''Jet'' is an American weekly digital magazine focusing on news, culture, and entertainment related to the African-American community. Founded in November 1951 by

John H. Johnson John Harold Johnson (January 19, 1918 – August 8, 2005) was an American businessman and publisher. Johnson was the founder in 1942 of the Johnson Publishing Company, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Johnson's company, with its ''Ebony' ...

of the Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois, the magazine was billed as "The Weekly Negro News Magazine". ''Jet'' chronicled the civil rights movement from its earliest years, including the murder of

Emmett Till Emmett Louis Till (July 25, 1941August 28, 1955) was a 14-year-old African American boy who was abducted, tortured, and lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in her family's grocery ...

, the Montgomery bus boycott, and the activities of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. ''Jet'' was printed from November 1, 1951, in digest-sized format in all or mostly black-and-white until its December 27, 1999, issue. In 2009, ''Jet'' expanded one of the weekly issues to a double issue published once each month. Johnson Publishing Company struggled with the same loss of circulation and advertising as other magazines and newspapers in the digital age, and the final print issue of ''Jet'' was published on June 23, 2014, continuing solely as a digital magazine app. In 2016, Johnson Publishing sold ''Jet'' and its sister publication '' Ebony'' to private equity firm Clear View Group. As of the date of sale, the publishing company is known as Ebony Media Corporation.

History

Early history

The first issue of ''Jet'' was published on November 1, 1951, by John H. Johnson in Chicago, Illinois. Johnson called his magazine ''Jet'' because he wanted the name to symbolize "Black and speed". In ''Jet''s first issue, Johnson wrote, "In the world today everything is moving along at a faster clip. There is more news and far less time to read it." ''Jet''s goal was to provide "news coverage on happenings among Negroes all over the U.S.—in entertainment, politics, sports, social events as well as features on unusual personalities, places and events."

Redd Foxx John Elroy Sanford (December 9, 1922 – October 11, 1991), better known by his stage name Redd Foxx, was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Foxx gained success with his raunchy nightclub act before and during the civil rights movement. ...

called the magazine "the Negro bible".

1952–2014

''Jet'' became nationally known in 1955 for its shocking and graphic coverage of the murder of

. Its popularity was enhanced by its continuing coverage of the burgeoning civil rights movement. The publication of Till's brutalized corpse on the cover of the issue inspired the black community to address racial violence, catalyzing the civil rights movement. Some of the popular models of ''Jet'' during this era included Vera Francis and Nancy Westbrook. The Johnson Publishing Company's campaign for economic, political and social justice influenced its inclusion of progressive views. From 1970 to 1975, ''Jet'' challenged conservative readers' anti-abortion stance by giving physicians who performed abortions a platform to discuss scientific facts about abortion procedures.

2014–present

In May 2014, the publication announced the print edition would be discontinued and switch to a digital format in June.

Changes in ownership

In June 2016, after 71 years, ''Jet'' and its sister publication '' Ebony'' were sold by Johnson Publishing to Clear View Group, an Austin, Texas-based private equity firm, for an undisclosed amount but the sale did not include the photo archives. In July 2019, three months after Johnson Publishing filed for Chapter 7

Bankruptcy Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...

liquidation, it sold its historic ''Jet'' and ''Ebony'' photo archives to a consortium of foundations to be made available to the public. In 2020, Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, a former NBA basketball player, became the new owner of Ebony Media’s assets for $14 million in a bid out of a Houston bankruptcy court. Bridgeman placed a bid of $14 million to take ownership of the company. His sports and media group has hired Michele Ghee as ''Jet'' and ''Ebony magazine's'' new CEO.

Content

''Jet'' coverage includes: fashion and beauty tips, entertainment news, dating advice, political coverage, health tips, and diet guides, in addition to covering events such as fashion shows. The cover photo usually corresponds to the focus of the main story. Some examples of cover stories might be a celebrity's wedding, Mother's Day, or a recognition of the achievements of a notable African American. Many issues are given coverage to show the African-American community that if they want to reach a goal, they have to be willing to work for it. ''Jet'' also claims to give young female adults confidence and strength because the women featured therein are strong and successful without the help of a man. Since 1952, ''Jet'' has had a full-page feature called "Beauty of the Week". This feature includes a photograph of an African-American woman in a swimsuit (either one-piece or two-piece, but never nude), along with her name, place of residence, profession, hobbies, and interests. Many of the women are not professional models and submit their photographs for the magazine's consideration. The purpose of the feature is to promote the beauty of African-American women. Similar to ''Essence'', ''Jet'' routinely deplores racism in mainstream media, especially its negative depictions of black men and women. However, Hazell and Clarke report that between 2003 and 2004, ''Jet'' and ''Essence'' themselves ran advertising that was pervaded with racism and white supremacy. ''Jet'' has published colorist advertisements in the past. An advertisement for Nadinola, a bleaching cream, appeared in an issue published in 1955. It depicts a light-skinned woman as the center of men's attention.

Notable people

* Robert C. Farrell (born 1936), journalist and member of the Los Angeles City Council, 1974–91, ''Jet'' correspondent * Robert E. Johnson (born August 13, 1922, in Montgomery, Alabama; died January, 1996, in Chicago) was associate publisher and executive editor of ''Jet''. He joined the ''Jet'' staff in February 1953, two years after it was founded by publisher John H. Johnson. He was one of the longest serving editors of ''Jet''.

Awards and recognition

* ''Jet'' was rated No. 1 as the acme in news digesting for the '' Baltimore Afro-American'' newspaper on November 17, 1951.

References

External links

Black History Seen Through Magazines

{{African American press 1951 establishments in the United States 2014 establishments in the United States African-American magazines Lifestyle magazines published in the United States Online magazines published in the United States Weekly magazines published in the United States Defunct magazines published in the United States Digests Johnson Publishing Company Magazines established in 1951 Magazines disestablished in 2014 Magazines published in Chicago Online magazines with defunct print editions