Learn Hardcore Spanish (Latin America): Mi prima escribe una crítica honesta sobre esa injusticia en la prensa local. - My cousin writes an honest critique about that injustice in the local press.

In Spanish, when you talk about a family member in a general, identifying way, you normally use a possessive adjective (mi, tu, su, etc.) without an article:

Mi prima = my (female) cousin
La prima = the cousin (doesn’t say whose cousin)

You don’t double it like mi prima mía. That sounds unnatural in this context.

Also note: prima is specifically the female cousin; primo is the male cousin.

Why is it escribe and not está escribiendo?

Spanish uses the simple present (escribe) more broadly than English. It can express:

A habitual action: Mi prima escribe críticas honestas… = My cousin writes honest critiques…
A current, ongoing action in a general way.

If you want to stress that she is in the middle of writing it right now, you could say:

Mi prima está escribiendo una crítica honesta… = My cousin is writing an honest critique…

In many real contexts, escribe can correspond to English “writes” or “is writing”, depending on the situation.

What does crítica mean here, and why is it feminine?

Crítica is a feminine noun that can mean:

a review (of a book, movie, etc.)
a critique or critical article
criticism (the act of criticizing)

It’s feminine because its grammatical gender is feminine: la crítica, una crítica.
The masculine form crítico is usually:

an adjective: un comentario crítico = a critical comment
a person (a critic): un crítico de cine = a film critic

So:

una crítica honesta = an honest critique / review / criticism

Why does the adjective come after the noun in una crítica honesta and not before, like in English?

In Spanish, the default order is noun + adjective:

una crítica honesta = literally a critique honest
un libro interesante = an interesting book

Putting the adjective before the noun can add emphasis or change the nuance, and it’s less neutral:

una honesta crítica is possible, but it sounds a bit more marked or literary, emphasizing honest more strongly.

For learners, it’s safest to stick to noun + adjective as the normal pattern.

Why is it sobre esa injusticia and not de esa injusticia?

Both sobre and de can relate to the idea of “about,” but:

sobre usually means about / on the subject of (more neutral/academic):
- una crítica sobre esa injusticia = a critique about that injustice
de often has a broader “of / about / from” sense, and can sound more general or vague here.

In this sentence, sobre emphasizes that the critique’s topic is that injustice, which fits well with writing an article or review.

What nuance does esa injusticia have compared to esta injusticia or la injusticia?

esa injusticia = that injustice
- Refers to a specific injustice that is not right here (in space, time, or discourse), but is already known to both speaker and listener. It could be something mentioned earlier or well-known in the community.
esta injusticia = this injustice, closer to the speaker (physically, in time, or in the current discussion).
la injusticia = the injustice (also specific/known, but without the “this/that” pointing nuance).

Using esa often suggests: “you know which particular injustice I mean (that one).”

Does injusticia mean a single unfair act, or injustice in general?

Injusticia can be:

A specific unjust act or situation (countable):
- Esa injusticia = that specific injustice
The concept of injustice in general (abstract):
- La injusticia es un problema social. = Injustice is a social problem.

In this sentence, because of esa, it clearly refers to a particular case or situation that is perceived as unfair.

What exactly does prensa mean in la prensa local?

Prensa is a collective noun meaning the press or the news media, especially printed or journalistic media:

la prensa = the press / the media
la prensa local = the local press / local media

It doesn’t usually mean one single newspaper; it refers to the sector or outlets as a group.
If you want to say “in the local newspaper” specifically, you’d often use:

en el periódico local

Why is there a definite article in la prensa local but not in English (“in local press”)?

Spanish tends to use the definite article more frequently with general or abstract nouns:

la prensa local = literally the local press
la educación, la libertad, la salud = education, freedom, health

So while English often drops “the” in general expressions, Spanish keeps el / la / los / las:

en la prensa local = in the local press
If you say just en prensa local, it sounds incomplete or unidiomatic in standard Spanish.

Could I say Mi prima escribe una reseña honesta instead of una crítica honesta?

Yes, but the nuance changes slightly:

crítica often emphasizes a critical analysis, possibly pointing out problems or judging something.
reseña is more like a review/summary, often used for books, movies, events, etc., and can be more neutral or descriptive.

In Latin American Spanish, both crítica and reseña are common for a review, but crítica suggests more evaluative, analytical content.

Could I also say Mi prima hace una crítica honesta instead of escribe? What’s the difference?

Yes, you can say:

Mi prima hace una crítica honesta… = My cousin makes an honest critique…

Differences:

escribe focuses on the action of writing (it’s a written piece, like an article).
hace focuses on the act of criticizing or forming the critique, which might or might not be written (it could be spoken).

Because the sentence mentions en la prensa local, using escribe highlights that it is a written article in the media, which fits very well.

Why isn’t there a personal a before una crítica?

The personal “a” in Spanish is used mainly before direct objects that are people (or personified animals):

Veo a mi prima. = I see my cousin.

Here, una crítica honesta is a thing (a critique/article), not a person. So no a is needed:

Mi prima escribe una crítica honesta… ✅
Mi prima escribe a una crítica honesta… ❌ (ungrammatical, and would sound like she’s writing to a person called “crítica,” which makes no sense).