Nashville's "Tennessean" Newspaper Tries to Eliminate Community and Black Newspaper

BY Tennessee Tribute

On April 26, the Nash-ville Community Newspa-per Alliance (NCNA), a non-profit organization com-posed of 12 weekly English language newspapers in Davidson County which are independently owned by six local publishers, filed a 23 page document with the U.S. Department of Justice, charging Gannett Company, Inc. and The Tennessean with violating the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Clay-ton Antitrust Act.

Gannett currently operates the largest chain of daily and week-ly newspapers in the nation.

Members of the NCNA,which included publishers Jack Soodhalter, Rosetta Miller-Perry, Gary Cunningham, and Evelyn Underwood Miles met with four of the top attorneys in the Anti-trust Division of the Justice Department in Washington, D.C. in a one and a half hour conference to discuss their allegations regarding certain actions of Gannett and The Tennessean which the group believes are illegal.

One of those infringe- ments explored in depth was the trade in 2004 be-tween Gannett and Morris Communications of the daily newspaper and several weekly newspapers in the Gainesville, Georgia area owned by Gannett. The Daily News Journal in Murfreesboro, TN, The Review Appeal in Franklin, TN and The Brentwood Journal in Brentwood, TN, are all under the ownership of Morris. It is the consensus of the NCNA that this transaction infracted both the Sherman Anti-trust Act and the Clayton Antitrust Act on an interstate basis.

The Sherman Act out-laws all contracts, combinations and conspiracies that unreasonably restrain inter-state trade. This extends to agreements among competitors to fix prices, rig bids and allocate customers.

The Clayton Act is a civil statute that prohibits mergers or acquisitions which are likely to lessen competition.

The Nashville Community Newspaper Alliance further contends that Gannett and The Tennessean have created a monopoly in the Metropolitan Statistical area (MSA). In 1995, Gannett had only one publication in the MSA, which was The Tennessean newspaper. Today, they produce 32 different publications which are distributed throughout a great part of the Middle Tennessee area.

They own newspapers in all of the counties adjacent to Davidson, except for Wilson; however, The Tennessean has announced plans to enter that county in the near future. It is estimated, by reliable sources, that Gannett’s 32 publications now command a 60 percent share of the local print market, well above the 40 percent considered the benchmark for being designated a monopoly.

Furthermore, due to the success of the weekly newspapers in recent years, The Tennessean has begun emulating the weeklies with similarly formatted tabloids which are not only being sent to subscribers inside their broadsheet daily newspaper on Wednesdays, but are also being mailed out, alone, to non-subscribers on Tuesdays at a higher postal rate than the daily and Sunday newspapers. This classifies these weekly products as separate publications.

The Tennessean is using their weekly versions to target and eventually eliminate all of the NCNA papers, if possible. In many instances, The Tennessean zoned weeklies have names identical to their NCNA counterparts and even duplicate their circulation areas.

The reason The Tennessean has chosen to copy the weekly newspapers is because its daily and Sunday circulation has decreased dramatically.

The Tennessean also makes it a practice of packaging their various products in combination with each other at reduced rates, in order to lure advertisers away from NCNA members.

Once they have stamped out their competitors in a given market, they quickly raise their advertising rates to an all-time high.

"Some of the NCNA members have been publishing their weekly papers and delivering them free of cost to citizens across the city for nearly 30 years," noted Jack Soodhalter, editor and publisher of The News Herald and The News Beacon. "We have diligently served our particular communities, providing residents with invaluable information about issues and events affecting them. In addition, we feature stories on people, organizations and activities of interest to those living in our local areas.

"I don’t feel that it is right for The Tennessean to try to take over this market and drive us out of business, since we were the first to recognize the need for this kind of news in Nashville.

The community newspaper publishers have devoted their full time and efforts to disseminating this grass roots news to their readers, often with little reward, financially.

"In this case, The Tennessean’s monetary greed Obviously because of the gloomy news coming from the newspaper industry - lay-offs, plummeting ad pages, shrinking readership, the rising costs of publishing a print edition - seems to continue unabated as each week brings more announcements of closures, pressure from stockholders to increase value, and speculation that the day of the print newspapers is over. In discussing this gloomy picture one can not leave out the affect the Internet has on the problem.

"As ad dollars move online, newspapers are seeing their online ad revenue surge. But even a predicted growth rate online of 30 percent may not be enough to make up for losses in print revenue, and the newspaper industry could face a revenue shortfall of $20 billion by 2010, according to a report released by media research firm Outsell, in August," stated Media Buyer Planner in a recent article.

Mainstream media, such as The Tennessean are strategizing against weekly papers (especially those owned by Blacks) to obtain the advertisement that these papers would normally get.

Black-owned newspapers have increased over the years and continue to struggle for advertising dollars – both in print and online.

Because of the continued struggle and unfairness President Clinton passed Executive Order 13170—Increasing Opportunities and Access for Disadvantaged Businesses, October 12, 2000 and included a section that mandated the government to include minority media.

"Each department or agency that contracts with businesses to develop advertising for the department or agency or to broadcast Federal advertising shall take an aggressive role in ensuring substantial minority-owned entities’ participation, including 8(a), SDB, and MBE, in Federal advertising-related procurements. Each department and agency shall ensure that all creation, placement, and transmission of Federal advertising is fully reflective of the Nation’s diversity. To achieve this diversity, special attention shall be given to ensure placement in publications and television and radio stations that reach specific ethnic and racial audiences. Each department and agency shall ensure that payment for Federal advertising is commensurate with fair market rates in the relevant market. Each department and agency shall structure advertising contracts as commercial acquisitions consistent with part 12 of the Federal Acquisition Regulation processes and paperwork to enhance participation by 8(a)s, SDBs, and MBEs."

Furthermore, every person that runs for the office of Mayor of Nashville has promised to eliminate discrimination in placing print advertising. Miller Perry said that each Mayor just lied and lied and lied. We still have to beg for advertising and some departments have never advertised in the Black Press. Furthermore she said, after fighting 17 years to have the ballots placed in the weekly papers, it was finally approved. But then someone decided that no matter how costly it was, ballots would be mailed to every household. The printing of the ballot was never put out for bids, at least not in the African-American community, so we are back 17 years ago.

Miller Perry said there also seems to be an oral agreement among some department stores, grocery stores and car dealerships to not do business with the Black Press when we spend thousands of dollars with these companies in Nashville. Is this Justice? "As my young grandsons go to Iraq to fight for the freedom of the businessman over there....who fights for my freedom in Nashville. Why should they die, or lose a limb or eye and come back to a business that should have been theirs and find out that the majority has forced me out of business," said Miller Perry.

Finally, Miller Perry also said, "the Tennessean has a lot of nerve, while they are trying to force me out of business, they want me to join them in fighting for the "rack" situation we all have, but of course they have more and it will cost them thousands each year."
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25 honored during African American Heritage Festival

The Fraternal Brotherhood of N.U.B.I.A (National Unity of Blackmen In America) held their first annual African American Cultural and Heritage Festival on April 14th and 15th. The festival celebrates African American dance, art, food and awareness to a rich heritage that organizers say that many are not aware off. Eugene Edge, Jr., Grand Hierophant of the brotherhood stated that African American heritage is represented in every culture on the earth. In looking back at the study of civilization, anthropologist start their study in Africa, some of the oldest known fossils of man were found in Kenya and date back some four million years. Although rarely discussed in today's society, we celebrate the contributions the culture has given to the world.

One event of the festival was the 100 Black Men of Sumter County Awards Ceremony, where 25 nonmembers of the brotherhood were honored. Edge stated that these men were not honored based on personal accomplishments that so many of us like to gleam in, but for their contributions made to the African American community and to Sumter County as a whole.

Honors went to Mr. Milton Raven of Colam Enterprise, Darius Harris and Miller Rush of The Parks and Recreation Dept., Rev. Waymon J. Smith of Sumter Schools Transportation, Dr. John Marshal, Craig Walker, Mathis Wright and James Bryant of the NAACP, Col. Eric Bryant and Joe Monts of the Sumter Sheriff Office, Asst. Chief Johnny King, Com. Nelson Brown, Cpl. Eddie Davis, Stg. Terrell Coley, and Officer John Brown of the Americus Police Dept., Rev. George Monts of Zion Hope After School Program, Rev. George F. Edge of Americus Housing Authority, Councilman Eugene Edge, Sr. of City of Plains Police Committee, Mr. John Cole Vodicka of Prison and Jail Project, Eddie Bryant and Joseph Jordan ( In A Time of Need), Al J. Hurley of Sumter County Board of Commission, Al Moran of The Juvenile Justice.

The organization sends a special thanks to Mr. Timothy Jackson who on many occasions used his personal funds to provide trips for the Lebanon Baptist Church youth department and other kids in Plains.     

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NAACP Supported Hate Crime Prevention Bill Passes House Judiciary Committee

Currently, the federal government is allowed to intervene in the investigation and prosecution of hate crimes only if they occur on federal property or if the victim was participating in one of six very specific activities, such as voting.  The " Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act" has been introduced in the US House by Congressman John Conyers (MI) (H.R. 1592) and in the Senate by Senator Edward Kennedy (MA) (S. 1105).  This bill passed the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, April 25, 2007, and is expected to come to the House floor as soon as Tuesday, May 1st. 

This legislation would expand existing hate crime prevention laws and allow the federal government to assist the local authorities in the investigation and prosecution of crimes motivated by hate, regardless of what the victim was doing at the time the crime occurred.  It would also expand the definition of a hate crime to include those motivated by the victim's disability, gender or sexual orientation and it would provide money to states to develop hate crime prevention programs. 

In short, this proposed hate crimes prevention legislation would allow the federal government to work with state and local authorities to punish hate crimes to the fullest extent possible.  While the NAACP believes that states should continue to play the primary role in the prosecution of hate crime violence, a federal law is needed to compliment state statutes and assist the states in securing the very complicated and expensive cases through prosecution.

This legislation has passed the US Senate and the US House as amendments to other bills in the past few years; we now need a coordinated effort to see it reach the President's desk for his signature. 

We need every NAACP member sand friend to contact their Representative and urge him or her to support passage of H.R. 1592, the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act and to oppose all weakening amendments and motions!

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NAACP Supports Passage of Comprehensive Ex-Offender Reentry Legislation

Each year, more than 650,000 men and women are released from prison, which equates to roughly 1,700 individuals returning to our communities every day.  This has a disparate effect on communities of color, since two-thirds of the people in prison are now racial and ethnic minorities.  For African American males in their twenties, one in every eight is in prison or jail on any given day.  These numbers are expected to grow, as more men and women are incarcerated each year and more complete their sentences.

For most ex-offenders, the transition back into their communities is difficult:  many lack the necessary skills to successfully reenter into society.  Studies have shown that many of those released from prison come back into society with a substance abuse addiction or mental health problem.  Employment and housing are often difficult; one study found that applicants with criminal records experienced a 50% reduction in job offers for entry level jobs, compared to those without records.  This was compounded by racial bias as African American former inmates experienced a 64% reduction in offers.  As many as a quarter of all ex-offenders go to homeless shelters upon release.  Furthermore, most communities where prisoners go upon release already struggle with high poverty, unemployment, fragile families and a dearth of jobs.

Over two-thirds of released prisoners are rearrested for a felony or serious misdemeanor within three years and one-half of those rearrested were convicted and re-incarcerated.  Not only does this recidivism cause tremendous problems for our communities, but it also places a huge burden on American taxpayers.  The average cost of incarcerating each prisoner exceeds $22,600 per year; expenditures on corrections alone have increased from $9 billion in 1982 to $60 billion in 2002 and it continues to skyrocket out of control.

To combat this problem, Congressmen Danny Davis (IL) and others have introduced H.R. 1593 and Senator Biden (DE) and others have introduced S. 1060, the " Second Chance Act:  Community Safety through Recidivism Prevention".  The House bill has been approved of by the full House Judiciary Committee; full floor consideration is expected on Tuesday, 5/15/2007. Under this legislation states and local communities would receive federal assistance to establish ex-offender reentry projects, with enhanced focus on job training, housing, substance abuse and mental health treatment, as well as programs to work with the children and families of ex-offenders.  In short, the Second Chance Act would encourage new community partnerships to help educate, train and employ those recently released who might otherwise return to a life of crime.

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