By Stephanie Camey
Intern, Center for Health and Biosciences
Spanish is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. In the United States, the Spanish language is an essential link for the Hispanic population due to its exponential growth. There are approximately 60.6 million Hispanic people in the United States (18.3% of the population as of 2019) and 41 million U.S. residents (13.5%) that speak Spanish. The city of Houston is 44.8% Hispanic, and 33.7% of the population are native Spanish speakers. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Hispanic communities have had to endure inequalities amplified by the virus, including lack of health insurance, tight living conditions and higher-risk essential jobs. The pandemic is likely to hit 60 million Hispanics with particular force, both in health and economic terms. A research group found that only 16% of Hispanics could work from home. A disproportionate number of Hispanics work in commerce and the service industry, putting them at increased risk of losing their jobs or getting infected while still working in food stores, restaurants and construction sites. In the meatpacking industry, there are more than 10,000 workers, many of them Hispanic, who have now contracted the coronavirus. On Sept. 1, the Texas Medical Center reported that Hispanics account for a disproportionately large portion of deaths (54%) from the coronavirus in Houston. The cases are more than twice as high in the Hispanic population than among white people, and the hospitalization rate for Hispanics is 4.6 times higher.
The rising risks and deaths in the Hispanic population bring many factors to the table but most importantly the lack of reliable information in Spanish. Since the coronavirus crisis began, government offices have offered information to the community, from new orders to stay at home, possible fines and even jail if people do not comply with certain provisions and details on how to stay safe. According to the Texas Tribune, many Hispanic residents learned of new COVID-19-related rules, such as stay-at-home orders, from police officers at checkpoints who wrote them citations for unknowingly violating an order. And many Hispanic-owned businesses received a flyer outlining the governor’s reopening guidelines in English only. Unfortunately, as more COVID-19 information is released to the public in English, Spanish-language platforms such as Univision and Telemundo have not been providing comparable information. In fact, many Hispanics have received information regarding the pandemic primarily through WhatsApp groups and Facebook. Information from these social networks can be misleading; hundreds have fallen into a new trap of sharing a link that promises immediate help by granting coupons for people in need or food aid plans to help with the coronavirus.
We conducted research using WayBack Machine, a digital archive of Internet sites, to observe what types of COVID-19 news the most-used platforms in Houston published. The two Spanish-language sources used for the study were Univision and Telemundo. An English-language source, the Houston Chronicle, was used to compare and contrast these sources. For each platform, two dates per month were chosen, the beginning of the month and the end of the month. The results showed that Univision, the No. 1 Spanish-language television station in the U.S., reported zero cases of COVID-19 in Houston on March 1, just days before the first confirmed case in the Houston area. Throughout the outbreak, Univision has provided monthly counts on the number of cases in Houston counties, including recoveries and deaths. At the beginning of April, Univision reported that there were at least 989 patients with COVID-19 and seven deaths in Houston. By May, it was reported that businesses reported cuts to salaries and bonuses after the pandemic shutdown. But our analysis found no reports of government programs supporting COVID-19 sick leave and worker’s compensation. Throughout the month of June, coverage shifted from reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic to the Hispanic population uniting with the Black Lives Matter movement for justice and solidarity. Similarly, coverage shifted in the month of July to the disappearance of the U.S. Army soldier Vanessa Guillen. Univision also discussed schools arranging to reopen with a mixture of in-person and virtual instruction despite the ongoing pandemic. In August, in addition to publishing guidelines on living with COVID-19 at home, Univision reported that Hispanic youths were the main demographic getting infected.
The second Spanish-language television network, Telemundo, started mentioning COVID-19 back in January. In contrast to Univision, this platform has not been providing updates on the number of cases in Houston. Telemundo also announced the first death in the United States and protocols on how to protect yourself against the coronavirus in March. By April, guidelines had been published on the necessary steps to take if someone at home has COVID-19. Telemundo also added an interactive map to see how the coronavirus advanced around the world, and, more importantly for individuals, issued directions on how to maintain health insurance after termination of employment due to the pandemic. In June, it was announced that the World Health Organization (WHO) predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic was entering stage three. Telemundo shared a video documentary on how Texas hospitals have been battling the pandemic that included testimonies from COVID-19 patients. By July, a protocol had been announced on how to take care of oneself if someone at home has the coronavirus. The platform also provided information for tourists that have Diversity Visas (DV2020) that expire this year and for those who need to renew their Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). During the month of August, it was announced that the Hispanic and African American communities were being hit the hardest by COVID-19. Besides Telemundo having their own Houston forum, the network also added a web page that included COVID-19 news from Latin American countries. As a whole, Telemundo provided much more valuable information on coronavirus guidelines than Univision.
In comparison, however, the Houston Chronicle, our English-language news source for our analysis and the largest daily newspaper in Houston, provided more complete information on the coronavirus than either Spanish-language news source. Like Telemundo, the Houston Chronicle announced the coronavirus as a new threat to the United States in January. They also provided Houstonians with a specific section for COVID-19 news that included a map tracking cases around Texas. They also included podcasts with daily insights. In March, the newspaper announced that Ron Nirenberg had declared a health emergency after a man infected with the coronavirus went to North Star Mall in San Antonio. By April, a COVID-19 guide was released to the public that included steps on protecting yourself, information on how the coronavirus spreads, social or physical distancing and home isolation. Throughout the month of May, the Chronicle updated readers on new Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines on ways COVID-19 can be transmitted; it also included protocols on what to do when COVID-19 is brought home and listed free COVID-19 testing sites in Houston. The newspaper also gave out instructions on taking care of pets during the coronavirus pandemic from the CDC. In June, Mayor Turner announced a “wall of shame” to discourage certain businesses and services from exceeding 50% indoor occupancy. The accountability wall included a few Hispanic-owned businesses that did not comply with the specified guidelines. By August, it was announced that Houston was providing $20 million for a joint emergency rental aid program to help residents and landlords affected by the pandemic. This also included assistance on how to get $1,200 of COVID-related rent relief in Harris County. Each month, the Houston Chronicle included an article highlighting critical information pertaining to the coronavirus during the previous month.
The results of the research could be skewed because the snapshots for each source are not from the same day. Despite this limitation, the study illustrates the discrepancies between English- and Spanish-language media and the misinformation that has been given to the Hispanic community. Telemundo and Univision, despite their popularity among the Hispanic population, have not shared all the information that has been released regarding COVID-19; they also have delayed rental relief information to businesses and residents. While Telemundo has provided more information than Univision, it has taken both of these platforms at least one month longer to release information than the Houston Chronicle. The Houston Chronicle also announced a multilingual program, “Better Together,” created by the city of Houston and targeted largely toward the Hispanic population to provide valuable information on how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, how to receive aid and a COVID-19 hotline. However, Univision and Telemundo have lacked consistency on announcing this type of information. This negatively affects individuals who don’t speak English and puts them at a great disadvantage — especially when they don’t have interpreters for their language. Many Spanish-speakers are dependent on local Spanish-language TV news and radio stations.
The challenge of COVID-19 should be used to increase equity rather than allow further inequity. This can start by better promoting existing Spanish-language videos created by the city of Houston, which have very few views, and facilitating a series of webinars in Spanish on COVID-19 to Hispanic Houstonians. Multilingual flyers could be passed out in the community in addition to providing translated versions of press conferences or new releases. To address cultural differences or illiteracy in the native language, it is necessary to hire contact tracers from within the ethnic community to disperse information. In addition, we should encourage residents to answer phone calls from the local health department to check on health status, provide referrals for needed services and track the spread of infection in the community. Efforts should also continue to ensure that people understand and identify critical resources, such as COVID-19 relief funds, because many families are currently facing financial struggles.