The Obama presidency is changing the face of the black press.
Barack Obama’s election as president is prompting major changes in the nation’s black press, ushering in a series of firsts that editors say will reshape print, Internet, radio and television coverage aimed at African-American audiences.
Essence, the top-selling magazine among black women, will have a full-time White House reporter for the first time. Ebony magazine will add a White House reporter, either full time or as needed. Its sister publication, Jet magazine, will have a weekly two-page Washington report in every issue.
Oliver – do you think Obama’s election will presage a long-term trend of more African-American engagement in politics, especially at the grass roots, or was this election activity a one-time flash in the pan?
Well, I’m sort of an optimist on this topic but I think so – though as a percentage I think blacks are already pretty highly engaged. I think we will see more black pols running for offices like the Senate and for Governor (here in MD I’d like to see someone like our current Lt. Governor, Anthony Brown, run for the office). It’s kind of ridiculous that with Obama’s election the amount of black senators dropped back down to zero (and with Sen. Salazar leaving the amount of hispanics is also too low).
There seems to be a sense among black Americans that Obama will need their support for the long term. It isn’t fair but we are well aware how his performance as president will reflect on the entire race.
No pressure!
yeah, I’ve been worried about the “what if Obama flubs as president” situation too. but i think/hope presidents have so much pressure on them anyway that it probably doesn’t make much difference to his overall stress level.
The numbers of minorities in leadership roles will go up. Racism is still the major factor limiting equality. People have just learned to hide their racism more than in earlier years. Time and tide are changing in ways that will bring about a more just and equal future. The future looks much better then the past for a change.
I wonder if we are going to have a severe case of inflation because of all of the money that the federal government is handing out trying to fix everything. Couple that with an expensive public works infrastructure policy and we are talking about a serious amount of new money injected into the system. The only thing keeping this from just being rubberstamped will be Republican opposition in the Senate.
To add a wee bit more pressure we will be seeing a wave of babyboomers starting to hit up FDR’s Social Security syatem at a time when thier own retirement plans have taken a 30 to 40% hit.
Universal health care isn’t going to come cheap. Older people use a proportionally larger amount of health care than younger people. With babyboomers not choosing to have many children the median age of the country is rising.
Since younger people use less healthcare the end result may very well be a transfer of wealth from younger healthy workers to older retired healthcare users. Trying to shift healthcare costs to employers may lead to less job opportunities for younger healthier people. Raising taxes doesn’t usually help to expand an economy which again makes things harder for younger healthier people who want a job.
Eventually this may lead to health care rationing like in England. This will probably take a while to happen, perhaps right about the time a lot of folks that are 30 something now are hitting thier prime healthcare using years later in life.
Traditionally when a government writes a check they can’t cash they inflate thier way out of it.
Yes, it’s a good thing health care isn’t rationed in the US at all.
It’s really a shame how the NHS has made England a third world country and devastated the entire na– what’s that you say? The UK is still one of the richest, most prosperous nations in the world — and they have a universal health care system? AND DOCTOR WHO?
Surely a backwater like America couldn’t do at least that well, what with our ingenuity and whatnot.
You know what? As a white dude that sounds strange. It’s new in all honesty. Great news.
Ollie,
I’m worried about inflation, perhaps you are not. You may think England has a wonderful healthcare system. Either they do ration healthcare and people have to wait far longer than we do for tests and treatment or they do not. Your dismissive riffs won’t change the facts one way or another.
If we do go down a path where the government contains the costs of the healthcare system it controls by rationing healthcare, the political reality is it will take a while to come to that conclusion.
In all liklihood that won’t affect me, but you are in a different situation. In a generation you will be hitting your prime healthcare using years. If you think government programs usually work out just great then you will be in good shape. If not, you will pay the price, not me.
Meanwhile you are going to be subsidizing my healthcare costs. Thanks, it may not be fair but you are going to pay to make my costs an easier political sell. You are going to do the same for me with Social Security, again thanks.
Be careful what you wish for.