Historical Black Press Foundation
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The Historical Black Press Foundation is an organization that represents and is focused on the Black Press.
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[edit] Overview
Founded in 1827, for generations the Black Press has existed as a civil rights watchdog documenting the wrong doings against the Black community. This civic journalism, while important to the social preservation of the community, has affected the industry’s ability to produce in-depth articles, sell advertising, as well as operate viable newspapers.
However, today the Black Press suffers from an identity crisis. Many historically Black newspapers lacked the quality, standards, staff, or training to make them competitive with other newspapers in their market. Thanks to the efforts of the Historical Black Press Foundation and organizations like it, the image and market value of the Black Press is stronger than it has been in years.
In order to restore the Black Press to its honored tradition, an organization formally called the Historical Black Press Foundation, which is based in Washington, DC, is working to improve the image of the Black Press by creating Web sites, publications and writing opinion editorials highlighting the accomplishments of the industry. Founded in 1999 for the efforts of a white paper written regarding the Digital Divide's effects on Black media, the Historical Black Press Foundation was reorganized in 2000.
For the past five years, the Historical Black Press Foundation has grown to be the largest organization that represents and focused on the Black Press with ties to over 400 Black newspapers and magazines. The Black Press fosters dialogue between the mainstream media and minority news organizations, executives and professionals by producing the Who's Who in Black Media directory which lists all of the nation's Black newspapers and magazines. The Black Press makes up over 400 Black-owned newspapers and Black magazines plus provides services to over 2,000 Black authors. The Historical Black Press Foundation seeks to "enhance the Black Press through technology."
Although newsroom diversity is a hot-button issue, there isn’t enough information available to companies, organizations or individuals regarding the Black Press. If your company has a press release that it wanted to send to the historically Black media industry, chances are that you wouldn’t know where to turn to get the directory information that you need. The Historical Black Press Foundation addresses these needs while turning a profit.
Market research for the Historical Black Press Foundation included conducting in person surveys about the number of people who read the Black Press, subscribe to their local Black newspapers, and the number of people who said they would read more Black newspapers if their publications where placed online, since the majority of the people surveyed indicated that they regularly use the Internet to read news.
The Black Press continues to grow in respect by academics, media professionals and companies committed to diversity.
[edit] Publications
To help change the public image of the Black Press, the organization publishes:
- Black Press Diversity Career [1]
- Black Press Magazine [2]
- Black Press Week.com,.net, .org (weekly email newsletter)
- Black Press Travel [3]
- Black Press Yearbook: Who's Who in Black Media directory [4]
[edit] Black Press Magazine
Known as “the official publication for media diversity,” Black Press Magazine has changed the way America sees the Black Press.
Published monthly, Black Press Magazine article topics have included:
- Tavis Smiley Fired by BET
- Moving Classified Ads to the Internet
- Chicago Defender Sale Finalized
- Inside the Urban Media Wars
- Media Hostages: Avoiding excessive media coverage in the DC Sniper Case
- Other important industry topics.
[edit] Black Press Yearbook
To ensure that the public and scholars could continue to find all of the Black newspapers and Black magazines, Black Press Yearbook: Who's Who in Black Media was created. According to Editor and Publisher magazine, "the Black Press Yearbook files a hole" (EP March 2004). In addition to providing professional development, the Black Press gives exposure minority media executives, professionals and companies committed to diversity. Every September, the Historical Black Press Foundation produces the Black Press All Star Awards and Onsite Media Clinics. In September 2006, the Black Press will induct Gordon Parks and John H. Johnson into the Black Press Fallen Heroes Hall of Fame at the All Star Awards.
