Jasmyne A. Cannick, a columnist, issued a challenge to the Black Press last week with her column “What the hell is going on with the Black Press?”
https://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/2014/05/13/black-press-mia-on-sterling-exclusives/
She stated that the Black Press should have demanded Donald Sterling and his family come to them first, since his offense was against the Black community and the Black Press represents, as well as speaks for and to the Black community. The Black Press should have demanded it, and by not doing so not only lost out on the headline story, but also the advertising dollars as well to the so-called major media. Cannick talked about the Sterlings but she should have included V. Stiviano too. She went to the White Press.
I’m looking forward to hearing the response from the Black Press, but I would like to take it a bit further and ask What the Hell is going on with the Black community as well as the Black Press nationally when it comes to Black on Black violence?
Why aren’t BET, Radio-One, TV-One, the NNPA, and whatever other Black Media groups out there working together.
For example why isn’t there a Black journalist representing the NNPA or the Black Media as a whole stationed among the White House journalism corp. Surely 200 plus papers and two cable TV networks can afford to pay one reporter to feed information to the rest of the Black media, so that anything of importance to the Black community we get it first hand and from a Black prospective.
Hopefully at the annual NNPA convention in June they will address this problem of how to better work together and if one paper has a major news story affecting everyone all can share it to make it more effective. Not just opinion columns.
For example the Sterling issue. Since it’s happening in Los Angeles, it should be the Los Angeles papers taking the lead, but whatever is done is fed to all the other papers. This lets the world, and our advertisers know that on certain issues, we are united and that we can be a powerful force. And yes it not only creates more respect for us from the White community but within the Black community, which should lead to more advertising dollars to help us hire more quality reporters and pay our bills.
There are also certain issues the Black Press should take the lead on and work together in a joint effort to bring about a change. Heading that list is Black on Black violence, in the streets as well as in the homes. I would change the head a little.
Where in the Hell is the rest of the Black Press? Is the Courier fighting this battle alone?
This is one issue that should be shouted out at the highest mountain top yet most of the Black Press is still ignoring it. Every paper should have a Homicide List, and should be challenging our kids in the streets, our police, our politicians, our clergy, our neighbors, to stop the violence. More people are dying on our streets than in Afghanistan or Iraq, yet we are silent. What if there was a Homicide list in Chicago, East St. Louis, St. Louis, Detroit, New York City, Los Angeles, Memphis, Cleveland, etc.
Yes, Jasmyne Cannick has a very valid point. The question is what will the Black Press response be?
As far as the challenge to Black people as a whole? Why is it that we want coverage but even though an event has been planned for months, the Courier only hears about it the day before or the same day of the event? Many of our groups, politicians and activists know that the Courier comes out on Wednesdays and is put together on Tuesdays, yet how many times have they held their events on Tuesday night, and wondered why the Courier isn’t there? And if you don’t know you should make it a point to find out.
Speaking about Black on Black violence, it should be interesting to see what happens in Northview Heights with the vigil that was cancelled because of the threat of violence. I don’t think the people in the community or the officials of the Housing Authority should back down to threats, just beef up security. Most of the shooters are not going to mess with anyone who can shoot back.
I was pleasantly surprised to learn that there hasn’t been a shooting death in Northview Heights for three years. Now that’s news because traveling through Northview Heights used to be like riding through Dodge City, before Stanley Lowe put those gates up. So I guess despite all the complaining people did against the gates, they do work. Three years.
The Primary election was Tuesday. I hope you all voted. Otherwise stop your complaining.
(Ulish Carter is the managing editor of the New Pittsburgh Courier.)
