Mission & Story
El Tímpano—Spanish for “eardrum”—informs, engages, and amplifies the voices of the Bay Area’s Latino and Mayan immigrants
Through innovative approaches to local journalism and civic engagement, El Tímpano surfaces community members’ stories and questions on local and national issues, provides news and information relevant to their needs, and investigates the concerns they bring to our attention.
El Tímpano launched in 2018 after a 9-month participatory design process that involved hundreds of residents and dozens of community leaders from Oakland’s Latino and Mayan immigrant communities.
All of our editorial priorities and distribution strategies have been shaped by what we heard, and by ongoing conversations with the communities we cover and serve.
Our approaches to community-centered reporting include creative in-person engagement—like a community microphone we’ve taken to libraries, laundromats, and street corners across East Oakland—and a text-message platform that provides actionable local news and participatory reporting. Our journalism is powered by the thousands of Latino and Mayan immigrants from across the Bay Area who trust us with their questions, stories, and concerns.
El Tímpano’s text-messaging platform and community microphone were both inspired by the Listening Post model of participatory journalism.
Awards & Recognition
El Tímpano has been described as a model and inspiration by peers and media leaders across the country for our innovative approach to equitable local media.
El Tímpano is changing the game, innovating in every area — in community engagement and accountability, reporting, partnerships, use of technology, and revenue strategy.
LION Publishers award judges
2022 Silver Heart Award from Society of Professional Journalists, Northern California Chapter
2021 Online News Association Gather Award for Community-Engaged Journalism
2021 Publisher of the Year Award from Local Independent Online News Publishers
2021 Innovation Award from Ethnic Media Services
2021 Collaboration of the Year from Local Independent Online News Publishers
2021 Community Engagement and Service Award from Local Independent Online News Publishers
2020 Public Service Award from Local Independent Online News Publishers
Described as an “Outstanding Innovation Model” in the 2019 Latino News Media Report
In the news
El Tímpano, the Oakland news outlet for Spanish speakers that’s serving an isolated Bay Area
SF Gate, November 2022
Will misinformation keep Latinos from voting in the midterms?
The Washington Post, September 2022
Roadblocks to Resources for the East Bay’s Latinx and Maya Mam Immigrants
KQED’s Forum, August 2022
Inside the ‘big wave’ of misinformation targeted at Latinos
Associated Press, December 2021
Journalism at your service: How newsrooms help readers with everyday lives
Northwestern Local News Initiative, May 2021
Get to know the newsrooms focused on elevating Latinx voices in the U.S.
Nieman Reports, March, 2021
How El Tímpano passes the mic to Spanish-speaking and Indigenous immigrant communities
The Oaklandside, June 2020
The State of Latino News Media: Outstanding Innovation Models
Craig Newmark School of Journalism, June 2019
How a local journalist is trying to better understand and serve Oakland’s Latino immigrant community
The Lenfest Institute Solution Set newsletter, October 2018