Latino News Network (LNN) has joined URL Media as its newest partner, strengthening a national coalition of Black and Brown–owned news outlets committed to community‑driven journalism. The partnership expands URL Media’s growing network of independent publishers working together to share content, collaborate on reporting, and build sustainable business models that support deeply local, culturally grounded news coverage.
URL Media, founded in 2021, connects member organizations through joint advertising initiatives, audience‑development strategies, and editorial collaboration. Bringing LNN into the network adds one of the country’s most established Latino‑focused news organizations to a coalition designed to elevate communities often overlooked or misrepresented by mainstream media.
S. Mitra Kalita, CEO of URL Media and publisher of Epicenter NYC, welcomed LNN by highlighting the shared mission and the urgency of nuanced reporting. “We are thrilled to welcome Latino News Network to the URL Media family,” Kalita said. “Latino News Network’s deeply reported, politically savvy coverage reflects the full breadth of Latino experiences, rejecting the notion of our communities as a monolith. At a time when oversimplification and misinformation are everywhere, this nuanced, comprehensive journalism is exactly what our democracy needs.”
Founded in 2012, LNN operates a national outlet and nine statewide digital news sites in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Washington, and California. Its reporting centers on public policy, civic engagement, and issues affecting Latino communities, with a strong emphasis on bilingual storytelling and community partnerships. As demographic shifts reshape political and cultural landscapes across the country, LNN has become a key source of coverage that reflects Latino perspectives with depth and context.
Joining URL Media gives LNN access to shared editorial resources, cross‑newsroom reporting opportunities, and expanded distribution channels. The partnership is expected to strengthen LNN’s ability to reach broader audiences while maintaining its focus on local, community‑rooted journalism.
Hugo Balta, Publisher and Editor of LNN, said the decision to join URL Media reflects a belief that collaboration is essential to the future of community‑centered news. “Latino News Network joined URL Media because collaboration makes our journalism stronger and our communities better served,” Balta said. “Partnering with a network of mission‑aligned Black and Brown publishers expands our reach, deepens our reporting, and ensures Latino voices are amplified with the visibility and impact they deserve.”
The partnership arrives at a time when local newsrooms nationwide face shrinking budgets, staff reductions, and increasing challenges in reaching diverse audiences. URL Media’s model seeks to counter these pressures by pooling resources among independent outlets while preserving their editorial independence. Its member organizations represent a wide range of communities, including African American, Caribbean, South Asian, and Indigenous audiences—now joined by LNN’s extensive Latino readership.
Together, LNN and URL Media aim to strengthen the ecosystem of community‑driven journalism by elevating stories that reflect the complexity, diversity, and lived experiences of the United State’s diverse communities.
