Black media outlets across the country are preparing for what could be a new era of financial and editorial strain that will put survival to the test in the upcoming years.
With an ideological backlash against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives that help fund advertising in Black media, publishers are now anticipating a new landscape ahead.
President Donald Trump is implementing a 25% additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico and a 10% additional tariff on imports from China aimed at “halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl” from entering the country. For the Black Press, which imports newsprint and paper, these tariffs could exacerbate the challenges newspapers have faced for years.
Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., president and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), representing more than 230 regional and local Black newspapers, expressed his opposition to the tariffs.
“The tariffs will have a very negative impact on Black-owned newspapers and other Black-owned businesses,” he said. “They will make it very expensive for our newspapers to stay in business.”
Will writing the truth come at a price?
Denise Rolark Barnes, publisher of the 60 year Washington Informer, expressed concern about the proposed tariffs’ ripple effects.
“We’re waiting to hear now whether the cost of newsprint is going to increase,” she said. “what we’ve been told is that our printer has an ample supply of newsprints,…but they’re preparing us for an increase that may come down the road.”
Tariffs on Canada, which provides an estimated 80% of American newsprint, can lead to a sharp increase in costs, which in turn can cause community newspapers to reduce print frequency or shrink page counts.
Barnes said the Informer has not yet made any operational changes, but acknowledged that if costs spike, hard decisions will follow.
“We’re in a wait-and-see mode, we’re in constant conversation with our printers,” she said. “No real red flags have been waved yet, but we know at some point that may be a consideration.”
From an editorial standpoint, Barnes said the newspaper will focus on reporting on how the tariffs will impact communities, including the rising cost of cars and groceries.
Tariffs, DEI and the shrinking ad dollar
Barnes said Trump’s stance on DEI will also impact the Black newspaper industry, as funds from advertisements will stall.
“People don’t realize that the advertising dollars that corporations spend with us come out of a DEI budget,” she said. “They’re pulling back on what they used to do in spending in our publications…folks are nervous about how they’re spending their ad dollars and that entrenchment does impact us.”
However, the economic pressure is only part of the story. Janis Ware, publisher of The Atlanta Voice, one of the longest-running Black newspapers in the South, anticipates adjusting the paper’s overall operational costs to afford printing and distributing costs or slashing the number of pages.
Simultaneously, Ware is considering elevating The Voice’s digital presence on social media and newsletter, which also comes with a hefty price tag. Older generations, who do not turn to digital media for news, may find it difficult to adapt to this transformation.
Have we been here before?
To Chavis, the proposed tariffs, Trump’s DEI rollback and broader anti-“woke” rhetoric are interconnected.
“All these are code words, but give a green light to the rise of white supremacy and fascism,” Chavis said. “Those of us who are Black are relatively clear about what we are facing, so we can navigate and move forward even in a more hostile business environment.”
Ideological changes across the U.S. are also impacting editorial decisions in newsrooms. Chavis added that newspapers are grappling with “increasing anxieties.”
But the Black Press is no stranger to political headwinds. The first Black newspaper in America, Freedom’s Journal, was founded in 1827. Now, 198 years later, Black media continues to adapt to its immediate climate and inform communities.
“The Black Press is resilient…We don’t retreat, we keep moving forward despite the obstacles that may be put in our path,” Chavis said. “Our mission doesn’t change because of who’s in the White House.
“The mission of the Black Press is to print the facts, the truth, but also be an advocate for freedom, justice and equality. We’re going to keep pressing forward and do what the Black Press does best and represent the interest and the voice of Black America.”
Despite financial pressures and political threats, Ware says the community’s support is more important than ever.
“We reach out to the community and say, ‘We need you now more than we ever needed.’ We go to the ministers who we’ve been disseminating their messages for years and say, ‘We need you as well,’” she said.
Barnes said Black publishers must continue to document historical moments.
“A hundred years from now, when people look back at this moment in time, they’re gonna wanna know how the Black Press dealt with it, how the Black community dealt with it, how white folks dealt with us,” she said. “It’s a period that’s rich in news.”
Sonny Messian Jiles, publisher of the Houston Defender Network, believes the resilience of the Black Press will withstand the test of time and agrees that the tariff story must be told from a Black perspective, which is often overlooked.
“The importance of telling the tariff impact story goes beyond the economic and cultural implications on the Black Press. In our fight as a people, the importance of sharing strategic information or the basic facts the Black Press provides is necessary to create the collective voice that makes the difference in rallying our forces to create change,” said Messian Jiles. “The Black Press has been and continues to be an important ingredient in our progressive struggle for equity. Ultimately, It is the power of our people and our institutions that will make the difference.”
