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July 7, 2005

Keep the black press independent

Is the black press still necessary? African Americans whose goal is complete assimilation would undoubtedly answer in the negative. Their financial success has enabled them to leave their brethren in the center cities for a more comfortable life in the suburbs. Having climbed the economic ladder they have become emotionally removed from the problems of blacks who are still struggling.

Many harbor the mistaken belief that the battle for racial equality is over. It is easy to be deceived about the status of blacks in America. There has been substantial improvement in race relations in the past 40 years. The battle for civil rights is essentially over. However, thoughtful African Americans have always been concerned with more than the elimination of racial discrimination. The real goal is full equality.

America is a very competitive society. Every ethnic group which landed on our shores has found it necessary to struggle as a group to find a way to earn a living. It did not take long for immigrants to learn that political power and economic success are closely connected.

The black press was an important institution in organizing opposition to the indignity of separate drinking fountains, the denial of access to restaurants and movie theaters, and the rejection of the right to vote. Those were all “in your face” issues which were very easy to understand. Now we live in an age when the issues are far more complex and subtle. Only the black press can be entrusted to unravel these issues and advocate unequivocally for the interests of African Americans.

Unfortunately, the financial progress of African Americans has attracted a number of journalistic carpetbaggers. Community activists focus on the fact that African Americans have an annual income of $682 billion. Yet the black press and other ethnic media get only two percent of advertising dollars. This is a potentially rich market for advertisers.

A recent study of ethnic print media found that 66 percent of readers cite their African American newspaper as the primary or only source of local news. Only 12 percent subscribe to a daily newspaper, and 72 percent frequently purchase products advertised in their black newspaper.

White publishers, attracted by the opportunity of generating advertising revenue, have begun to launch newspapers directed to black readers. In Boston a company from West Roxbury publishes the Peoples’ Voice for Roxbury and in Gainesville, Florida the New York Times plans to launch a newspaper directed toward black readers.

While the black press needs revenue to survive, black papers are much more than a medium for advertisements. It must be remembered that in America competition for success is brutal. Blacks need the advocacy of a demanding press to get their share of the pie.

Just as important, the black press is the primary recourse to rebut the negative distortions of blacks that are constantly published in the major media. For example, although two-thirds of the nation’s poor are white, a study found that stories about blacks were used by the major media 62 percent of the time. Such distortions are damaging to both blacks and whites.

The two forms of secular power are politics and wealth. Blacks will be unable to organize politically without their press. Without a strong political base the development of wealth will be more difficult. A strong black press will definitely be needed if blacks are to become empowered in America.

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