Chapter X · A FORECAST OF THE FUTURE
Reading edition
From its small beginning in 1827, Negro Journalism has steadily grown in the United States. Today it stands as a definite factor in Negro life. In truth, the Negro press reflects the growing race consciousness of eleven million American citizens of African descent. The status of the Negro newspaper is fixed—it is here to stay. While daily newspapers may devote space to “News of Interest to Colored People;” yet they can never take the place of the newspapers which are published solely for the race group. The appeal of the Negro newspaper is direct and racial. In a manner similar to that of the rural press, the Negro paper has an unlimited field because of its personal relationship to its readers.
During the first half century of Negro Journalism, it is doubtful if any of the papers were financial successes; in truth, most of them were published as purely partisan or propagandists organs, and were supported through the contributions of sympathizers. Today Negro newspapers are conducted on business principles and pay reasonable returns to their investors.
Papers in the large cities have built up enormous subscription lists of bona fide, paid-up subscribers. Likewise, they carry a large amount of well-paying advertisements, and as a result of these sources of income they are able to give attractive remuneration to their publishers, editorial staff and business staff. No longer must the Negro journalist necessarily be an unpaid worker. Trained journalists can obtain respectable salaries and find as many openings as their fellow workers on metropolitan dailies and national weeklies and monthlies.
That the calibre of the work done on Negro publications will continue to improve is highly probable in view of the fact that every year an increasing number of trained young men and women are entering the field, and bringing with them burning enthusiasm and high professional ideals. The Courses in Journalism in the Negro colleges, also, will soon be having a telling effect on the future Negro journalist. Already a few of the twentieth century Negro youths are being attracted to the professional study of Journalism, preferring the possibilities of its virgin field to the overcrowded professions of law, teaching, medicine and theology.
The future of Negro Journalism is limited only by the zeal and conscientious effort which its workers bestir themselves to exert. A marvelous growth and success has been recorded within the past 95 years, but greater achievement is yet to be accomplished. Negro semi-weeklies, and eventually dailies in the larger cities, will undoubtedly be developed within the next decade. The size of many of the present weeklies will be increased of necessity. Better news stories and more real news will be the result of the successful functioning of such news syndicates as the Associated Negro Press.
The decreasing of illiteracy among the Negroes will continue to be carried forward by the Negro press, with a mutual benefit to the race and its publications. Higher standards of literacy will bring greater appreciation for reading and thereby create a stronger support for the Negro publisher.
In the immediate future, perhaps, the great field for development in Negro Journalism is in the South where the great mass of Negro population, despite the Northern immigration, resides. There Negro Journalism needs and will continue to need its best trained editors and managers. There it will need men of sound judgment and common sense; men of purpose and high professional ideals; men of broad sympathy and great patience.