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Marcello Marini of KTMD TV Telemundo 47 teaches students to "think globally and act locally."

(October 30, 2006) According to U.S. Census projections the Hispanic population will reach 47.8 million by 2010 - up 20 percent in just seven years.

And, Hispanics are watching television in record numbers.   A recent poll found that 87 percent of all Hispanics access Spanish-language media regularly.

That is good news for Marcello Marini, community affairs director for KTMD Telemundo 47.   He teaches a bilingual journalism class where he is part academician and part storyteller.

"Bilingual journalism is a profession that truly reaches out to the community - locally and nationally - to make this world a better place to live," said Marini.   "It is one of the fastest growing careers of tomorrow."

Every Monday night he imparts facts and figures about the Hispanic market, and regales his students with anecdotes of real-life situations.

The upper division class is part of one of UHD's newest programs in Spanish.   The Bachelor of Arts degree is designed for professionals who choose a field of academic study tailored to their professional goals.

"This class is really interesting," said Stephanie Zarate, a bilingual education major and one of Marini's students.  "It teaches us how to use our imagination and bring it to life through television and radio.  I am glad I have the opportunity to take this class and have a professor who has been in the journalism business for such a long time."

Zarate and her colleagues learn about what goes on behind as well as in front of the camera, participate in mock commercials, and visit with Spanish-language broadcast professionals.

Assignments are designed to teach students techniques in investigative research, writing and reporting.   Students also learn to identify common miscommunications in the Spanish language and how to avoid them.

Marini encourages students to "think globally, act locally."   Using the quote made famous by Rene Dubos, an American microbiologist and Renaissance man of the twentieth century, Marini shares more than his knowledge of Spanish-language journalism.   He teaches people how to look at the world with different lenses, to observe and analyze.   His thinking is that words can be used to change the world for the better and that journalists are responsible for using that power appropriately.

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