The entire St. Louis American team is deeply appreciative of all of our loyal readers, many advertisers as well as our colleagues in the National Newspaper Publishers Association for our 5th John B. Russwurm Award in the last 10 years.
We are still very mindful that a few years ago our circulation was a mere 4,000, and now we have grown to more than 70,000 copies weekly. Many individuals have contributed to this dramatic increase in circulation and, according to the judgment of our peers, marked improvement in quality. We likewise are heartened by the continuing improvement by many of our fellow newspapers in the NNPA. We are all working diligently to re-vitalize a venerable, important institution in our communities with innovative approaches.
It is a daunting task for a variety of reasons, including huge changes in the media industry, demographics and reader interest. Also, the critical cost base of a well-circulated, professionally-produced newspaper is dictated by many forces. Some of these lie outside of management’s control, such as printing, newsprint costs and the logistics of distributing the paper to a large geographic area in a timely manner.
Yet, because the mission of the Black Press remains essential and largely unchanged, we continue our pursuit of excellence and the creation of a workable model that brings information to our community and provides a forum for a broad discussion of ideas. Recruiting and retaining talented journalists, sales people, managers and other support people is an ongoing challenge.
Both internationally acclaimed author and orator Bishop T.D. Jakes and the Rev. Jesse Jackson hailed the importance of the Black Press while speaking at events during the NNPA’s 65th Annual Convention. The importance of the relationship between the black church and black newspapers is one that began in 1827, when Russwurm co-founded Freedom’s Journal, the first African-American newspaper.
Equally as important is the partnership black newspapers must have with civil rights organizations, progressive civic leaders and elected officials, especially at this time in history, when the gains of African Americans over the past 50 years are under sharp attack from conservatives. Black newspapers are not the lone voice of black people, but they often are the most important voice. The American’s voice is clear and getting stronger thanks to our readers, advertisers and a dedicated staff.