to ensure understanding without hampering cultural and linguistic richness.