Evening star., 1949-03-20

ther. this press feels that this role
of chapefon also includes the role
of protector of the basic freedoms
of the democratic way Of life.
To be sure, the fact that the
Negro press does continue IN pro-
test is q healthy omen Of democ-
racy. Such is q compliment to
the American way of life, since
there are so many places on the
globe where no press at all exists,
save by the will of the stately
the generosity of the few men who
dictate what may be written or
what may not be written.
Keeps Crusading Spirit
Like Freedoms Journal. first OF
the Negro press, the names OF
such pre-Civil War race news
papers as Rights of All. Mirror OF
Liberty, Elevator, Clarion and
Genius of Freedom were indica-
tive of the purpose to which they
lent their devotion. The Colored
American, also a pre-Civll War
organ, quoted as its aim, the
moral, social and political eleva-
ton and improvement of free col
ored people, and the peacefuI
emancipation of the enslaved."
Only conditions of the times
have changed this objective OF the
Negro press. The current Negro
press still possesses the crusadine
spirit OF its early forerunners. Its
headlines, its news columns and
its editorials are all testimony to
a carry-over Of this characteristic
"A vast amount of the copy space
of each edition of this press is al
lotted to items which plead the
cause of social, economic and po-
litical advancement of the minor
ity element which it represents.
Freedoms Journal was first is
sued on March 16. 1927. at New
York City. Its publishers were
John r. Russworm. the first Negro
graduate of an American college
and Samuel Cornish. a Negro min
lister. Later, in search OF an ex.
preston which he felt America die
not offer, Russworm emigrated te
West Africa and settled in Liberia
There he became active in the ma.
tionalist movement and fatherec
the Liberian Herald. first news
paper in the colony.
Type of Hybrid
Since Freedoms Journal. which
was short-lived, many Negro news
papers have appeared and per-
ished. OF the "a such journals
known to have existed prior to the
Civil War, only one. the Christian
Recorder, issued in 1841 by tht
African Methodist Episcopa
Church, still survives. There were
10 race papers in 1870, 81 in 1880
and 154 in 1890.
Today there are approximately
l40 Negro newspapers in the Unit
ed States. These papers have
combined circulation OF aroune
2 ,000, 900 copies per issue. or some
thing like one and a fraction pa
pers per run for every three ane
a fraction Negroes in the country
1t is probably safe to venture
however, that every Negro in tht
Nation who can read sees at leas
one Negro newspaper each week.
In formal and contents, thu
contemporary Negro press i
somewhat Ola cross between th'
American magazine and the dali!
newspaper-a type of hybrid
Although these organs are re-
ferred to as newspapers, in thu
general sense such is a misnomer
Actually the news of the day-th'
general news-gets comparativel!
little space in the Negro press
Usually when general items dt
appear, they are treated with {
Negro slant.
Weeklies or Semiweeklies
This observance of the Negrt
press is not necessarily a crltlca
one. The mere character OF thl!
press necessitates its neglect, tt
an extent, of general news and it,
subsequent treatment OF it with 6
Negro slant. The majority Of
these papers are printed weekly
or semiweekly. AS conse'
ouence, when they come oil the
press, the days news is no Longer
news. Then they operate undel
the assumption that their frs,
obligation is to feature the Negro
in the news.
During a period Of 20 years OF
more, the larger Negro news.
papers attempted to print weekly
editions for distribution to
national leadership. Naturally
many newsworthy items OF
purely local interest were lacking
in these papers. The past q
or more years have seen a change
in character in this respect. Ths
established trend now is towarc
the publication Of local, State ano
regional editions by the bis
national publishers. Today there
are possibly a dozen or more
Negro publishing outfits which
print several editions OF it,
mother paper.
The printed away-from- home
character of the Negro press &C
counts to a great degree for the
nature Of this press. It accounts
for a type Of unanimity in the
press on national and other issues
To find the lead editorial, fea-
lures and quantity of news items
of a mother paper running
through its local. State and re-
gional editions is not at all un-
common. Naturally, the policies
of these papers are a reflection OF
their owners.
It should be pointed out that
in instances where the large Negro
publishing firm operates out-of-
town editions, such papers usually
,n,;r+o;p THAR ovn staffs which