As the news broke on Wednesday, Feb. 4, that The Washington Post had laid off one-third of its staff, those who care about journalism and local news coverage expressed shock and dismay.
Smaller layoffs had already impacted Washington Post staff members after its current owner, Jeff Bezos, bought the publication in 2013, ushering in a new era of digital investment for the newspaper.
During the 2024 presidential election, after former President Joe Biden dropped out of the race, Bezos faced significant criticism, a loss in subscribers, and several resignations, after he reversed a drafted endorsement for the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris — the first time since 1988 that the paper did not make a presidential endorsement.
With no more sports or books section, and truncated local coverage, the Post will focus on politics, national affairs, national security (both in D.C. and abroad), and “forces shaping the future,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
The massive layoffs at the Post came just days after independent journalist Georgia Fort and nationally renowned reporter Don Lemon were arrested for their coverage of a January protest in Minneapolis—a move many call an attack on the First Amendment.
While the void in coverage from a mainstay like the Washington Post and the threats to freedom of the press are blows to journalism, it is yet another reminder about the importance of supporting the Black Press. Born from a place of resistance and empowerment, the Black Press, for nearly 199 years, has worked to uplift African American communities through storytelling.
When John Russworm and Samuel Cornish began publishing Freedom’s Journal in 1827, they had a clear mission.
“We wish to plead our own cause,” the publishers wrote. “Too long have others spoken for us.”
People who read, subscribe to or advertise in African American-owned and operated newspapers, can count on locally based stories that inform Black communities and highlight success stories often overlooked or ignored by mainstream publications.
In addition, the Black Press plays a crucial role in providing an independent voice and often unapologetic perspective that stands on the side of civil rights, equity, justice, and freedom for all.
Today, more than 200 publications, including The Washington Informer, are members of the Black Press, also known as the National Newspaper Publishers Association, and are continuing the work Russworm and Cornish began nearly two centuries ago.
Although it’s a tough moment for journalism, the Black Press knows about hard times, still publishing despite the horrors of slavery, Jim Crow, and continued racism to this day.
At a time when fundamental Constitutional rights are under attack and leaders work to diminish the value of journalism, it’s important to champion all the storytellers working to uncover truths— including members of the Black Press.
This Black History Month and beyond, remember the incredible value of the Black Press, and support the publications across the country, still “pleading [their own] cause.”