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UPDATE: On April 24 Johnson Publishing announced the resignation of Bryan Monroe as editorial director of Ebony and Jet magazines. This follows two high-profile appointments at the company during the same week: former Newsday associate editor Mira Lowe as editor-in-chief of Jet; and former INROADS vice president Tanya M. Hines, as vice president of integrated sales and marketing for Ebony and Jet. Insiders say the company is reeling from the effects of the recession and a reorganization of its staff.
+Read More Hot Commentary On: Bossip.com
The black blogosphere is buzzing with the rumor that two media staples of the African American community are on the verge of disappearing. In February, Black Enterprise magazine announced that Ebony and Jet magazines were "restructuring to avoid layoffs," with the cheerful sub-headline: "Johnson Publishing Co. employees told to reapply for jobs."
Now in late April, people are e-mailing, tweeting and talking about the possible irrevocable demise of the only media brands every black person in America knows. Some are even starting a campaign to save the magazines with a subscription drive. A quote via the site Racialicious:
In order to support this effort to save our magazine, my friends and myself have pledged to get a subscription to both Ebony and Jet magazine, starting with one year. We are urging every other club member who comes across this plea to do the same. Please post, repost, and post again, to any blog that you may own or support.
Please email this to every person that you know, regardless of their background. Let them know that Ebony and Jet magazines have been part of the black American culture for three quarters of a century, and that there is a lot that they can learn about black American culture from reading them.
We are currently discussing the idea of throwing an Ebony/Jet Party, where people can eat, drink, and sign up for their subscription on the spot. Please spread this idea around to all that you know. Your Sororities, Fraternities, Lodges, VFW Posts, Churches, Civic Groups, Block Clubs, Caps Meetings, Book Clubs, etc.
It would be a crying shame, to lose our historic magazine, during the same year of such an historic event as the election of our first black President of the United States.
The financial industry may have received a bail out, but the only people who will bail out black media outlets is us. But, Tami (the author of the post) questions whether either of these publications is worth saving in an era of blogs and Web sites.
Michelle Obama Covers
Us Weekly: June 2008
Wondering "why Barack loves her?" Us sought to answer that relatively easy question last June.
Us Magazine
The New Yorker: July 2008
The magazine's editor claimed satire. However, no one but Obama's G.O.P. detractors found the depiction of Michelle as an armed militant and Barack as a terrorist particularly funny.
New Yorker/AP
Radar: September 2008
Using a doctored photo, Radar splashed an austere image on its cover and asked "What's So Scary About Michelle Obama?" The question was in response to anti-Michelle backlash.
Radar
Ladies Home Journal: September 2008
In a joint Q&A with her husband, Michelle told LHJ, "Finding balance has been the struggle of my life and my marriage, in being a woman, being a professional, being a mother."
Ebony: September 2008
Back when she was just a "first lady hopeful", Mrs. Obama spoke to Ebony about family and the future. As an added bonus, her mom Marian Robinson dished to the mag as well.
Ebony
Essence: September 2008
It seems like most magazine covers with one or more members of the Obama clan on them are deemed "Collector's Editions." This family-centric cover is no exception.
Essence
More: October 2008
As the presidential election neared, Michelle Obama started popping up on a wide range of magazine covers. Here she is on the cover of More, a magazine for women over 40.
More Magazine
Us Weekly: November 2008
In the days following Barack's historic election, the weekly tabloid turned political, spotlighting then-President-elect and Michelle's "Amazing Journey."
Us Magazine
OK! Weekly: November 2008
The editors at OK! claimed to know what Michelle is really like and offered a look into her private world, including "date nights with Barack."
OK! Magazine
Essence: January 2009
The famous black women's mag obviously was one of the first to put the new first lady on its cover. With a long-sleeved gown and a satisfied smile, Michelle looks like she's ready for her new role.
Essence
Plus, she points out: "An example of Johnson Publishing's out-of-touchness? Sunday at the neighborhood Wal-Mart, I picked up a Jet for the first time in forever, in preparation for this post. I wanted to know if it was still there. In an age when black women are fighting stereotyped images of ourselves as Jezebels, playthings and accoutrement for the latest hip hop star whose cuts are banging in the whips of white, teenage suburbanites – it couldn't still be there. But, yeah, center spread, there it was – that paean to black woman thickitude – the Jet Beauty of the Week, a young, black woman in a teeny swimsuit giving sexy face. Is this what I'm supposed to rush to the battlements to save?" Beautifully said.
In addition to the relevance of Ebony/Jet content, there are the questions of its rate of delivery, and the action potential of its information. While Jet's "Pictures of the Week" are nice, it's more politically and socially relevant when black blogs like Bossip use their platform to change opinion. In a recent example, the gossip blog used their media muscle to push for Barack Obama during his campaign, while brutally punishing black celebrities who initially supported Hillary Clinton. Can you imagine Jet referring to Magic Johnson, former BET owner Bob Johnson and Jesse Jackson as "old-time negroes with 'plantation politics'"? Bossip was not afraid to. I bet they encouraged many young blacks to vote through their irreverent reporting.
We have Kanye West commenting on his own blog after being satirized by 'South Park,' with his blog post then getting picked up by major news outlets. We have Snoop Dogg clearing up rumors of his wife's death over Twitter. We have the first black president using YouTube to speak directly to his constituents every week. Where does Johnson Publishing Co. fit in in this new age? Can they catch up? Will you support them?
Comments: (148)
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By: Avril on 5/05/2009 6:39PM
Al, I forgot to mention the AA towns, where AA's who ranged from farmers/blue collar workers to AA professionals resided. Rosewood comes to mind. Of course we know what happened there.
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By: Janie R on 5/08/2009 12:21AM
Brian S are you a racist ignorant white person or a ignorant black person ? I Will order my prescription of both on tuesday. I had no idea this was happening. Mrs. Rice you need to go on OPRAH and let the people know and you can go to sleep that night knowing that everything will be alright in the morning. In the morning please what am i talking about. Before the show is over you will have recieved 40 million subscription orders.
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By: JEREMY on 5/09/2009 12:14PM
There are those of you who question the releveance of EBONY and JET in this age of "blogs and Web sites".I ask all of you,WOULD ANY OF THESE BLOGS AND WEBSITES EVEN EXIST IF IT WEREN'T FOR MAGAZINES LIKE EBONY AND JET? Also,is ANYONE at Johnson Publishing forward-thinking enough to start a website for EBONY and JET? Rest assured THAT would compensate for any losses in magazine sales.Other magazines have gone this route as well,and they're still eating good and having a good night's sleep every night.
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By: Richard on 5/11/2009 10:06PM
Blacks have to make up their mind about who they are if they truly want to succeed in America. You cry and moan about being left out and ignored by mainstream America. But in the same breath you want you're own culture. Make up you're mind, are you Americans or not?? If you want to be Africans, go to Africa. If you want to be Americans, lose the ebonic slang, talk like educated people, keep you're kids off street corners, stop referencing white people as whitey, and stop calling yourself African Americans. Most of you have never seen Africa. Do you hear French, or Irish, or Italian people saying they are French Americans, Irish, or Italian Americans??? Remember this, white people elected a black president, not because he talked like a street hip brotha, but because he spoke proper English. Also you talk like you are the only poor people in America, I got news for you, there are plenty of white people who live paycheck to paycheck, and many who have no job. Stop sniveling and whining, do what millions of others do and conform to the American culture. This is not Africa, this is America, we should all be trying to do what the bible says, and love one another. I don't agree with Obamas policys, but as a white man I am proud to be living in a country where white voters elected a black man as president. That would never happen in a black country, no white man would ever be elected as a leader. The history of slavery is horrible, I agree, but many whites who came to American were called indentured servants, they served their masters for years paying off their debts, Whites have been slaughtered by the millions too. But get over it, we have, and we don't carry it on our shoulders as a badge for special treatment. Maybe you should watch a documentary of the Russian Gulags that killed millions of people who were worked to death. Also the Jews who died in the gas chambers or starved to death, forced to work on bread and water and caught rats to eat just to survive. I repeat, stop whining, start working to realize you're goals. we all have to do it. Nothing is handed to us free. I am sure a lot of blacks will understand what I am saying, because I have black friends who agree with me and have told me they prefer living in white neighborhoods because they feel safer and can go out at night without hearing the sounds of gunfire from a bunch of punks who ride around listening to gangsta rap and trying to imitate their rapper heros. Change you're young people gangster culture and things will improve for you. Blacks and whites standing shoulder to shoulder will succeed and make American strong. But fighting among ourselves will bring America down.
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By: Turner on 5/13/2009 9:08PM
Robert you have got it all wrong you're people are the ones who put us in that position. When we ask for more representation you say we are ungrateful and whining but then when we create our own images you say we are segregating ourselves. You dont get to define us or tell us how to feel and definitely not what is American. We are American and helped this country from the ground up. We shouldn't have to conform to culture to be accepted as equals. That very notion reaks of a superiority complex.
I will never understand why whiote people get so butthurt at the term African American. It refers to the legacy of black americans that descended from slaves.
If you think black people are sitting around whining all the time your wrong. We are survivors and have made it under centuries of opression in the land of the free and home of the brave long before that statement applied to blacks. Compounding your ignorance not everyone worships that gangsta culture. For some of us its just a guilty pleasure kind of like how you people like watching mob movies. But I suppose that same standard doesn't apply.
LMAO you're bringing up indentured servants as a way to counter slavery, wow! Indentured servant usually worked four to eight years to pay of their debts and weren't severly mistreated or bound up in chains. African slaves on the hand were forced to work their entire lives, and if they refused they would be beaten and tortured. Slavery also continued through generations, children were slaves from the moment they were born. There is no equal, and your attempts to find one make you look like an ignorant fool. Just because you have a few black friends(lol everyone seems to have them) that appease your ignoran view doesn't mean you know black people. In the fututre keep your lecture to yourself.
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By: Althea on 5/11/2009 2:47PM
Depending on your focus & viewpoint, many publications can be deemed irrevelant. Maybe Ebony & Jet are irrevelant, but no more so than others. And more important they are not just magazines - they are part of Black history. It's important that we preserve our history and the legacies of our pioneers such as John Johnson.
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By: Turner on 5/13/2009 9:12PM
Actually my comment was directed at Richard, my bad. Oh noeeess bads grammerz.
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By: Almont on 7/03/2009 1:23AM
I agree with Brian S. that Ebony and Jet have both become irrelevant, but for different reasons. The two mags still claim to represent the voice of Black America, but so much of the culture has changed since their inception, and while (thanks to some changes in leadership)they seem to stay on the pulse of Black Hollywood, they miss the mark when it comes to coverage of news, politics, policy, economics, etc. The entertainment articles are pure fluff and their "news" features read like PR pieces. Black America in 2009 is so very different than it was in 1969 but the mag has made very tiny steps to change with the times. If Johnson Publications wants to continue to compete in the marketplace, they really need to take a closer look at the direction of the magazines.
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