I've been a journalist for 25 years, most of those in Toledo. I can't remember a time where I have seen more African-American media outlets and start-ups per the population than here. Where much larger cities try to get along with one black newspaper, Toledo now has three -- the Toledo Journal, the Sojourner's Truth and now the Midwest Urban newspaper. Several weeks ago, I received an e-mail for a black-oriented news internet site, ToledoView.com. That's not to mention that we have three black-oriented radio stations as well.
As a journalist, I always think the more media the better. Would we have ever know the truth about what's was happening in the Civil Rights era in the South AND North if it wasn't for the black press. In the old days, there were at least two daily major newspapers in town for nothing else to keep the other one honest in its reporting. In these days of deregulation, which has all but destroyed radio newsrooms mind you, we see the giants consolidating the gobble up profits -- and the diversity of voices.
The internet has been a double-edged sword in helping keep the big media honest. The Toledo Journal's stories on the Ohio Civil Rights Commission investigation against the Finkbeiner administration is particularly noteworthy of just very good old fashioned muckraking journalism that we should all expect from outlets that profess themselves to "present" the news.
The Sojourner's Truth has proven to be a nice counter-balance with the Toledo Journal, reminiscent of those old two-newspaper days I spoke of before. Now that we have all of this media and ability to stand at the corner and shout out our message like the town crier, who's listening? From a business sense, who's footing the bill (advertisers) so we can stand on that corner and shout? Technology has made it much more inexpensive to do this. Anyone can start a blog, create a web site and proclaim we are the news. But the question also begs, "so, what makes it so?"
In my communication classes long, long ago, one of the things that was drilled into my head is that this profession is the country's great quasi-public service industry, specifically written into the nation's constitution because of its vital importance. Yes, we are a business, but we are public servants providing information, news, issues (yes, comfortable and uncomfortable) to the masses. We are not cheerleaders. Praise is given on merit and criticism is given to those who truly messed up. A free and vibrant press is one of those key elements that allows a democracy to thrive. So when I see a Dennis Hicks, the editor of inToledo magazine, or a Barbara Roose, managing editor of the Toledo Business Review, make their mark, a smile comes to my face.
When I see young people like Chauncey Alcorn and Jasti Simmons get their shot at The Blade, it makes me feel a little better about the profession.
But with that comes responsibility, another foundation of the business. We are responsible to everyone who picks up our publication, listen to our broadcast, and read our words on line that we are there for them with the truth -- even at times when it doesn't necessarily serve our own self interest. Yes, it's impossible to completely absence of bias but our readers and viewers need to know we've given them all sides as we know it and be honest enough to tell them when we aren't. That's what makes what you are doing news and newsworthy.
Now that we have the power of technology at our disposable, will we do the right thing with it?
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This comment is from Jason Daniels: Good Evening Everyone,
It is not very often that I reply to emails where there is a fairly large audience in the "to" column, however, tonight as I sit on my couch and read the news from all over the world... I have something to say.
I was born and raised here in Toledo, attended Toledo Public Schools and earned my bachelor degree in communication from the University of Toledo. For a year I worked for Owens Corning, right out of college. I worked for the City of Toledo under both Carty and Jack's administration, started my own business and have been at United Way of Greater Toledo for almost three years now. I'm from Toledo and I know what is going on in my community and have for years.
In my day job it is my job to travel around the US and see were I can make a positive connection on behalf of this community-looking for grant opportunities, ways to expand resourced for our community, find new and innovative ways to provide opportunities for people in our neighborhoods to move toward independence and financial stability and in a nutshell - do the best job I can to make sure our programs are supporting populations in this community in a positive and meaningful way.
So you wonder, why did I tell you all of that. Well, because I get to take a global look at this work that I do and "we" do as African American's every day. Recently, I traveled to India for a month on a group study exchange with Rotary International. I was there for over a month and although my brothers and sisters there are dark too, I saw only one... numero 1... black person the whole time I was there. I'm going some where, just bare with me.
For months now, I have really been holding my tongue on so many issues in our community because of my "role" or because I don't want to be misunderstood, but Clyde's question is one that really baffles me often. I am really proud that our black newspapers in this city are growing by leaps and bounds it seems. My hat is off to the Fletcher Word for the work he and his staff have done the past several years to make The Truth a good read. However, I cannot say the same for other urban/black newspapers that are in circulation in Toledo.
You ask the question of who is reading... Well I can tell you who is laughing!
I believe that if you are going to do something, do your best to do it well. Honestly, there is one black newspaper that I rarely pick up that has a lot of clout in our community. Why you say! Because when I read it I get the since that children invented the topics, it seems to promote way too much gossip, content is not objective in nature as we were all taught in communications school when telling a story, community collaboration isn't in the mission and frankly when I read the paper its like ready a crossword puzzle because there are so many misspellings throughout the paper. So the only thing that makes me want to even read it is if the headline seems meaningful. Most recently, a new online newspaper has come out that seems to be decent, although I haven't read through it all.
I have to say that I am not someone that is reading. This town is shrinking... we are now below 300-thousand people in Toledo and do we really need so many black newspapers? If we do-I think we deserve quality news. We buy Jet and Ebony because our grandmomma's had them in the house and we carried on the tradition. I have to say that Linda Johnson Rice has done a tremendous job of carrying on the business etiquette and class of her father by providing us a standard in reading that we deserve. When did we get to the point as blacks that we just read any and everything that is put in front of us. Have you yourselves read some of these papers? Where is the standard? As a people who had to earn the privledge to learn how to read… why do we read such garbage? Why are we stuffing our brilliant minds with this stuff? Why in the world are we paying them to print our stories at such an outrageous price? That’s for you to answer I suppose.
I get entrepreneurship too, so starting more black newspapers and magazines for this area is great because its economics. But is there really that much news going on. This brings me to the point that just today, I attended a lunch where the speaker was talking about the power of blacks coming together and pooling our resources, talents and ideas. That it is not about territory, miscellaneous and invisible barriers that are placed so perfectly in the yard to keep the other person, business or talent away. What I would love to see is those individuals come together, to create a powerhouse of a journal, newspaper or magazine. One that displays a unified voice for our community. One that would gain recognition for its content, substance and yes… writing. Maybe two black newspapers would be good…but not three, four or five.
Two more thoughts… Solutions. I would appreciate if someone would start speaking up about the true factual issues that face our school system, jobs and families. Writing about family reunions, festivals and pumpkin pie specials is great… but where are the solutions to the problems that face the black community. I grew up on Avondale and Junction… The people in this community are awesome and great. But there are issues there. We need to be writing about how we are going to help move black families toward economic self sufficiency one neighborhood at a time. We need to be writing about how we can come together as business owners and put our time, energy and hands to work to mentor young boys to be men, our young queens to be ladies and provide the support for parents and care givers that is necessary. Writing a check to an institution is great, but we need to be present.
We have all these committees, boards, organizations of civic and philanthropic focus that we as black people are in charge of but where is the dent being made in making sure our kids are getting the best education that is due to them. Where are the voices and advocates for our community… it should be the newspaper that provides us the opportunity to have a meaningful conversation and a "call for help" toward these topics.
Last, I mentioned my travels to India for a reason. I was in a country that is densely populated—almost 1 billion people in that tiny country. Its jam packed there and poverty is everywhere. It was a great opportunity for me to travel there as a black male and witness what I did. I was amazed when I read their local newspapers. They were well written, factual and they celebrated their culture and the success of their neighborhood/community. When you opened their community papers… you saw solutions to the problems being presented. They used every inch of paper and ink to its fullest and the people held them to the highest standard of news writing and reporting. They settled for nothing. When I asked one of newspaper owners why his paper is so well written and selling so well in a community where over 90% of the people could barely afford a newspaper…Joshi Netan said to me that “we respect our people enough to give them a reading quality that will move them toward community change… and the people hold us to a standard that we do not want to let them down.”
So I wrote a lot today, all because Clyde asked a question and I had something to say tonight. I had no intent to bash or brow beat anyone, but I am tired of mediocre news. Actually, I’ve got something to say about “real” leadership too… but that’s another day. I’m looking for a standard, one that I deserve and so do you.
For a year, I was a producer for Channel 11 news while in undergrad and had the opportunity to work with the best in the news industry. If you turned on your television set to watch the news and any one of our local anchors, God-forbid our black news anchors, were reporting the news in slang, mispronouncing words and did not have good diction, we would all be down to that station with picket signs. Why? Because of the standard of their reporting. So why in the world do we continue to read news of this same kind and do nothing about it.
Something to "read" about!
P.S. For a person that doesn't say much about this stuff, I feel pretty good tonight. I think I'm going to read Black Enterprise.
Jason Daniels
From Geneva Chapman:
Thanks for your insightful answer to Clyde's provocative question. I am very grateful to Toledo's black press for giving me my first opportunity to write for a newspaper since I was in undergraduate school and was editor-in-chief of the newspaper at Prairie View A & M in Texas (until they kicked me out for being a 'black militant') and a columnist for the newspaper in a predominantly white college in Oklahoma, writing a column called "Bits of Blackness" that makes Rev.Jeffrey Wright look like a moderate.
When I graduated from college in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in English Composition, I moved to Kansas where my father was pastoring a church in a small Mennonite community and applied for a job as a reporter at the daily newspaper and was not hired due to my lack of experience. So, I went back to school and got a Master's Degree in Education and became a teacher. Since I couldn't write for a newspaper, I joined a theatre group while attending grad school in Wichita, Kansas, and started writing plays in 1974, and have been involved in community theatre as a playwright, actor, and director ever since. I worked fulltime as a teacher in Wichita public schools and volunteered in a local theatre parttime.
Then, in 1983, disillusioned with public school administration, I left teaching and moved to Ohio, living in Columbus for five years before getting an opportunity to move to Toledo and work in the field of mental retardation. I also piloted Toledo's first sex education program in a couple of junior high schools, a job I had to leave due to blatant racial discrimination by the host agency and subsequently filed the only civil rights action I've ever felt necessary in my lifetime. Needing another part time job to supplement my income working as a behavior consultant at Zeigler Homes, I applied for a job as a reporter at The Toledo Journal and got it on the basis of a sample of my writing, an article about how the media has changed the attitudes of African-Americans about large women, viewing them as 'mammies' or bossy, sexless matriarchs.
I wrote a column for The Journal, in addition to my other duties as proofreader, copy writer for ads, reporter, editorial writer, and obituary writer. The column, "Chit-Chat" was words of wisdom gleaned from growing up in rural Texas. The column was pulled in 1991, and I left the paper shortly thereafter, when I got a fulltime job with Lucas County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities as a behavior specialist - due to the year of experience I got working for Zeigler Homes, a black-owned business. I have since changed jobs three times, my last move being a promotion to management.
Back in 1989, when I started writing for The Journal there was a higher standard at the paper. I'm not sure why that has changed except maybe to compete with The Sojourner's Truth. I have been writing for The Truth since the paper started. I wrote for a paper called The Paper, which published "Chit-Chat" (which has evolved into a quasi political column, now published online), and the editor d.c. burch, was initially the editor at The Truth. He asked me to come on board and introduced me to Fletcher, who sent me out to do a test story and the rest, as they say, is history.
The point to all this back story is that I've benefited from the existence of the black press as a writer; an aside is that working professionally for a black business also gave me the required experience to get a higher paying mainstream job. There is a definite need for black businesses. I do agree that we would have a more powerful black press if we could all join forces; however, The Truth started out of a need to do a better job of reporting the news than the publishers feel The Journal does. I worked at The Journal and I don't think the owners would have been receptive to Fletcher and his partner coming in and changing the way they run their paper, even though change was needed to keep the paper on the cutting edge. Unfortunately, The Journal has changed, but now for the better.
I have a great deal of respect for the Stewarts and learned a lot working at The Journal. It was also my first time being up close and personal with black conservatives since I lived with my grandmother in Texas for eleven years. That was a valuable experience for me as a journalist because it enabled me to see another point of view. I value the things I learned while working at The Journal. However, I feel that The Truth is a better paper and is appreciated more by educated, critical thinking blacks in Toledo. Toledo's latest black paper, The Midwest Urban provides a more yothful perspective for the hip-hop generation. (A Black Dispatch Alert: Jeff Willis needs help at the paper; if anyone knows someone interested in sales, contact him.)
I know it seems ludicrous for a city the size of Toledo to have so many black newspapers, but each of them appeals to a specific audience. Some people are willing to pay any price to get their picture in The Journal, while others anxiously wait to see who's on the cover of The Truth every week. And, as a former sex ed teacher, I congratulated Jeff Willis for the graphic photo showing the effects of an STD on the mouth of someone who thought oral sex was 'safe.' As I told him, he probably convinced more teens to stop engaging in this risky behavior than I ever could in a classroom.
There are, to my knowledge three mostly black community theatre groups in Toledo, too: Toledo BlackStage, Toledo's first African-American theatre company, which I founded in 1990; The New Works Writers Series, founded by Dr. Imelda Hunt the same year; and Da Coloured Gurlz Collective, founded by Pajil Wiggins-Hancock. Each has a different purpose. I started Toledo BlackStage to stage original works by black authors.
Dr. Hunt brings the works of the best black playwrights to Toledoans, who would otherwise never know about these works. One of the plays she produced was by Toledo native, Dr. Janice Liddell, a professor at Clark University in Atlanta, who wrote a one-woman play about the only woman to ever be executed in the state of Georgia when she killed her abusive white male employer in self-defense. Pajil's company is woman-centered and very urban, very twenty-first century with the choreopoem writing style she developed following in the footsteps of such writers as Ntozake Shonge and my brother, James Chapmyn, author of "Our Young Black Men Are Dying and Nobody Seems to Care."
I've had the pleasure of working in all three companies, writing, directing, and acting in Toledo BlackStage; acting and directing, as well as doing some writing for Da Coloured Gurlz; and starring in two of New Works' shows, "Yellow Man" with Grant Walker and Dr. Liddell's play "Who Will Sing for Lena?" In the world of theatre, these many venues are needed to provide more opportunities for black actors to learn their craft.There are also a number of religious theatre companies in Toledo that have excellent writers and production values.The point is this gluttony of theatrical effort would not necessarily benefit from being unified, although that would create one very powerful company. Every business or organization has a mission and when you try to unify groups with different missions, often too many compromises have to be made and everyone's mission and passion becomes diluted, creating an ineffectual instution.
I think that's one reason Toledo has so many black newspapers. Each one has a different focus, a different purpose, and a different target audience.Still, not everything in print gets read in this electronic age. I talk to people all the time who never read any of my four-part series on domestic violence last year in The Truth or other things that I've written because they just look at the photos or only read the weekly calendar and the classified ads. So, why do we keep writing and publishing all of these black newspapers if they're not being read? Myron Stewart said it best years ago when I was at The Journal: we have ink in our blood.
From Warren Woodberry:
Jason,
You might not know me but my name is Warren Woodberry. I have written many articles for the Truth in the past 5 years and after reading your letter I find that I share many of your views with some strong ones of my own. I have lived outside of Toledo for over 35 years with 20 of those years spent living in the Caribbean where I also wrote for several Caribbean newspapers. Toledo has many issues that could be improved by an informed and active community paper, but our media seems to always find a voluntary way to not present sustainable in depth coverage of issues that could change the status quo for Blacks here in Toledo. Some of the many Black papers that have existed over the years have either had editors who either wanted to be an oreo cookie or believed that because they had theirs... the hell with the rest. A picture on the cover strokes those that should be doing a better job and so they support the paper while not always fighting the good fight. Not since the Bronze Raven has the Black community had a paper that inspired the community. Today's papers appear to always stop short of setting a true sustainable battle plan that is reflective of the needs of the community and I believe that it is mostly by design. The question is why is it that with all the current Black newspapers, the community is still being slowly choked to death? It is obvious that we are losing the battle on some political fronts because our older politicians appear to not be grooming younger potential politicians. That is part of the problem. Have we lost out because they are superior in tactics or have we lost out because our politicians and media never knew the rules of politics? We have Black papers, blogs, internet, churches, a branch of the National Association of Black Journalist in the form of NOBMA and word of mouth, but yet we are getting stifled at every turn. We have had at onetime or the other a powerful mix of Black politicians at the helm of city government and the school system and a large group of established Black ministers and we have also had Black businesses that have been second to none. But look at our situation now! There is enough blame to go around. and we are all guilty.
You wrote, " Writing about family reunions, festivals and pumpkin pie specials is great… but where are the solutions to the problems that face the black community. Lost businesses, politicians, jobs, housing, equal schooling, and respect" You then ask the question of who is reading but you know who is laughing?"
You are right Jason, they are reading and they are laughing" They see that we have not come together as a force and that sometimes the Black media is so concerned with appeasing the powers that be that they have no fear of a change of content or the fear that we will come together. They know we have several papers, and they know that we are being used so they court some of the editors of the papers to insure that there is no great movement in the community. With all of the Black press that we have, why are we in the position that we are in? The powers that be will continue to court the Black community before an election and with the help of some of the local Black media who will never dredge up politicians past promises, they will be afforded sound bites of coverage and photo ops while kissing babies with their sleeves rolled up. Local Black papers will never..I repeat never come together for the cause. They will take turns in turning the other cheek when they see personal status or benefit and we will continue to read about
All local media is guilty of this.
Your comment from one, who as you say, has been holding his tongue, will hopefully cause others to not hold their tongue in the future and maybe...just maybe a change can come.
You can tell that your letter has also struck a nerve with me. It is up to us to recognize the issues and help in any way we can to bring about a change. We have no radio voice or TV voice. Black papers is all that we have. If we continue to be enticed because there is a picture on the cover with no strategy on the inside. As you questioned in your letter, "Writing about family reunions, festivals and pumpkin pie specials is great… but where are the solutions to the problems that face the black community. We will stay where we are, right where they want us."
My question is, what helps them keep us right where they want us?
Thanks for the inspiration.
Warren Woodberry
This was sent to Clyde Hughes from Jeff Willis, owner of the Midwest Urban.
Clyde, after our investigation, will you please do the right thing and remove ALL CONTENTS FROM YOUR BLOG QUESTION- Wow! More media. But who's reading, viewing?
WE WILL APPRECIATE YOU NOT TALKING ABOUT OR SHOWING OUR NEWSPAPER AT YOUR IMPACT NEWSMAKERS AWARD EVENT. We have an idea as to what is going on and who you are working with.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Fri 4/18/2008 4:57 PM<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
I would like to compliment you on your efforts to promote your paper. Knowing that you are a pro at photography, I am not surprised at their high quality. I see by the emails that are circulating that your paper is getting some attention as there is a move by certain media people to ask why do we need another Black paper. Much of this is based on the fact that some of the same advertisers are taking out ads in Midwest Urban.
You might not have seen the questions in circulation about new Black newspapers and why do we need them, but when you do I know that you will ignore this movement and continue to grow.
>>>>>>>>>>Thursday, April 17, 2008<<<<<<<<< Pay Attention To The DATE. One Day After You Sent Your Invite. Why?
Wow! More media. But who's reading, viewing?
I've been a journalist for 25 years, most of those in Toledo. I can't remember a time where I have seen more African-American media outlets and start-ups per the population than here. Where much larger cities try to get along with one black newspaper, Toledo now has three -- the Toledo Journal, the Sojourner's Truth and now the Midwest Urban newspaper. Several weeks ago, I received an e-mail for a black-oriented news internet site, ToledoView.com. That's not to mention that we have three black-oriented radio stations as well.
As a journalist, I always think the more media the better. Would we have ever know the truth about what's was happening in the Civil Rights era in the South AND North if it wasn't for the black press. In the old days, there were at least two daily major newspapers in town for nothing else to keep the other one honest in its reporting. In these days of deregulation, which has all but destroyed radio newsrooms mind you, we see the giants consolidating the gobble up profits -- and the diversity of voices.
The internet has been a double-edged sword in helping keep the big media honest. The Toledo Journal's stories on the Ohio Civil Rights Commission investigation against the Finkbeiner administration is particularly noteworthy of just very good old fashioned muckraking journalism that we should all expect from outlets that profess themselves to "present" the news.
The Sojourner's Truth has proven to be a nice counter-balance with the Toledo Journal, reminiscent of those old two-newspaper days I spoke of before. Now that we have all of this media and ability to stand at the corner and shout out our message like the town crier, who's listening? From a business sense, who's footing the bill (advertisers) so we can stand on that corner and shout? Technology has made it much more inexpensive to do this. Anyone can start a blog, create a web site and proclaim we are the news. But the question also begs, "so, what makes it so?"
In my communication classes long, long ago, one of the things that was drilled into my head is that this profession is the country's great quasi-public service industry, specifically written into the nation's constitution because of its vital importance. Yes, we are a business, but we are public servants providing information, news, issues (yes, comfortable and uncomfortable) to the masses. We are not cheerleaders. Praise is given on merit and criticism is given to those who truly messed up. A free and vibrant press is one of those key elements that allows a democracy to thrive. So when I see a Dennis Hicks, the editor of inToledo magazine, or a Barbara Roose, managing editor of the Toledo Business Review, make their mark, a smile comes to my face.
When I see young people like Chauncey Alcorn and Jasti Simmons get their shot at The Blade, it makes me feel a little better about the profession.
But with that comes responsibility, another foundation of the business. We are responsible to everyone who picks up our publication, listen to our broadcast, and read our words on line that we are there for them with the truth -- even at times when it doesn't necessarily serve our own self interest. Yes, it's impossible to completely absence of bias but our readers and viewers need to know we've given them all sides as we know it and be honest enough to tell them when we aren't. That's what makes what you are doing news and newsworthy.
Now that we have the power of technology at our disposable, will we do the right thing with it?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Wed 4/16/2008 10:12 PM<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Pay Attention To The DATE One Day. Before You Sent Your Invite. Why?
I would like to invite you as a guest of the Northwest Ohio Black Media Association to our Impact Newsmaker Awards, which will be held Thursday, May 8, at the Toledo Club in downtown Toledo. We encourage you to bring copies of your publication and if you'd like say some words about your publication. The Impact Newsmaker Awards are annual community awards given by NOBMA, the Toledo affiliate of the National Association of Black Journalists, for outstanding positive newsworthy accomplishments in the African-American community. We also try to bring African-American communicators together. We will given two FREE seats at the event (regular cost $50 each). We expect a crowd of nearly 200 people, including many of the movers and shakers in town. We hope you will accept our offer. Contact Clyde Hughes at 419-215-1087 for more information. Feel free to visit our website at: http://www.nobma.org for more information on the awards. Take care.
NOBMA NEWS & EVENTS
NOBMA names its Impact Newsmaker Award Winners
Toledo, Ohio -- The Northwest Ohio Black Media Association has announced its winners for this year's Impact Newsmaker Awards.
Geneva Chapman, of The Sojourner's Truth, will be given the organization's Media Achievement
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Wed 4/18/2008 6:24 AM<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Pay Attention To The Date, Time. And To Whom Responded…….. Why?
From Geneva Chapman: THE SAME PERSON NOBMA (RAN BY CLYDE HUGHES) WILL ANNOUNCE AS A WINNER OF THIS YEAR’S IMPACT NEWSMAKER AWARDS.
Thanks for your insightful answer to Clyde's provocative question. I am very grateful to Toledo's black press for giving me my first opportunity to write for a newspaper since I was in undergraduate school and was editor-in-chief of the newspaper at Prairie View A & M in Texas (until they kicked me out for being a 'black militant') and a columnist for the newspaper in a predominantly white college in Oklahoma, writing a column called "Bits of Blackness" that makes Rev.Jeffrey Wright look like a moderate.
When I graduated from college in 1973 with a bachelor's degree in English Composition, I moved to Kansas where my father was pastoring a church in a small Mennonite community and applied for a job as a reporter at the daily newspaper and was not hired due to my lack of experience. So, I went back to school and got a Master's Degree in Education and became a teacher. Since I couldn't write for a newspaper, I joined a theatre group while attending grad school in Wichita, Kansas, and started writing plays in 1974, and have been involved in community theatre as a playwright, actor, and director ever since. I worked fulltime as a teacher in Wichita public schools and volunteered in a local theatre parttime.
Then, in 1983, disillusioned with public school administration, I left teaching and moved to Ohio, living in Columbus for five years before getting an opportunity to move to Toledo and work in the field of mental retardation. I also piloted Toledo's first sex education program in a couple of junior high schools, a job I had to leave due to blatant racial discrimination by the host agency and subsequently filed the only civil rights action I've ever felt necessary in my lifetime. Needing another part time job to supplement my income working as a behavior consultant at Zeigler Homes, I applied for a job as a reporter at The Toledo Journal and got it on the basis of a sample of my writing, an article about how the media has changed the attitudes of African-Americans about large women, viewing them as 'mammies' or bossy, sexless matriarchs.
I wrote a column for The Journal, in addition to my other duties as proofreader, copy writer for ads, reporter, editorial writer, and obituary writer. The column, "Chit-Chat" was words of wisdom gleaned from growing up in rural Texas. The column was pulled in 1991, and I left the paper shortly thereafter, when I got a fulltime job with Lucas County Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities as a behavior specialist - due to the year of experience I got working for Zeigler Homes, a black-owned business. I have since changed jobs three times, my last move being a promotion to management.
Back in 1989, when I started writing for The Journal there was a higher standard at the paper. I'm not sure why that has changed except maybe to compete with The Sojourner's Truth. I have been writing for The Truth since the paper started. I wrote for a paper called The Paper, which published "Chit-Chat" (which has evolved into a quasi political column, now published online), and the editor d.c. burch, was initially the editor at The Truth. He asked me to come on board and introduced me to Fletcher, who sent me out to do a test story and the rest, as they say, is history.
The point to all this back story is that I've benefited from the existence of the black press as a writer; an aside is that working professionally for a black business also gave me the required experience to get a higher paying mainstream job. There is a definite need for black businesses. I do agree that we would have a more powerful black press if we could all join forces; however, The Truth started out of a need to do a better job of reporting the news than the publishers feel The Journal does. I worked at The Journal and I don't think the owners would have been receptive to Fletcher and his partner coming in and changing the way they run their paper, even though change was needed to keep the paper on the cutting edge. Unfortunately, The Journal has changed, but now for the better.
I have a great deal of respect for the Stewarts and learned a lot working at The Journal. It was also my first time being up close and personal with black conservatives since I lived with my grandmother in Texas for eleven years. That was a valuable experience for me as a journalist because it enabled me to see another point of view. I value the things I learned while working at The Journal. However, I feel that The Truth is a better paper and is appreciated more by educated, critical thinking blacks in Toledo. Toledo's latest black paper, The Midwest Urban provides a more yothful perspective for the hip-hop generation. (A Black Dispatch Alert: Jeff Willis needs help at the paper; if anyone knows someone interested in sales, contact him.)
I know it seems ludicrous for a city the size of Toledo to have so many black newspapers, but each of them appeals to a specific audience. Some people are willing to pay any price to get their picture in The Journal, while others anxiously wait to see who's on the cover of The Truth every week. And, as a former sex ed teacher, I congratulated Jeff Willis for the graphic photo showing the effects of an STD on the mouth of someone who thought oral sex was 'safe.' As I told him, he probably convinced more teens to stop engaging in this risky behavior than I ever could in a classroom.
I responded to Mr. Willis' email by saying that my invitation to join fellow African-American communicators at the Impact Newsmaker Awards was a sincere effort of outreach and to give his newspaper a forum at one of our biggest events. I tried on three separate occasions to call him and talk this out like professionals. The man's voice to answered the phone said Mr. Willis wasn't available but will leave a message. I'm still waiting. That's unfortunate. In the meantime, NOBMA will continue to a platform, gathering place and support system for black communicators in Northwest Ohio.
Clyde Hughes
Thanks for great information you write it very clean. I am very lucky to get this tips from you
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