Posted by chicagomedia.org on October 23, 2009 at 18:25:45:
Fate of legendary black publications unknown
Grande dame Ebony, little sister Jet hurt by weak ad sales, changing demographics
By Lolly Bowean TRIBUNE REPORTER
October 23, 2009
Martha Morgan Naylor remembers using Ebony and Jet magazines in her classroom to help convey certain values and mores to students.
"It was so interesting and colorful," the 100-year-old retired high school teacher said of the glossy Ebony magazine founded 64 years ago by John H. Johnson.
"It told you about what black people were doing, those that were successful and what their line of work was. Working with black children, you could always relate the success of others to them and show them what they could do if they worked hard enough," Naylor said.
But for the first time in its long history, the magazine, along with its sister publication Jet, could be up for sale. The Chicago-based, privately owned Johnson Publishing Co. has not denied recent news reports that it is shopping for a buyer for the magazines.
"We are exploring a range of options to support our core media business," spokeswoman Wendy E. Parks said in a written statement. "However, we are not in discussions with Time Inc. and Viacom." Parks, and others at Johnson, declined to be interviewed for this story.
Sidmel Estes, an Atlanta-based media consultant and former president of the National Association of Black Journalists, announced recently that she and four other journalists seek financing to take over the magazines. Though Estes has not been negotiating with Johnson, she said she is developing a prototype to make the magazines more significant online.
"I, too, have an emotional attachment to Ebony and Jet because they are so important for our community," she said, emphasizing that she'd like the publications to remain under the control of African-Americans. "We cannot let this icon die. If we lose Ebony and Jet, we've lost everything."
"We hope [Johnson] will see what we're trying to do will sustain the dream of John H. Johnson and they will cooperate with us to continue that dream for my children, their children and our grandchildren," Estes said.
The recent announcements reveal just how vulnerable the company is in a climate in which even the biggest media organizations are struggling. News of a possible sale has shaken many in the black community who've long been devoted to the publications.
"The way the economy is going, there are so many things that are unstable," said James Coffey, a resident of Robbins who has subscribed to both publications for more than 30 years. "But I certainly don't want to think of losing Ebony or Jet because they are so unique. It's still something that African-Americans use to keep abreast."
Ebony started out as Negro Digest in 1942, created by former South Sider John H. Johnson with a $500 loan from financing his mother's furniture. The name was changed in 1945. The magazine's success story was just as much of an inspiration for African-Americans as some of the stories it chronicled.
Johnson highlighted prominent and wealthy African-Americans and gave a glimpse into their lifestyles. Long before MTV's Cribs and reality shows, Ebony featured photo spreads of celebrity houses and cars.
It also showcased historically black colleges and universities, ran photographs of black college homecoming queens and annually compiled a story on accomplished eligible bachelors and bachelorettes. Its content subtly promotes the benefits of education, community service, wealth building, marriage, family and fitness.
It was, for a long time, the only national magazine that chronicled the black experience.
Jet, Ebony's smaller weekly counterpart, focuses on national news and events that affect African-Americans. It also highlights black celebrities who no longer grab mainstream attention.
The company has been a source of pride for African-Americans nationwide, and the late publisher often is pointed to as one of the black community's first media moguls. The magazines have been catalysts for change and social justice. Jet first ran pictures of a battered Emmett Till in his casket, a galvanizing force for civil rights.
Johnson's success as a businessman was especially poignant for Chicago's black community. The company promoted aspiring local writers, photographers, artists, marketing executives and other professionals. Its profile grew when it relocated to South Michigan Avenue from its South Side offices.
"When the magazine began to enlarge and enrich, we were so proud of John and so happy we had these publications we could depend on that told positive stories from our community," said historian Timuel Black, who was a friend of Johnson's. "He showed white businessmen there was a big untapped market. When Ebony came, it came with a tremendous amount of enthusiasm. We were so grateful to have our stories told.
"It's more than a magazine; it is its own inspiration," Black said.
In recent years, though, the magazines, run by Johnson's daughter, Linda Johnson Rice, have struggled to remain relevant to a young generation of African-Americans. Despite revamping its layout, featuring young celebrities with broad appeal, and offering more relevant cover topics, the magazines have suffered declining advertising revenue and circulation losses. Even the hiring of respected African-American writers, photographers and art directors -- and snagging the first interview with Barack Obama after he won the presidency -- has not stemmed the downturn.
Publishers Information Bureau reports that Ebony's advertising revenue for the first nine months of 2009 is down 38 percent compared with the same period last year. Between January and September 2008, Ebony took in about $42 million in advertising, but this year that total is about $26 million.
Jet's advertising revenue is down 38 percent, too, figures show, to $13 million this year from about $21 million in 2008.
In addition, Ebony's circulation fell 12 percent in the second half of last year to 1.29 million. Jet's circulation fell 4.2 percent to 900,000.
Because Johnson is privately owned, it does not release annual financial information, Parks said. But in June, officials at Johnson reported to Crain's Chicago Business that total revenue in 2008 dropped 28 percent to $328 million and the number of employees fell to 340 from 503.
Naylor was a loyal Ebony subscriber for about 40 years, she said. But she let her subscription lapse because she just didn't have time to read the publication.
"Now I don't know what is happening, because I don't get that kind of information anymore," said Naylor, who retired from the Gary Public School system.
When Coffey was bringing up his children, Ebony and Jet always were in his home, he said. In a modest community like Robbins, the stories in the magazines were crucial, he said.
"Ebony magazine showed us that black people could be important too," he said. "You didn't get that message in schools. Not only did my kids learn from seeing those black success stories, I learned from them too."