Newsman behind Al Dia's niche success

Last week, a group of Latino officeholders and community leaders in Philadelphia made headlines when they bypassed Latino candidate Nelson A. Diaz to endorse former City Councilman James F. Kenney for mayor.

Al Dia, one of the region's leading Hispanic publications, reported on the brouhaha but didn't take any position on the candidates on its editorial pages.

"We haven't endorsed candidates in a decade," said Al Dia's founder and owner, Hernan Guaracao, 55.

"We would like to stick to the Latin American tradition of not endorsing candidates," he said. "I don't think it's that important. I don't think Al Dia has that much effect."

That doesn't mean Al Dia isn't working to make its mark on the forthcoming mayoral election. Last month, it hosted a primary event, "In Conversation with Philadelphia: A Discussion Between the Mayoral Candidates, the Media, and the City," that was sold out.

"As a rule, Hispanics come when they are invited," he said. "I think more people would come and participate if there is more outreach by the people who are in [politics]."

Question: It wasn't too long ago that Philadelphia elected its first African American mayor. Can you foresee a day when Philadelphia's Latinos will become a big power bloc?

Answer: I think it's inevitable.

Q: In Colombia, where you grew up, politics could be dangerous.

A: There's more stability here, and I think it's a better place to be involved in politics.

Q: When you started your journalism career, Colombia was in the grip of drug warlords.

A: Then it was a profession, because of the state of the country, that could be challenging. Before me, there was a long history of people who had challenges of staying alive sometimes.

Q: Did you face that challenge?

A: In Colombia, yes I did. My first job in the paper was covering the courts and the police. That's how I learned how to write fast and think fast.

Q: Did anybody ever directly threaten you?

A: Yes. It's not a big deal. It was part of life, part of the job.

Q: You started Al Dia as an eight-page newsletter, circulation 1,000, covering part of Olney.

A: I [had] applied for a job with the Daily [Philadelphia] News and the Miami Herald. I ended up applying for a neighborhood publication here in Philadelphia, a Spanish publication. [With a graduate degree], I was too educated and trained for the Spanish publication, but I didn't have all the credentials for the Miami Herald. I hadn't written for an English-language publication.

Q: Having a niche audience seems like a plus these days.

A: It is, as audiences have become more fragmented, and publications have a harder time to claim a reach over the whole city. I think the niche publications have a role to fill. We try to convince [advertisers] that they need to reach a market that is growing all over the city. No company in Philadelphia, or in the country, can afford to ignore the Spanish market without risking collapsing 10 years from now.

Q: What do you like to do?

A: Conversation. I think we need to cultivate more the art of conversation in this country - when you open up to another person completely and another person opens up to you.

Q: Do you have friends you feel you can do that with?

A: Yes, but they are all busy. They are running businesses. They all have their careers. It's hard to catch people and say, 'Let's spend time.' I think the greatest gift you can give to somebody is your time.

Title: Founder, chief executive, Al Dia News Media Inc.

Family: Wife, Elizabeth; daughters Gabriela, 27, Anna, 16.

Home: Abington Township.

Grew up: Bogota, Colombia.

Diplomas: University of Bogota, University of Iowa.

True confession: Has never eaten a Philly cheesesteak. "I don't think I will. Too much food and ingredients."

Why journalism: An act of rebellion. His brothers were engineers and he wanted to do something different. EndText

Where: Philadelphia.

Business: Newspaper, website serving area's Latino community.

Circulation: 40,000.

Employees: 18 to 20.

Ownership: Guaracao is the owner.

History: Founded in 1991 as an eight-page newsletter in Olney.

Print language: Spanish.

On the Web:

English and Spanish.

In the office: English. EndText

Talking about talking, with Al Dia's Hernan Guaracao. www.philly.com/jobbing

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