thenewjournalandguide.com

By Raynard Jackson
NNPA Columnist
 
    Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, released his long awaited report last week called the Growth and Opportunity Project.  It is basically a post mortem of last November’s election results and lessons learned.

By Cloves C. Campbell, Jr.
NNPA Columnist
    A few years ago NNPA was holding its annual board meetings in March in Washington, D. C., then, Senator Barack Obama walked in the room in the room to welcome the Publishers to Washington.  He also indicated he wanted to share some news with us.  The news was that he was planning on seeking the office of the President of the United States of America.  There were some young and many older Publishers in the meeting.  He said if any of us would like to talk with him in the lobby, he would be happy to share his thoughts.

By George E. Curry
NNPA Columnist

    When I was in the process of reading and writing about Nielsen and the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s report on African-American buying power for this week’s Black newspapers, I was reminded of how many top companies continue to take advantage of Black consumers while providing little, if anything, in return.
    They are not the only ones at fault – so are we. People treat you the way you allow them to treat you. The same can be said of corporations, though they are not, as Mitt Romney contends, people. The Nielsen report notes that Blacks spending power, which totals $695 billion a year, is expected to soar to $1.1 trillion by 2015. And very few of those dollars are reinvested by advertising in the Black media.

         I would like to send praise on this letter which was sent by Mr. Banks (New Journal and Guide, Feedback, August 16-22, 2012).  I am a member of the Black Press in New England and I agree.  It is a sad time for the Black Press, especially members of the Black Press that are small and independent. 

   By Cloves C. Campbell Jr.

     Last week (August 9) I penned an article titled “Show Me the Money.” (Note: This article appeared on page one in the New Journal and Guide as “Obama, Romney budgets shrug Black Press.”)

By Cloves Campbell
Chairman, National Newspaper Publishers Association

    There are less than 100 days until voters throughout the country cast their votes for the next President of the United States of America as well as U.S. Senate, Congressional and State Legislatures.  The campaign war chests for President Obama and Mitt Romney total almost $3 Billion dollars! However as of this writing, not one dollar has been spent in the Black Press.  Once again the Black Press has been unfortunately relegated to an “Oh By the Way” campaign that features one 1/2 page ad placed two weeks before the election in all Black newspapers totaling a shameful $1.2 million dollars!  That is the money placed by the Obama for America Campaign (OFA).  The Romney Campaign has zero dollars allocated! To put this all into paper perspective, let me fill you in on the process.

By Walter Smith
Guest Publisher
National Newspaper Publishers Association

    In 2008, the presidential elections cost a record-setting $2.8 billion. To win that election,  Barack Obama spent $740.6 million, eclipsing the combined $646.7 that George W. Bush and John Kerry spent four years earlier. Obama’s spending accounted for 44 percent of all the money  spent in that campaign. A Wall Street analyst projects that 2012 spending for ads across all  media will easily surpass the $2.8 billion mark.
    Obama inherited a country in severe economic recession, a real estate market that was belly up, and an auto industry that was on the verge of collapse—G.M.’s shares had tumbled to $3.36 per  share. In his first post-election press conference Obama called the automakers “the backbone of  American manufacturing” as thousands of auto industry employees belonged to unions that are a  part of the democratic base.
    The financial “bailouts” of 2009 ($17.4 billion for General Motors and Chrysler, $6 billion for  GMAC, $1.5 billion for Chrysler Financial) while great for those companies and the many  others that received stimulus aid, had no visual and significant impact on the Black community.
    So many African Americans remain disillusioned about the benefits of the Obama presidency,  and the financially depressed Black Press wonders why it has been overlooked.