Independent publisher Ted Fang said that although his newspaper was not devoted to a specific ethnic community, simply being a minority creates more awareness of minority issues. But I don't see the Independent as an Asian American newspaper. The Independent covers the neighborhoods of San Francisco, and if there are more Asian Americans in those neighborhoods, we cover them. Yaki agreed, saying the Independent's focus on minority and neighborhood issues has made its endorsements especially powerful. The Independent is one of the most important endorsements a candidate can get.
People pay attention.
Anytime you have competition, others respond. Mabel Teng, the first supervisor elected since Hsieh in 1992, agreed. Today, minorities make up 18.8 percent of about 300 editorial staffers, of whom 9.4 percent are Asian American, according to a human resources spokesperson. Among the much smaller Examiner staff, 14.3 percent are minorities. On the other hand, the Independent's workforce, at about 35 percent minority and 20 percent Asian American, according to Independent publisher Ted Fang, closely mirrors citywide demographics.