A publisher in Philadelphia has launched a new magazine called Tek Lado, translated as “tech side,” geared towards Latino techies.
Bartash Media Group is responsible for the new venture and has been in operation for 58 years, printing hundreds of catalogs, magazines, newspapers and niche publications for hundreds of companies from Maine to Alabama
“I love technology, gadgets, smart phones, gaming, graphic novels. I watch Star Trek,” Mel Gomez, director of niche publishing and a self-described geek, said. “Typical Latino publications are often tabloids, either general publications or some sort of (gossip) rag — nothing that speaks to geeks and their different subcultures we have in the U.S.”
Tek Lado is a 32-page technology and pop culture magazine with a print run of 20,000 copies. It features bilingual articles and a “Spanglish” column. The title is also a play on the Spanish word for keyboard (teclado).
“Even though Latinos do use technology, they use print media also,” Gomez said. “They may be old fashioned in that way but they often prefer printed (publications).”
The second edition was released this week and it includes the publisher’s note and articles printed side-by-side in English and Spanish. A first-person report from Chiapas, Mexico, and primer on the Zapatistas revolutionary group there is among the subjects, along with a library grappling with balancing technology and books in a Latino neighborhood. Humor isn’t left out either with one piece touching on a writer’s addiction to playing the Rock Band video game and the history of the word “geek.”
The local scene in Philadelphia is also covered, including tech businesses and pop culture events. Smart phone users can also easily access the magazines content.
“There’s a misconception about the digital divide. … It’s much less than people think,” he said. “Latinos use social media, they use smart phones, they blog, they use social networking sites, they Skype.”
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