Buenos Aires Herald

[rrptownley]

Why don't they simply hire native translators abroad to translate local news into English?

Because of two reasons I can think of: no native translators would work for the salary they offer, and in a newsroom environment you are working fast and under pressure towards a deadline, quite often with the content of the stories in flux being updated while they are being written — that would be impossible to coordinate with remote workers.

They could use some of the native-English students roaming around Palermo SoHo as unpaid interns.

This would be a great solution and I don't know why they don't grab a few interns to do these jobs, like proof reading and reproducing cables.
A reason not to may be experience. The Bubble and the Argentine Independent employ a swarm of foreign student interns but most of them have no clue about Argentina or its intricacies which restricts their use to rehashing cables and writing inapplicable opinion pieces.

 

[Johnny]

Against the tide here but the BAHerald does a better job covering the political situation in Argentina than either Clarin or Pagina12. There isn't much else that they are good at, but they have local politics down. Dan Edwards does a good job with football as well. But that's about it.

 

[RodalfoWalsh]

If you go on Craigslist you can find an endless supply of foriegn students on gap years or in study abroad programs who would be thrilled to translate or edit as interns in exchange for a cellphone plan and a sube card.

It is truly embarrassing what gets printed in that rag and its a shame because it was once a great paper.

 

[sleslie23]

I've known a few Argentines who have worked there and a few other expats who have tried to work there. As far as I know, they only hire people with a DNI without exception.

Also, the wages are very low. However, among Argentines at least, it seems to be a prestigious line on the CV. One of the Argentines was always attending parties at the US ambassador's residence.

 

[sesamosinsal]

Seems things are so bad at the Herald that the reporters are also writing and translating articles on Cristina's blog:

http://www.cfkargent...istory-the-ass/

Thankfully they're not asses or academicians.

 

[Alicia karr]

Sometimes I could swear the Herald online is using Google translate for its English....

 

[AmigoArtistico]

Against the tide here but the BAHerald does a better job covering the political situation in Argentina than either Clarin or Pagina12. There isn't much else that they are good at, but they have local politics down. Dan Edwards does a good job with football as well. But that's about it.

Against the tide, I'm not sure, but I certainly disagree. I think the Herald's coverage of politics is abysmal. So bad, in fact, that many years ago it provided me with a major impetus to really learn Spanish, so I could read La Nación, Perfíl and Clarín (and so, in a perverse way, was a positive influence in my life).

When you can understand it, the Buenos Aires Herald reads like a bad version of Página 12 (the fact that they're printing translations of Cristina Kirshner's Facebook entries should tell you all you need to know).

 

[rrptownley]

I don't think those criticising have read the paper for some time.

I get it every day and it isn't as bad as they are making out.

There are errors though, easily attributed to the fact that all the local and sports news has to be first translated from Spanish to English by non native speakers.

Grammar aside, it does do a great job in reporting on local and Southern Cone news, with some of the country's best Human Rights journalism.
Not mentioning it's relatively neutral stance in the diametric politics of Argentina today.

 

[Alicia karr]

I disagree that it has a neutral stance. It seems pro government to me. You have to read the Spanish language papers (like La Nacion or InfoBae) to understand the differences in how the same news is presented. Sometimes what they omit to say is the most damning...

 

[AmigoArtistico]

I don't think those criticising have read the paper for some time.

I get it every day and it isn't as bad as they are making out.

There are errors though, easily attributed to the fact that all the local and sports news has to be first translated from Spanish to English by non native speakers.

Grammar aside, it does do a great job in reporting on local and Southern Cone news, with some of the country's best Human Rights journalism.
Not mentioning it's relatively neutral stance in the diametric politics of Argentina today.

Richard, I've always enjoyed your posts. But I tried to read the Herald a couple of months ago while waiting for my dinner in Gibraltar, and I had to put it down almost immediately.

Let's see:

relatively neutral stance in the diametric politics of Argentina today ---- publishing translations of Cristina's Facebook posts

relatively neutral stance in the diametric politics of Argentina today ---- publishing translations of Cristina's Facebook posts

relatively neutral stance in the diametric politics of Argentina today ---- publishing translations of Cristina's Facebook posts

Hmmm. I think I have to stick with my original opinion.