Puerto Rico Daily Sun

Got to buy my first edition while here in PR. The Puerto Rico Daily Sun, is a refreshing guilt free newspaper! Just as we feel good when we recycle, reuse, and reduce, because we are doing something positive for the environment and our community, I feel good when I buy the Puerto Rico Daily Sun. This newspaper is a cooperative effort of so many news people who were mistreated and misrepresented by those who administered the former English speaking newspaper for which they worked . The look is clean and sleek and full of pertinent and relevant news related to Puerto Rico's economy, government, and social life. Everyday this newspaper will grow thicker and thicker as people realize that this is a community effort to help Puerto Rico link itself with the rest of the world using English as a lingua franca. Just 50 cents will do this. So go ahead and have a good read.
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Comments

Elba said…
Your comments are well taken but they assume, from the idea that using English as a lingua franca is equivalent to that " everyone speaks English." That is not the case. I teach English as a second language, so I don't have to go too far to prove that. When the Portuguese used Pidgeon as a lingua franca, it was for a limited and commercial purpose. Not everyone has to speak a language for it to be used as a lingua franca, just the people who need it to communicate in a particular endeavor. Yet we can not deny that English is spoken world wide be it in a limited fashion especially for economic purposes. That is not to say there are many other languages that are widely used, and that is why so many languages are taught cross culturally. Puerto Rico, in relation to the intent of this blog entry, has a special relationship with the United States which necessitates an English language newspaper for political, economic, and social reasons. Though English is a very well known language, its use as a lingua franca, is a matter of convenience and not whether it is fair or not, is not the issue but a reality. Then to open the dialogue for all, translations need to exist. I have had many people come to read my blog for example from Germany, China, Peru, Spain, Slovania and have used translation tools to be able to access what I have written. Of course, these are literal translations, but that is what is available. But yes, this global economy and community does require a way for all of us to be able to communicate and your comments open the floor for more discussion on how to improve communication. We are so used to immediate gratification in this age of fast foods and technology, we tend to forget that languages are not simply carriers of simple daily thoughts but also a purveyor of a society's world vision and culture.
Anonymous said…
FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION

Contact: Marisol Lora Cruz
Telephone: 787-630-7522
E-mail: mlora@prdailysun.net

Puerto Rico Daily Sun, the island’s only English-language daily newspaper,
marks its 1st Anniversary
October 22, 2009 – It was a year ago today that a group of 90 newspaper professionals showed its entrepreneurial spirit, launching the Puerto Rico Daily Sun, the island’s only English-language daily newspaper. For the last 12 months, the award-winning publication has kept readers informed of all of the island’s major news events with a keen and objective eye.
The newspaper’s first year is just the latest milestone for the publication that is operated as a cooperative of workers, who incorporated as Cooperativa Prensa Unida, joining the island’s thriving cooperative movement.
Since launching in October 2008, the newspaper’s circulation has tripled to 35,000 daily editions seven days a week. The publication is sold at more than 1,300 points of sale, including stoplights and retail establishments in all 78 municipalities, according to information certified by Distribution Integrated Services Inc. The Puerto Rico Daily Sun is also sold in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“I must congratulate all of the employees of the Puerto Rico Daily Sun for their effort and courage to develop this project, which began a year ago,” said Marisol Lora Cruz, Executive Editor of the Puerto Rico Daily Sun. “I am grateful to each one of them, as well as to all of the people who in one way or another have supported us during this first year.”
While the publication is young, its staff of reporters and photojournalists is experienced and, over the past year, has demonstrated its ability to pursue the story, earning several awards for their work. In June, the Puerto Rico Photojournalists Association bestowed honorary mentions to photographers Francesca von Rabenau O’Reilly and Humberto Trías, while reporter Xavira Neggers earned the award for best spot news reporting from the Overseas Press Club in August. Early in the year, the newspaper’s Economy team received a special recognition from the Small Business Administration, for reporting on relevant issues to that segment of society.

“We are committed to continue offering serious reporting to benefit our Island and to offer a real alternative to our readers and advertisers,” Lora Cruz said.
Next on the agenda is launching our much-anticipated Web site, through which the Puerto Rico Daily Sun will offer readers — on the island and abroad — the ability to read the newspaper online.
“The Daily Sun is entering into a second phase of it's presence in Puerto Rico as a key news information vehicle,” said Rafael Matos, Editor of the Puerto Rico Daily Sun. “We are now working with the digital edition which will give the Daily Sun and its readers, editors, reporters, photographers and advertiser a news window about Puerto Rico, on a global scale."

The cooperative newspaper concept

The Puerto Rico Daily Sun is the first local daily newspaper formed under the cooperative concept, joining the island’s vibrant cooperative community, an important sector of the economy that creates thousands of jobs and significant amounts of goodwill. Cooperatives contribute greatly to the island’s economy, generating some $6.6 billion in assets deposited in 133 financial institutions.

On the U.S. mainland, newspapers dating back to the 1930s have been established and operated successfully under the cooperative concept. For example, “The Greenbelt News Review” in Maryland has been published weekly without interruptions since its establishment in 1937.

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Elba said…
Dear Puerto Rico Daily Sun:

How absolutely delightful to hear about your progress. I must say that I already knew, since I have friends there, but your achievements are well worth mentioning and I am so proud that you took the time to share them on my blog. Many people doing a search for your newspaper stop by my blog and take a look at this entry, but what they are really looking for,and anxiously waiting for, is for the online version. There are over 3 million Puerto Ricans stateside that care deeply about Puerto Rico, not to mention all those Americans who love the island or have vested interest in its well being. So the news that the online version is not far off is great. Congratulations on your hard fought exemplary first year anniversary "y que cumplan muchos mas!" Felicidades!

Sincerely,

Elba Vazquez Morales

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