The ''Indianapolis Recorder'' is an American
weekly newspaper
Weekly newspaper is a general-news or Current affairs (news format), current affairs publication that is issued once or twice a week in a wide variety broadsheet, magazine, and electronic publishing, digital formats. Similarly, a biweekly newspap ...
based in
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
,
Indiana
Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
. First published in 1895, the ''Recorder'' is the longest-running
African-American newspaper
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...
in Indiana and fourth in the U.S.
History
The newspaper was first established by George P. Stewart and William H. Porter as a two-page
church bulletin
A parish magazine or parish bulletin, also called church bulletin, is a periodical produced by and for an ecclesiastical parish. It usually comprises a mixture of religious articles, community contributions, and parish notices, including the prev ...
. Although they began the ''Recorder'' together, Porter sold his share of the newspaper to Stewart in 1899.
By 1916, the two-page church bulletin had become a four-page newspaper. During this time, the ''Recorder'' urged African-Americans to be moral, proud of their heritage, and combat stereotypes. Popular sermons were excerpted, and biographical sketches were also published with a moral focus.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the paper encouraged economic growth in its readership. The weekly also pressed for the end of racial discrimination in employment practices, spoke out against the
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to KKK or Klan, is an American Protestant-led Christian terrorism, Christian extremist, white supremacist, Right-wing terrorism, far-right hate group. It was founded in 1865 during Reconstruction era, ...
, and publicly endorsed anti-Klan politicians. During World War II, the paper supported the war effort and like many publications of the time, recognized the contributions of community members. The ''Recorder'' also reported on the
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...
’s drive to integrate the armed services and proudly reported on the success of the
Tuskegee Airmen
The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of primarily African American military pilots (fighter and bomber) and airmen who fought in World War II. They formed the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Fighter Group, 477th Bombardment Group (Medium) of th ...
. In the 1940s, circulation reached 40,000.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the ''Recorder'' pushed for action in regards to civil rights and desegregation. During this time, the paper reported on
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
and
Malcolm X
Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...
while continuing to report on local church activities and marriages. It was during this troubling period that
William Raspberry
William Raspberry (October 12, 1935 – July 17, 2012) was an American syndicated public policy, public affairs columnist. He was also the Knight Professor of the Practice of Communications and Journalism at the Sanford Institute of Public Policy ...
came to work for the ''Recorder''.
Raspberry would go on to achieve national prominence as a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
''.
By 1987, George Stewart's era had come to an end. Eunice M. Trotter, a journalist for ''
The Indianapolis Star
}
''The Indianapolis Star'' (also known as ''IndyStar'') is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903, in Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It has been the only major daily paper in the city since 1999, whe ...
'', bought the weekly and brought in a new management style. Trotter also introduced an internship program that still exists today, brought in computers, organized the paper into separate four-color sections, and revised the ''Recorder''s charity program. The paper's circulation was audited by ABC during this period and was recorded at more than 13,000. Trotter sold the paper to William G. Mays, an Indianapolis chemical company executive, in 1991.
Under his management, Mays increased the number of staff and updated equipment. He also wanted the paper to be more positive and within six years, the paper's circulation began a decline. It was no longer audited by ABC. By 1998, the ''Recorder'' had a staff of 24.
Mays's niece,
Carolene Mays, became the general manager of the ''Recorder'' in 1998. She served as the general manager of the ''Recorder'' for 12 years before returning to public office.
In 2010, Carolene Mays was succeeded by long-time ''Recorder'' employee Shannon Williams. Shortly after stepping into the role of president and general manager, she created the Recorder Media Group, which houses the ''Indianapolis Recorder'' newspaper and the ''Indiana Minority Business Magazine''.
The Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper Online Collection (1899–2005) was introduced by the
IUPUI University Library on September 25, 2011. The project was funded by a grant from the
Indianapolis Foundation Library Fund. The ''Recorder'' collection was made possible through the support and collaboration of William Mays and his niece, Carolene Mays.
[Bantz, Charles R. Chancellor’s Newsletters, September 2011. https://archives.iupui.edu/handle/2450/5126]
Today
William G. Mays is the publisher of the ''Indianapolis Recorder'' and Shannon Williams serves as president and general manager. The ''Recorders sections include News, Opinion, Around Town, Health, Business, Religion, Sports, and Education. The paper continues to be published and delivered weekly.
In addition to the newspaper, the ''Recorder'' also serves clients through the Recorder Media Group. The Recorder Media Group offers customized services in order to meet the specific needs of each client. These services include marketing, public relations, collaterals, graphic design, newsletter, publishing, script writing, strategy development, promotional advertising, and photography.
JAWS
The Journalism and Writing Seminars (JAWS) program, which was created by Trotter, is part of the ''Recorder''s nonprofit branch and gives minority high-school students hands-on experience in the field of journalism. Students go through training sessions yearly from September to May, where they develop
professional communication
Professional communication is a sub-genre found within the study of communications. This subset encompasses written, oral, visual, and digital communication within a workplace context. It is based upon the theory of professional communications, ...
skills with the help of industry professionals. JAWS participants also write news and feature stories that are published in the newspaper and on the ''Recorder''s official website.
The goal of the JAWS program is to encourage students to major in communications and pursue a career in journalism.
Future plans
The ''Recorder'' is focusing on electronic expansion in order to reach younger audiences who are not as likely to read a printed newspaper. The ''Recorder'' continues to serve the community through Indianapolis Recorder Charities and seeks to grow its collaborations with other media outlets.
Awards
The ''Recorder'' received the Indiana Journalism Award in 2000.
The
National Newspaper Publishers Association has honored the ''Indianapolis Recorder'' with many Merit Awards over the years.
The following is a list of some awards that the ''Recorder'' has received in recent years:
* Phillip Randolph Messenger Award - 1st place
* General Excellence Award - 1st place
* Best Original Advertising - 1st place
* Best Layout & Design - 1st place
* Best Layout/Design Other Than Page One - 1st place
* Best Editorial Cartoon - 1st place
* Best Church Page - 1st place
* Best Print Feature - 1st place
* Best Investigative Reporting - 1st place
* Best Column Writing - 2nd place
* Best Entertainment Section - 2nd place
* Best Church Page - 2nd place
* Best Circulation Promotion - 2nd place
* Best Sports Section - 2nd place
* Best Lifestyle Section - 2nd place
* Best News Pictures - 3rd place
* Best Special Edition - 3rd place
* Best Editorial Cartoon - 3rd place
* Best Use of Photography Award - 3rd place
* Community Service Award - 3rd place
* Best Circulation Promotion - 3rd place
* General Excellence - 3rd place
* Best Practices Award
* Champions of Diversity Award
* Indiana Minority AIDS Coalition Media Award
* Indianapolis Black Chamber of Commerce Pioneer Award
* Governor’s Award
* Mozel Sanders Foundation Humanitarian Award
* State of Indiana Business Award
* World AIDS Day Media Award
See also
*
Media in Indianapolis
*''
Indiana Minority Business Magazine''
*
List of African-American newspapers in Indiana
References
External links
''The Indianapolis Recorder''''The Indianapolis Recorder'' Online, 1899-2005
{{DEFAULTSORT:Indianapolis Recorder
African-American history of Indianapolis
Newspapers published in Indiana
Mass media in Indianapolis
Newspapers established in 1896
African-American newspapers
1896 establishments in Indiana