Among other occupations pursued by Galicians in their American emigration were positions in the service sector; some qualified emigrants opted for journalism, which in many cases they combined with teaching positions.

The birth of the Galician press in this emigration context can be dated to 1879, when the short-lived El Gallego was founded as the unofficial journal of the Centro Gallego of Buenos Aires by its vice-president César, Cisneros Luces (a man with journalistic experience gained in Cuba and Uruguay).

The Galician press experienced a substantial development in Cuba, the main recipient of Galician emigrants in the 19th century. In Havana, Waldo Álvarez Insua commenced El eco de Galicia in 1878; this newspaper was to become influential not only among emigrants but also within Galicia. It was El Eco de Galicia which put forward the idea of a Centro Gallego, established in 1879. The Galician-language A gaita gallega appeared from 1885 to 1889 under the direction of Manuel Lugrís Freire and Ramón Armada Teixeiro, both of whom would later have major literary careers; a weekly Galicia moderna appeared from 1885 to 1890. The poet Manuel Curros Enríquez, immediately after his move to Havana in 1894, assumed the leadership of La tierra gallega, then went on to work for the Diario de la marina, which throughout its long run (1844-1960) played an important role in Cuba’s political life.

In Buenos Aires, two Galician journalists stand out. Fortunato Cruces Angueira was founding editor of the long-running Nova Galicia from 1901 until 1951. José R. Lence was the perpetual editor-in-chief of Correo de Galicia, which saw the light in 1908 and became the most widespread Galician publication in the Americas.

An important role was played by the periodical publications of the large mutual-aid institutions for Galician emigrants. El despertar gallego was launched in 1922 by the Federación de Sociedades Gallegas of Buenos Aires; some of its editors-in-chief were important figures of the Galician colony. In 1930, it changed its name to Galicia. In 1907, the Buenos Aires Centro Gallego started its periodical, Región galaica: A boletín oficial del Centro Gallego started to appear in 1913; its name was changed to Galicia in 1926.

These America-based Galician publications kept emigrants informed of current affairs both in their host country and in Galicia. Their influence within Galicia tended to support a Galicianist, anti-cacique position – thus with el Emigrado, published in A Estrada, Pontevedra, and financed since 1920 by the emigrants in Havana who came from this town.