From: http://www.blackweb20.com...-for-help/

Even though I stopped reading Ebony/Jet 5 years ago since none of their stuff seems relevant to me,,,,,I still hate to see such an institution go to waste, and I'm MORE upset that alot of people will lose their jobs.

What do you guys think?

Many black themed mags have folded in the last year. Sadly, we don't have anyone to blame but ourselves. Ebony was an institution in my house growing up.

I wonder if this is gonna end up in P&R
[Edited 8/19/09 16:39pm]

It's a sign of the times..long standing companies are falling by the wayside.It's Ironic that I just read a Latina magazine..a few years ago that might have been a Jet...

readers digest filed for chapter 11 protection

It's sad that it's happening to such a huge African American institution, but I'm sure it's a reflection on the publishing industry in general and not on black media. If they do go away, I hope that black voices on the internet can be represented by groups like the original Ebony/Jet, Essence or TV One, and not by ghetto publications like the current BET, King magazine, or any of the Hip-Hop weeklies.

they just need a make over.

No, they need some real leadership. Harlepolis, your point about relevance is completely accurate. I know (of) the cats who took over Johnson Publishing. They'd gone as high up in mainstream print journalism as they could and leapt over to Johnson but didn't make substantial improvements.

In retrospect, their Michael Jackson cover issue that lauded his longevity was tragically prescient, but it was a puff piece that glossed over the questions that dogged Jackson for decades. That's hardly the kind of imprint you want to make on black America's lionized publication when your claim to fame is a hard news background.

Had folks taken over Ebony/Jet that cared more about its solvency than about their egos and own profiles, it might be in better shape. But that's hard to quantify, given the significant issues facing print products as a whole.

you mean

no more Jet centerfolds??

funkpill said:

no more beauties of the week. i use to plaster those things around my wall when i was a kid.

ThreadBare said:

Absloutly!

I don't know what happend,,,,they have been in this redundancy for 15 years now.

Ebony used to be thought provoking, sincere and even stepped on "some" of the social shoes(even if it was founded on the basis of the black middle class household).

But for the past 15 years, it seems like it was going with the motions, getting safe and one even had the sense that those writers were bored and have nothing really intersting to talk about(not to mention, the SAME subjects/same people getting talked about over & over,,,,which brings me back to the redundancy factor).

My guess is they'll re-open online(ala Vibe) but if they followed the same routine then its "crickets city" for them. I wanna be able to read some I could relate to, so far all they provided was some "fantasy" through their pages

But still, it pains my heart to see old black owned businesses getting the raw deal out of this recession,,,,and a WHOLE lot of people losing their bread over it, which is a downright shame.

ThreadBare said:

It's a complicated question. I definitely think Ebony/Jet could benefit from a broader, more critical and less... ..."self-congratulatory" approach to journalism where its demographic is concerned. But, as you suggested, there's no science in the industry these days. For my money, Emerge was what Ebony/Jet should have been all along (perhaps with a bit of pop culture fluff thrown in for accessibility), but even it bit the dust. ...I'm still in therapy over that.

I do attribute some responsibility for the crisis at Johnson Publishing to an editorial board that failed to take the reins. But somewhere I have to wonder at what point does a mainstream black readership (whatever that is) demand excellence in coverage and prove consistently supportive enough to keep it buoyant.
[Edited 8/20/09 16:40pm]

Lammastide said:

Yes, OMG YESSSS!

I loved Emerge. One thing they had a zero tolerance for is patronizing their readers, which is something Ebony/Jet should've learned from long time ago.

I think it stopped publishing ever since its editor(George Curry, is that his name) stepped out. I could be mistaken though, maybe they've joined the blogsphere, I don't know.
[Edited 8/19/09 22:02pm]

ThreadBare said:

That reminds me, I gotta buy that issue

ALL magazines are in trouble! I haven't brought one in over ten years

Harlepolis said:

You two should hunt this down and buy it. And, after having it for years, I need to read it.



I met George Curry about five years ago at a lecture he gave at a university. Very cool cat.

ThreadBare said:

I've seen that floating around the internet. I need to get my hands on a copy.

I thougt Jet magazine folded years ago.

anyway, when is fuckin' Cosmo gong under? Sick of that bullshit rag dedicated to dummying up women with articles on "your man's sex secrets" and "21 reasons you should break up with him."


It would be sad if Ebony folded. I have noticed though, that their magazine has gotten thinner over the years (less pages). Plus the website kind of sucks.

This saddens me too. I love Ebony and Jet Magazines, especially when they had an article about Prince in them.

DesireeNevermind said:

Ebony and Jet are in trouble but tabloids and these other lame magazines are doing okay....

lying ass centerfolds--every one of them is a student who likes horseback riding water skiing and long walks...but they from detroit and dc.. sista please --you walking to the #8 bus route

bboy87 said:

Put together some glossy bright colored pages with big curvy print, a gossipy headline with some teen star on the cover and voila...you have yourself a hit publication. damn shame.

ThreadBare said:

I just saved it in my amazon's wishlist,,,,just what I needed, my god, thanx a million

I'm excited to read about the Dick Gregory piece for a start, it kind of aroused a revival for Mr.Gregory in the late 90s.

Harlepolis said:

Ha! You're welcome, sis.

DesireeNevermind said:

takes notes

Harlepolis said:

WELL

IF HARLEPOLIS BUY EBONY OR JET ONCE IN WHILE

MAYBE IT NOT GO BROKE!

728huey said:

I had a subscription to Ebony in junior high (mid 90s)

My mom has a subsciption to Jet. She renewed it this year out of the blue, after years of off and on subscriptions. I can peruse an issue in less than 10 mins. I got bored with Ebony and haven't looked at an issue thoroughly in years. It's just different times and magazines aren't as popular as they used to be in the 80's and 90's. It's funny how these days alot of our institutions have to change with the times in order to survive; yet what has been endearing is how they have kept with the traditions of what made them.

funkyslsistah said:

Haven't read a magazine once I got on the internet. Why buy one when you can read shit online(and print it out if you need to)?