Atlanta Daily World: Back to the Future

The city’s oldest black-owned newspaper goes back daily in a bold move

Additional reporting by Katrice L. Mines
What started as the dream of a 26-year-old Morehouse College graduate turned into Atlanta Daily World (ADW), Atlanta’s oldest black-owned newspaper. Now, 89 years later, the legacy publication continues to evolve and grow with a transition into a robust digital platform offering news, information, and events for Metro Atlanta. Powered by one of the largest black-owned multimedia companies in the country – Real Times Media Inc. (RTM), which purchased the newspaper in 2012 – the next step for Atlanta’s most tenured black-owned publication is to elevate the delivery of critical stories from Atlanta and the world to its readership faster and more efficiently.
“ADW is going digital because of its success but also because there’s a profound opportunity for growth in the market,” said Hiram E. Jackson, chief executive officer, Real Times Media. “With 1.7 million African Americans in the market, Atlanta is a critical audience for us and there is currently a void when it comes to daily news and information on issues impacting the black community. Our transition to a digital platform enables us to return to truly being the Atlanta DAILY World and fill this gap; providing Metro Atlanta with fresh, timely, engaging content while attracting new readers.”
Atlantadailyworld.com currently attracts 1.2 million monthly online views, making it one of the top sources of news and information for issues impacting Black Atlanta. With a readership that spans the country, the site is also a glimpse into what’s new, what’s news, and what’s hot in Black Atlanta for non-residents. The re-energized news and information platform will feature new contributors, content, and weekly podcasts but will also offer special, limited print editions centered on issues relevant to the black community including Black History Month, prostate cancer, breast cancer and HIV awareness, Black Music Month, and more.

“The Atlanta Daily World continues to remain extremely relevant in media today, so the new atlantadailyworld.com enables us to better compete while focusing our efforts on exposing a broader audience to what we have to offer in regard to enhanced programming and content,” said Jackson. “Being relevant to black Atlanta was important to us yesterday, as it is, today and tomorrow. Our history has given us the stepping stone to better understand our audience and its evolvement. All of our business decisions are to better position us in Atlanta and to demonstrate our commitment to remaining relevant in the future.”
RTM owns three other newspapers, local business lifestyle magazine, Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine and “Who’s Who in Black Atlanta.”  The ADW transition to a predominantly digital platform is a singular move for the company.
The imminent transition to a dynamic digital brand for ADW is an exciting fulfillment of foresight for RTM visionaries including Jackson, who is confident about the launching out. “As the ever-evolving media landscape becomes increasingly digital, it is imperative that we distribute our content in the manner that is most appealing to our readers,” said Jackson. “Our transition to a digital platform enables us to return to truly being the Atlanta Daily World, providing metro Atlanta with fresh, timely and engaging content every day.”
“RTM, the Detroit- based media firm, acquired the legendary Sengstacke Enterprise Inc. publication catalog in 2003 for $12 million. Today it owns the Chicago Defender, New Pittsburgh Courier, and Michigan Chronicle, all papers that John H. Sengstacke helped establish from 1940-1965 while he was the Chicago Defender’s publisher (the Michigan Chronicle was established in 1936. RTM added Atlanta Tribune: The Magazine to its family of brands earlier this year. RTM also offers custom programming and publishing in 20 markets across the United States through its Who’s Who brand, producing more than 50 events annually.
The burgeoning expansion of ADW will widen the fast-growing reach and scope of the RTM multimedia platform.
According to Pew Research, in 2016, just two in 10 U.S. adults frequently got their news from print newspapers, while nearly twice as many read news online either via news websites/apps, on social media or both.
Atlanta’s oldest Black-owned publication is on to next and more culturally relevant than before.
 

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