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Exclusive: Roland Martin trades Chicago Defender for CNN
News of CNN's affliation announced during 180th Anniversary of the Black Press Roland Martin, former executive editor for the Chicago Defender, has left the paper for a contributor spot at CNN.

March 16, 2007 – Wash, DC – (BlackPressMagazine.com) – As America came together to celebrate the 180th Anniversary and National Black Press Week, the industry took a hit as one of the most recognizable figures left the black owned media industry for a job in corporate media.

Roland S. Martin, the executive editor for the Chicago Defender and a nationally syndicated columnist and Chicago-based radio host, will join Cable News Network.
 
Martin will serve as a contributor across several programs effective immediately, and, in the coming months, the network will develop various other programming concepts around him.
 
"CNN has made a sincere commitment to giving its audience a breadth of important stories not typically found in mainstream media," Martin said in a statement. "I am pleased to be a part of that effort and to do my part to see they rise to that challenge."
 
Admittedly, I worked as a Spanish language intern for CNN's then-Telemundo division some years ago and it has a special place in my heart. But, as the managing editor for the Historical Black Press Foundation, I am disheartened by Martin's departure.

His decision marks a trend among America 's top Black journalists to leave the heritage-owned publications that make up the Black Press. With over 450 Black owned newspapers and magazines listed in the Black Press Yearbook: Who's Who in Black Media directory, it's hard to imagine that Martin couldn't have found a home within the Black Press. But as a former CNNer, I know the mass appeal that working for the network it has. He'd been gone for a week or two, replaced by Lou Ransom, but the announcement was delayed and the timing equated to delivering a gut punch to the industry.

"Roland did his own thing; and he was never [at the Chicago Defender]," said one insider who requested not to be named. "He was off promoting his book or doing a commentary or delivering a speech. Some of us believe it could be for the best for everyone."

Roland Martin, former executive editor for the Chicago Defender, has left the paper for a contributor spot at CNN. At a time when America 's Black Press is facing one of its biggest challenges with the advertising crisis, losing Black editorial talent is a huge blow. Even though Martin was controversial and often ended up being the news himself. A year or so ago, Martin battled with Oprah Winfrey putting the paper in the headlines. A few months ago, Martin made amends and became the first in-studio guest on Oprah and Friends, a talk show on XM Radio.
 
More and more African American journalists are going to work for mainstream news outlets, leaving Black-owned news outlets unbalanced. CNN is a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, which purchased Essence Magazine a formerly Black-owned magazine.
 
Some disagree.
 
"The [Black Press] leadership has prepared well for the future," said Armstrong Williams, a syndicated columnist and radio talk show host based in Washington , DC . "They have trained [the next generation] to set up to the plate," he said during a podcast interview today with BlackPodcasts.com.

"As a multifaceted journalist steeped in the traditions of storytelling and truth-seeking, Roland offers a powerful voice on subjects ranging from politics to religion to race to numerous other social issues," said Jon Klein, president of CNN/U.S who made the announcement. "We're very pleased to have him contribute to a wide range of CNN stories."

 
ABOUT ROLAND MARTIN
A nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate, Martin most recently served as executive editor of the Chicago Defender, the nation's largest black daily newspaper.  He is also a commentator for TV One Cable Network, a partly Black-owned television network.

ABOUT HISTORICAL BLACK PRESS FOUNDATION
The Historical Black Press Foundation is the nation's largest organization for information related to Black-owned media. HBPF hosts the Black Press Week Corporate Luncheon every third Friday of March and Black Press All Stars every September. HBPF fosters dialog among mainstream media and the Black Press and provides professional development for minority media professionals, executives and companies committed diversity. HBPF also publishes Black Press Magazine, Who's Who in Black Media directory, Who's Who in Black Washington, DC directory.

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