You need advertisements to survive. But you are not getting them. They are out there. But they are going elsewhere or to bigger competitors.

 Here’s an idea that can be a long-lasting solution. You form an agreement with similar publications in the same situation. This gives you a much larger audience to present to advertisers.

 This is what six Chicago area Latino newspapers did last year. They formed a coalition called HOPE, Hispanic Owned Publications Enterprise. Together they explain to advertisers that they represent more than 121,000 readers in Chicago and the Suburbs.

 The publications are: Chicago Deportivo, el Dia, el Imparcial, La Prensa, Nuevo Siglo and Teleguia de Chicago. All of them belong to the National Association of Hispanic Publications, http://www.nahp.org

 Officials with the National Association of Hispanic Publications say the Chicago experiment may be the only one of its kind currently taking place in the nation.

“We are Latin owned. All of us. So we can make the argument to advertisers that they helping minorities when they help us,” explains Ezequiel Banda Sifuentes, a co-editor of Nuevo Siglo newspaper. http://www.nuevosiglonews.com

Zeke Montes of Teleguia de Chicago says the idea is based on the national coalition that the National Association of Hispanic Publications has created. He is the new head of HOPE, the Chicago-area coalition.

What has been the difference?

The results have been slim and there have been some problems.

But that does not discourage the group, says Banda Sifuentes.

“We are in a stage of experimentation.  We are more than willing to expand,” says Banda Sifuentes

The publications have also begun sharing articles as a way to expand their resources.

 And that too seems like a very smart lesson in how to survive today.

They can be reached at hope.seis@yahoo.com