An unvarnished conversation: More Black-owned newspapers included in PR community outreach efforts.

Announcer  0:04  
Welcome. This is the public relations review podcast, a programm to discuss the many facets of public relations with seasoned professionals, educators, authors, and others. Now, here is your host, Peter Woolfolk.

Peter Woolfolk  0:25  
Welcome to the public relations review podcast and to our listeners all across America and around the world. Now, the US Census projects that the largest population growth in the US is among the multiracial people of color. They estimate that by 2060, and perhaps even sooner, Caucasians alone will be only about 43% of US population. While the combined people of color will constitute about 57% of the US population. Now, African Americans will grow to nearly 43 million in 2030, or 14.3% of the population. What's more, he marketer estimates African Americans will have a combined buying power of over $1.5 trillion by 2023. That is up from $1.3 trillion in 2018. So why should this growth and buying power data about African Americans be of importance to the public relations community? Well, this should be a wake up call to public relations practitioners, that this is a viable market that many practitioners too often overlook, with possibly a financial and programmatic mistake. One solid means of reaching this market is by way of black owned newspapers across the nation. The National Newspaper Publishers Association is the organization representing the 230 regional black owned newspapers with more than 22 weekly readers. My guest today is a respected leader in this organization. Joining me today from Nashville, Tennessee is Rosetta Mila Perry CEO and publisher of a tendency to be in. It was founded in 1991, and recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. The newspaper has more than 200,000 weekly wages across Tennessee. She is a graduate of the University of Memphis, and the Howard University School of Law, and also the publisher of contemporary magazine. And she is recipient of over 100 Awards. She is among the most influential people in Nashville, Tennessee.

So Rosetta, thank you so very much for taking the time to chat with me today. So let's talk about I would think the increased need for public relations and other organizations to get engaged black on newspapers to increase their community outreach projects. How do you feel about that? And what have you seen in your years of being with the tendency to being

Rosetta Perry  2:58  
in the beginning, it was a very slow process. But now, the tendency to view we're overwhelmed with information coming to us.  And it's almost impossible to even engage with them. What are some of the public relations firms? I think one of the reasons is that the majority newspapers have cut the number of pages that they print, and so there's nowhere to send the information. So now, they have to send their information to all the news outlet. And I think they use my newspaper a lot, because I'm statewide.  And that gets them a lot more publicity. 

Peter Woolfolk  4:00  
Now, do you think of many of the larger organizations, as I said, either  the PR firms or maybe even government agencies and others? Are they recognizing the change or increase in or the growth of the African American or let's say, people of color, a population as a whole? And the increase in their spending power? You think that helps as well? 

Rosetta Perry  4:21  
Oh, yeah, they are. They know that African Americans spend a lot of money. And they also know that African America gets very little in return.

Peter Woolfolk  4:36  
You know, I think it's interesting because I dug up a few last statistics about that. And it says basically, that by 2023, African Americans will have a combined buying power of over $1.5 trillion, and that's up from $1.3 trillion just in 2018. So I mean, that should obviously come to a lot of people's attention. 

Rosetta Perry  5:02  
It should. But that doesn't benefit us. We're spending, they are receiving, when does our community benefit when, and part of it, we can blame ourselves. Because our folks, a lot of them think that ice is colder on the other side. And they'll  buy, just say, a majority newspaper that's attacking them, that runs stories about crime and whatever about them, and then buy my newspaper, because somebody they know is in it. Or there's something in it always about the four HBCUs, and so forth. But they think African Americans basically just feel like if it's white is right. And we can't, you know, we can't control that. I don't say that you shouldn't get news or read majority newspapers, because they're tied in, so that they can get some news that we can't get. But I think if you want to be well balanced, if you want to know what's happening with our people, if you want to know, someone was recently promoted to an admiral, you're not going to find that anywhere, but in the black press. And that person could have graduated from TSU (Tenn State University) went to school with somebody whose mother, you know, so our newspapers will inform our citizens about things that you will never see in the majority. For example, I was just talking to a black female airline pilot, 31 years old, in Atlanta, you know, I'll be running that story soon. You're not going to read that in a majority paper. But in our paper, that's an inspiration for someone from young woman, right here in Nashville. 

Peter Woolfolk  7:08  
You know, it's interesting that you brought that up, because probably I'm gonna say around roughly three years ago, I ran across a similar story, I believe it was Delta, on a flight from Atlanta to to Nashville. That wasn't planned, it was completely accidental, simply because of rearranging of some scheduling problems. But it just so happened that all of the flight crew, not only were they all African American, but they were all female. And it was the power to co pilot and all of the flight attendants, the entire crew, which was history, making it itself. 

Rosetta Perry  7:43  
Yeah, and you're absolutely right, that sort of great information just wasn't the collected by the majority newspapers, right? Well, they have no interest in that, really. And you have to think it's more of them than us. So they're gonna write about them. So how many come from? I know I understand. 

Peter Woolfolk  8:03  
So how would you suggest that we get a you in fact, get more PR companies to send information that all, everybody in this community can benefit from? Are there opportunities for them to come visit you or you can visit them or place meetings that you can get together so that you can have those conversations? 

Rosetta Perry  8:29  
I think that needs to be done. I do get information from PR firms. But they're out in New York or LA, etc. There's a lot going on in Nashville, and PR firms ought to know about it. And that information should be disseminated right here in Nashville and the tendency to room because, you know, people are coming in here all the time. 

Peter Woolfolk  8:54  
Well, needless to say, Nashville is one of the as they say, one of the hottest cities in the in the US right now in terms of not only in terms of population growth, but new firms coming to Nashville look like every year right now. And new bubbling up. It's a it's like crabgrass the high rises that are going up so fast around here. Yeah. 

Rosetta Perry  9:13  
And they're bringing they are bringing in top black executives, you know. So you know, they're not going to reach, they're not going to reach out to the black community. Because usually when they come in, they move out to Hermitage or Brentwood. And I've met a few of them.  And where do you go church? Well, I'm thinking they're going to name one of these local churches, but they go to white churches. I mean, they just assimilate into the white community. So they don't even get to know us. So I guess that becomes the cause here in Nashville. They're two maybe three black newspapers and publications. 

Peter Woolfolk  9:54  
How can those new companies that have outreach and get to know you how would you suggest that began to happen? 

Rosetta Perry  10:04  
Well, that's a difficult question. Most of these companies in Nashville know the tendency to, you know, they really they know what's going on. Because why people want to know what we're doing, what's out there, what's happening. So they know it's online, they read, and I have to read it, because I get the information when they have they let me know, when they have like personal, you know, executive, I don't go out looking for that. They send it to me. 

Peter Woolfolk  10:34  
So basically, what I'm hearing you say is that those large, large or small PR firms really need to make an effort to reach out to you and and include you in their outreach efforts. Right? 

Rosetta Perry  10:47  
Yeah. 

Peter Woolfolk  10:47  
Because you're, like I said, You've been there for 30 years, and probably one of the most influential people in Nashville, so they need to have some sort of connection with you. So they can be not only sending you information, but also buying some advertising in the newspaper as well. That's true. I'm just wondering if, because I knew that there's a public relations organization here. And perhaps maybe that's some attention should be drawn to this sort of gap, if you will, communications gap where, yes, you hear you have a service, that then needs to be some collaboration between you and them, or exchange so that that information flows, if you will, both ways. Let's see, they don't realize how important it is when they have to say, a young, black male in a position, because look at all the young males that we have black males, they have other people to look up to now, you know, before you asked a young man was he want to be I want to be a preacher, or a teacher, or a policeman, or lawyer. That's all we had. Now, look at all the titles and all the different company. So now they can aspire to be something else, like the folks that are bringing into, you know, with all those titles, because we got some smart young folks graduating from high school, and they can go into something other than those four categories that I just made. But how would they ever know that those positions are out there in those companies? And if and if they saw a black person in those positions? Yeah, that's an inspiration. You know, as I listen to you, I'm thinking now because the public relations, Society of America really has a big push in terms of diversity. I'm not sure that this has been any discussion at that level of them engaging or involving black owned newspapers in some of the things that they're doing. And I think this might be an excellent opportunity for them to hear of some of the things that they themselves could be doing to help that diversity and inclusion effort that they have underway. Yeah, well, one of the things that I can tell you, as a result of this conversation is that not only will I put it into the Public Relations Society of America, there are open forum and, and their diversity outreach, an exchange, so that they can hear this because it goes to every member of the prsa around the country. So then hearing this, I think, hopefully, we'll be able to spark some sort of effort to look at here's what we he has a gap in the outreach efforts that we have going on.

Rosetta Perry  13:41  
And there are other like, groups that need to be reached, like, we have top teams. Now, these are young, African, on, you know, they're young, African American males, all of them go on to college, but they can be inspired. If they would see some African Americans in some other field, doing some other things as an inspiration, you know, some things that they may never have thought out, but brilliant enough to do, if directed correctly. 

Peter Woolfolk  14:18  
So, well, let me say I'm going to make sure that our conversation today gets in front of that diversity inclusion committee for the Public Relations Society. There's no question about that. Also, once what happens, of course, is that now I'll put a notice of this program on on Twitter so it will go further further out. But I think part of this is bringing the attention to the public relations community that more needs to be done for the PR firms to reach out to black owned newspapers of which by the way, there are 230 of them all around the country and something Is that I did not know I looked up some of this information. And of those 230, you've got 22 million readers each week that are reading those newspapers.

Rosetta Perry  15:13  
 Right. Right.

Peter Woolfolk  15:15  
In addition to that, not only do they have, obviously, the hardcopy newspapers, but they've got readers on Facebook, of which there are 12 million readers 15 million Twitter followers, and 10 million on Instagram. So going to these newspapers has followers not only, with the hardcopy editions, but the digital editions, which a lot of people do look at and use on a regular basis? Well, let me just ask you real quick, then what other things would you suggest to public relations people as a whole, in an effort to have a better linkage and communications avenue, if you will, with the black owned newspapers?

Rosetta Perry  16:00  
What can I say?

Peter Woolfolk  16:03  
Well, let me ask you this. Would it be worthwhile to suggest that the the National Newspaper Publishers Association, (NNPA) which is the is the organization representing all of them, have a chance to present something to the Public Relations Association of America at one of their annual meetings? Was that make sense?

Rosetta Perry  16:24  
You mean would NNPA do a presentation or you do the presentation to us?

Peter Woolfolk  16:31  
Well, matter of fact, it could both work both ways, I think, but at least put the NNPA and the public relations society in contact with each other as a way of exchanging information, or how can we help each other do ABC and D,

Rosetta Perry  16:46  
I think that you should contact NNPA and ask to be part of their spring or fall or any of their national meetings, to be on their program. And, you know, tell them how we can work together.

Peter Woolfolk  17:04  
That's the sort of thing I think will work. Well, in addition, not only suggest this to them, but also make sure that they hear this coming from you because you've been involved with the NNPA for just a bunch of years, if I'm not mistaken. 

Rosetta Perry  17:16  
Yeah. For a long time.  That would be good. Because we have different people with presentations, etc. But this could be very beneficial.

Peter Woolfolk  17:31  
Okay. Well, while I'm thinking about it, any other thoughts you might have for organizations better engage with a black newspapers around the country?

Rosetta Perry  17:41  
But you should be engaged with Black press. Yeah, you have to get your information out there. And that's one way to get it out there. And you can also suggest, you know, because we're we have we, you know, we're on the web every now know all the time. You can also just suggest there are some that you're one of the speakers on the website to talk about a relationship with an NNPA.

Peter Woolfolk  18:12  
Well, very good. So Rosetta, let me thank you for taking

Rosetta Perry  18:16  
That's a nationwide thing.

Peter Woolfolk  18:21  
Well, I just want to say thank you so very much for taking time from your busy day to talk to talk to me today.

Rosetta Perry  18:27  
Okay, good talking to you.

Peter Woolfolk  18:29  
Thank you and we'll talk again soon.

Rosetta Perry  18:32  
Okay. All right. Okay. Bye. Bye bye.

Peter Woolfolk  18:36  
My guest today was Rosetta Miller Perry. She is the CEO and publisher of the Tennessee Tribune in Nashville, Tennessee. If you've enjoyed this very straightforward, no holds barred conversation, I sure would appreciate rating from you. And we look forward to having you here again for the next edition of the Public Relations Review Podcast. Thank you.

Announcer  18:59  
This podcast is produced by communications strategies, an award winning public relations and public affairs firm headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Thank you for joining us.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai