The Racial Dynamic and Reporting of the Chicago Defender
b'The Chicago Defender is an African-American owned and operated newspaper founded in 1905 by Robert S. Abbott. It brought publicity to race riots in 1919 and reported on the lynching of black citizens. The paper would also rewrite stories pertaining to its readers with an African-American point of view. Abbott also hired the first female newspaper editor to work at the Defender. When Abbott died, in 1942, his nephew, John Sengstacke, succeeded him as the proprietor of the paper. Its later articles on the racial dynamic of the White House news reporting got the first ever black reporter allowed in the press briefings. Sengstacke also made deals with President Truman using the paper\\u2019s clout in order to desegregate the military. After 114 years, the Defender has published its last paper and will be continuing as an online website for readers. Today, we have a conversation with Ethan Michaeli about the history of the Defender\\u2019s coverage and its influence on the politics and culture of that era.\\n\\xa0\\nGuest: Ethan Michaeli\\xa0is an award-winning Chicago based author, publisher, and journalist. He was a copy editor at the Chicago Defender for five years and has written a book detailing its history, achievements, and struggle, entitled The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America,\\xa0as well as Twelve Tribes: Promise and Peril in the New Jerusalem.\\n\\xa0\\n\\nThe post The Racial Dynamic and Reporting of the Chicago Defender appeared first on KPFA.'