My work
as a journalist and a communicator
is something that I have in blood.
It runs in my veins.
... confirm script.
- Okay, let’s get started.
- It’s a passion for me.
- It's 6 p.m.
time for Jaime Mendez News.
- Here are some of the important news of the day
- From his home studio, Jaime Mendez anchors
the only online Spanish language newscast in Washington state.
“... A blow to Washington State.”
- Why it's important to have a Spanish language platform more than anything
is to be able to be informed.
- I talk to people. I tell them the truth.
- In these times,
many in the Spanish speaking community are on edge.
- People are living in fear,
and we need someone we trust to be able to explain things to us.
- People wantto hear what’s reall hapening.
Because we are completley exposed to fake news.
Fake news as they say in English.
- We are going to do the last 2 pages together tomorrow.
- Latinos make up
about 14% of Washington state's population, around 1.1
million people, making them the state's second largest ethnic group.
More than half of Latinos in Washington speak Spanish at home,
making Spanish the state's second most spoken language.
Amid ICE raids, deportations
and rising anti-immigrant sentiment.
Jaime Mendez wants his newscast, to be a trusted source of information.
- It's like a bittersweet feeling because our audience has exponentially
grown, but at the same time is because of the bad news.
- Mendez understands the stress and anxiety
among many in his audience because he's been there.
- I am an immigrant, and I understand the experience of a lot of people.
And when I compare my experience to the the stories that I hear, I heard it easy.
- Jaime Mendez was born and raised in Colombia.
He came to the United States in 1987.
It wasn't easy.
He didn't speak English and worked a series of low paying jobs.
- I went through a lot of crap
before I
was able to say, okay, yeah, I'm I'm stable now.
I'm settled in this country.
- Mendez made his way to the Northwest, and as his English improved,
he enrolled at Evergreen State College, where he earned a degree.
He started working in Spanish language radio and became a U.S.
citizen.
- And I started just talking about issues, community issues,
you know, education, health, the economy, you know, all these things.
And that's how I got my foot on the door.
- In 2007, Mendez was asked to record an anchor audition for the first
locally produced Spanish language television newscast in Seattle.
- On the audition, somebody said, I think you're going to get the job.
And I'm like, oh, I thought, because I'm really good camera.
He was like, no,
because you have anchors hair, meaning a lot of hair and very thick
Welcome to Northwest News.
My name is Jaime Mendez.
- That good hair, talent and strong community connection paid off.
Mendez got the job.
He went on to hold the main anchor role for the next 17 years.
- People know him when they approach him.
They approach him like it's part of the family.
He is the same to them, even though probably some of them he'd never met
before.
- I’ve always felt very attached to
to immigrants, to my audience, I understand their problems.
I've been through that.
I came to this country.
- But in November 2023, Sinclair Broadcast Group announced
it would end its affiliation with Univision in Seattle,
resulting in the cancellation of the area's only
local Spanish language newscast at the end of the year.
- That last day was it was a tough day, being so long out of place, you know,
doing a job that I love to do, building up on that job for such a long time.
“My name is Jaime Mendez....”
And then that's the last day you're doing it.
“Thank you... for everything.”
- That was the end of one chapter.
Another was about to begin.
- We came up with the idea of, setting up Se Habla Media to offer our information
in Spanish for the, Latino and Hispanic community in Washington state.
This is something that we both, love doing.
- Through Se Habla Media, an independent media company,
they would continue to produce a Spanish language newscast
and other content for distribution online,
where they would have plenty of flexibility.
- “Oh boy.”
- On January 1st, 2024, the company was launched
with the premiere of Jaime Mendez News.
- No tie today, no blazer
and pizza socks, no shoes.
Really!
-”3...2...1...”
- Jaime Mendez News is a production of
Se Habla Media.
- Our first sponsor for this program,
which kicks off today on New Year’s Day.
Happy New Year to everyone.
People are watching.
This is the first one is the first one of every off everything.
I've never done a newscast from my house.
(Sigh)
- Since then, they've added
freelance reporters locally and in Mexico to broaden coverage.
New sponsors and partnerships have been developed, allowing the team
to expand their content with podcasts and live online interviews.
- We do every Wednesday at 10 a.m.
it's live, and we try to, bring experts on different topics that we see
the audience is kind of having a need.
- They talk about immigrant rights, scams, targeting
immigrants, taxes, finances, education.
- Mental health is a big one.
- It's more important to connect these personas.
- In these unpredictable times,
the Spanish speaking community needs reliable reporting more than ever.
- And I heard that there have been, immigration activities
in my own community.
I didn't know if that was true or it wasn't true.
And what did I go?
Jaime Mendez News, and there it was
that there had been an operation done in my community.
- People are looking at us and going, like, I know these guys are telling us
the truth.
They're not just trying to make it even more explosive
and more sensationalistic about, oh, they're telling us what it is,.
Thank you for your support, see you tomoorow...
and don’t let the news die.