Latinitas Goes to Print Feb. 26

Austin-based Latinitas, the first digital magazine for young Latinas, hits the streets in an unusual move in this digital age. Instead of going from print to digital, like most publications, they are expanding their online publication to a hands-on paper copy. The print version of Latinitas will be carried as an insert inside El Mundo Newspaper, the Hispanic Newspaper for Austin and Central Texas.

The teen-driven, bilingual print publication will be 16 pages and is expected to reach 25,000 readers in addition to those who read it online.

“In an informal poll to our after school clubs last year we learned over 93 percent of girls enrolled did not have a computer at home and for those who did, their internet or phone hook-up was inconsistent,” said Laura Donnelly, a Latinitas co-founder along with Alicia Rascon. “So, girls were publishing online in our digital editions and unable to show their families at home,” Rascon said.

Latinitas was launched in a class at the University of Texas at Austin six years when Donnelly and Rascon were students. Online, Latinitas reaches 30,000 readers per month. In addition to the publication, Latinitas sponsors outreach programs to 25 campuses in Austin, Kyle, Round Rock and El Paso, Texas, serving over 2500 girls a year. Latinitas recently launched their own social media network for Latina youth, MyLatinitas.com.

“It is our pleasure to help this superb community organization get a wider reach for their teen publication. As a community newspaper, we aim to partner with other forums for the minority voice,” said El Mundo Publisher Angela Angulo.

Latinitas hopes to print annually at first, then quarterly. In addition to reaching Central Texas readers, plans are underway to publish print versions in other Latino dominant cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago.