APM Reports, the award-winning national investigative journalism division of MPR News, in partnership with Univision, is offering a Spanish translation of its groundbreaking podcast “Sold a Story.” Released today, “Sold a Story en español” is available on all podcast platforms and at soldastory.es. The podcast, produced in collaboration with Shake it Easy Media, will also go out to Univision listeners through its Uforia App, Uforia Podcasts YouTube channel and its main news podcast, Univision Noticias.
Sold a Story has captivated audiences with its in-depth investigation into the flaws of conventional reading instruction methods in American schools. Hosted by acclaimed reporter Emily Hanford, the podcast has become a catalyst for reform, inspiring fifteen states and counting to revise their educational policies.
“Sold a Story is about shedding light on a critical issue in education,” said Hanford. “Expanding into Spanish allows us to reach an even broader audience, including the millions of Spanish-speaking families who are directly impacted by the challenges we explore.”
The statistics underscore the urgency of the podcast’s message. According to recent data, half of Hispanic fourth graders struggle to read at a basic level, highlighting the pressing need for more effective instruction.
Episode one of “Sold a Story en español” is a condensed version of the six-episode podcast. It is hosted by bilingual journalist Valeria Fernández, who was especially drawn to the project because she is in the process of choosing a school for her four-year-old son. This episode will also be available for free to public radio stations.
Episode two is about the special challenges facing Spanish-speaking families whose children are learning to read English at school. Fernández and Hanford discuss questions parents can ask to determine how their child is being taught and ways to advocate for a child who is struggling. Hanford’s voice is dubbed into Spanish by actress Laura Gómez, well-known for her work on the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.
