Newspaper Page Text
The Augusta News-Review February 16,1985
Black Newspapers Continue To Grow
Maybe it can be attributed to the
information age. Maybe it’s better
management and production.
Today’s Black is growing, with
newspapers numbering more than
320 and circulation exceeding 6
million in the nation, according to
Dr. James Tinney, a journalism
professor at Howard University’s
School of Communications.
In a five-year study of Black
newspapers, Tinney has identified
double the industry estimate of
some 160 Black newspapers. There
has been a “constant, gradual up
swing,” he says, discounting the
general notion that Black press cir
culation has fallen off since its
heyday in the ’4o’s.
Some papers have experienced a
marked increase in circulation and
readership during the last two
years, says Steve Davis, executive
director of the National Publisher
s Association, with a membership
of about 138 Black papers. He
points to the Philadelphia’
Tribune, Cleveland Call and Post
and the Westside Gazette in Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., to name a few.
Greater Black interest in events
of the day may account in part for
the increase, he notes. “There is a
feeling of getting a complete story
from a Black perspective.”
Moreover, Davis says, generally
the quality of the product has im
proved, national advertising is up
and “smart” management
techniques are being applied.
Tinney found in his study, yet to
be published, trends that may ex
plain the surge in national adver
tising and overall growth.
A number of Black newspapers
today are relying on advertising
representatives can guarantee that
an ad will run in several Black
papers rather than one, resachine a
larger audience.
Tinney notes that the cor
porations probably prefer doing
business this way and the Black
papers benefit from not having to
carry large sales and advertising
staffs.
Another trend is the advent of
the magazine supplement to serve
as a medium for national adver
tising. Black magazine inserts,
many of which are entertainment
Quincy Robertson elected to
board of directors
Mr. Quincy L. Robertson, Vice
President of Administrative and
Fiscal Affairs for Paine College,
was recently elected to the board
of directors of the Educational
and Institutional Insurance Ad
ministrators, Inc.
Headquartered in Chicago, this
organizational body formulates
policy governing insurance
coverage for the Methodist
affiliated educational institutions
throughout the country. Included
in the types of coverage ad
ministered are group health in
surance for employees, student in-
Paine alumni to sponsor Purple and White Ball
The Augusta Chapter of the
Paine College Alumni Association
will sponsor the Purple and White
Ball on Feb. 22, from 10 p.m. to 2
a.m., at the Red Carpet Inn, 444
Broad St. at the Gordon Highway.
This annual fund-raising event
is to benefit Paine Collede. Music
will be porvided by the Will Noble
Affair.
Local clubs, organizations, and
other colleges’ alumni are en
couraged to sponsor a table of
INVITATION
SERVICE BID
The Oconee Area Planning and Dev
elopment Commission-Area Agency
on Aging is receiving competitive sealed
bids to provide Title II Nutrition
Program meals for the elderly.
Sealed bids for preparing and deliver
ing meals will be receaved at the Office
of the Oconee Area Planning nad Dev-1
lopment Commission - Area Agency!
on Aging, P.O. Box 707, Milledgeville, i
Georgia 31061, until March 4, 1985 J
at 2:00 p.m.
All conditions, stipulations, and
specifications relevant to the Title 111
Nutrition Program may be obtained by
contacting:
Melinda Edwards, AAA Director
Oconee APDC—Area Agency
on Agino
P.O. Box 707
Milledgeville, GA 31061
(912) 453-5327
This agency reserves the right to reject
any and all bids.
, u _ __ v «■,■
Support
the
NAACP
Page 8
oriented, are “really
proliferating”, he says.
Dawn magazine, published by
the Afro-American Newspapers
and distributed to some 40 Black
papers, is an example of an insert
that carries national advertising,
he points out.
Still another trend is an increase
in newspaper chains or groups. A
number of papers are publishing
seperate editions for more than
one city within their respective
state,such as the Hartford Inquirer
(four Connecticut papers),
Sacramento Observer (three
California papers and the Baton
Rouge Community Leader (five
Louisiana papers).
Tinney has also found Black
owned bilingual papers in Texas,
California, Florida and New
York.
“i think this is real positive”, he
says, regarding the formulation of
linkages between Blacks and other
ethnic groups.
But one of the problems Blacks
papers face is getting Black com
mercial establishments to adver
tise, Tinney stresses.
Today, Black papers can be
found in every state except North
Dakota, South Dakota, Idaho and
Wyoming, says the professor, a
former editor of the Washington
Afro-American and assistant
editor of the Kansas City Call,
both Black papers.
Some cities have a number of
competing Black papers, basically
trying to appeal to the same target
population. In Chicago, Tinney
there are a dozen; in St. Louis, six;
in Washington, six; and in Kansas
City, three.
Tinney notes that finding the
more than 320 Black papers took
quite a bit of “digging” on his part
and that he was assisted by student
researchers. He admits that it is dif
ficult to verify circulation of Black
papers since only about one-sixth
are audited, adding that a “con
servative estimate” of circulation
between 6 million to 7.5 million.
The industry estimates more than
4.5 million.
He has found papers that aren’t
listed in the major industry
publication, Editor & Publisher
sruance, and property and
casualty.
A Paine College employee for
16 years, Robertson joined the
staff in 1968 as the Director of the
Unwjard Bound -Drogram. Two
years later, he became the
school’s business manager and in
1983 he assumed his current
responsibilities as the chief fiscal
officer.
Mr. Robertson will serve a one
year term with the seven-member
board, which meets three times
annually.
ten(10). Donations are $5.
For further information please
calll the Paine College Alumni
House at 722-4679.
When Benson's
in charge, it's an uproarious
state of affairs!
AFTERNOONS
AT 5:30
WJBffi]
Yearbook.
For example, the 1984 edition
Jists only one Black paper in Buf
falo— the Buffalo Challenger.
Penney has identenfied two others:
.he Buffalo Criterion and the Buf
falo Fine Print.
In Washington Tinnev also
found two more me
Washington Sun and D.C. Talk in
addition to the four that are listed.
Often the papers are not in-
B jfl
The National 11
Newspaper Publishers Association, which represents more
than 200 Black newspapers in the country, held its annual
Mid-winter Workshop last week in Palm Springs, Califor
nia. Shown at the dinner sponsored by Anheuser-Busch,
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In 1909, a black man was on top of the world. i
4 *
i
i Fhe man was Matthew Henson. j
As a member of Admiral Peary’s expedition, he planted the ;
American flag at the North Pole on April 6th, 1909. ;
Henson is one of many black Americans to break new ground.
Fhe second book published by a woman in America was written
by a black woman, Phillis Wheatley, in 1773. She was commended
by President Washington.
In 1893, at Provident Hospital in Chicago, Dr. Daniel Hale
Williams performed the first successful heart operation. i
Seventeen years ago, Thurgood Marshall was appointed Justice
to the Supreme Court by President Johnson.
Black History Month is a time to honor accomplished men and
women of the past.
And a time to look ahead to many accomplishments i
in the futui 'o* SSi'- Photograph Courtesy Archive! of The Exptortr* Club. j
= =?=”= *
eluded in the E&P Yearbook are
found in mom and pop stores in
the Black community, he em
phasizes. And many are give
aways or controlled circulation
papers that generally depend on
local advertising.
Most Black are weeklies, and
many are family owned and
operated. There are only three
dailies— the Chicago Daily Defen
der, Atlanta Daily World and the
New York Daily Challenge.
There are about 12 “semi
weeklies”, published twice a week.
And there’s a monthly
“magpaper”, The National
Leader combining the charac
teristics of both a newspaper and
magazine. The paper started in
1982 as a weekly tabloid, says Tin
ney, who served as its religion
editor.
From 1827 to today, there have
Inc are (l-r): Charles W. Cherry, Publisher of the Daytona
Times; Clovis Campbell, Publisher of the Arizona Infor
mant; Chris Bennett, President of NNPA and Benjamin
L. Hooks, Executive Director of the NAACP
been more than 3,000 Black
newspapers. But many Black
papers are short-lived, he says,
noting that his project included
writing up the histories of more
than 200 of the nation’s Black
papers.
One of the newest papers is the
Citv Sun in New York. Tinney
says the paper shows promise,
which is how he describes the