Spanish Language News Coverage and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Inequities in News Media Reporting.

COVID-19 continues to disproportionately impact the health of Hispanics/Latinos. While Hispanics/Latinos are considered one of the fastest-growing racial/ethnic groups, media news coverage in Spanish concerning COVID-19 is stunningly low. The Hispanic/Latino population comprises close to 25% of COVID-19 cases and 17% of COVID-19 deaths. Lack of access to Spanish news coverage and limited attention to Spanish-speaking Hispanics/Latinos has created inconsistent messaging about COVID-19. Improving public health media initiatives for the Hispanic/Latino population should focus on increasing Spanish news coverage to respond against systematic discrimination, misinformation, fear, and vaccine hesitancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]