Chicago Defender newspaper ceases its print publication

The Chicago Defender is a legendary newspaper of Chicago which aims to provide information to the African-American citizens. The newspaper is going to cease its print publication and rely on digital publication. The editors of the newspaper told the local media about their decision but they have not announced it yet on social media and website.

Hiram Jackson, CEO of Chicago Defender, said, “It is really a difficult decision for us but the numbers suggest that the best way to reach our African-American readers is to rely on the digital publication”. He added, “The Defender is about to provide the information to the African-American readers”.

Defender is a project of Real Times Media and it has been published on weekly basis since 2008. People will read it on Wednesday for the final time. Jackson told the media, “We publish 16000 copies of The Defender every week and on the other hand we get 475000 unique visitors every month on the internet”.

Jackson told Chicago Sun Times, “We are going online in order to get more readers on the South Side, West Side, and Suburban side. We are going with the demand of the people and we are quite nimble in this regard”. In an online bio of the paper, it was revealed that Chicago Defender was the first black newspaper which circulated over 100000 people. It was also the first newspaper which had the health section. Jackson told media, “The other newspapers of Real Times Media will be printed and published”.

The Defender served as a voice of black America. It made the mayors and representatives of America. Ethan Michaeli, an author, wrote in a book, “John F. Kennedy would have lost the elections if the Defender would not be there”. Bill Savage said, “The Chicago Defender was the most important newspaper in Chicago history”. Barack Obama, former president, said, “The defender tells the stories of immigrants to the Americans. It is a chronicle!”.