Inspiration in Harlem

E&P’s Publisher of the Year is probably my favorite salute we do to celebrate those in this industry. This year is historic, as we feature the first Black publisher — and a woman, at that — on our cover. And this year, I was fortunate to visit that publisher on her turf.”

Robin Blinder, editor-in-chief, Editor & Publisher

Finding inspiration is critical to staving off burnout in a time of war, political division and growing news deserts. Inspiration can free you to think about your own situation differently and show you how to lift others up with you. I found inspiration in a New York neighborhood in Upper Manhattan known for jazz clubs, soul food and Black heritage — Harlem.

E&P’s Publisher of the Year is probably my favorite salute we do to celebrate those in this industry. This year is historic, as we feature the first Black publisher — and a woman, at that — on our cover. And this year, I was fortunate to visit that publisher on her turf.

Elinor R. Tatum, publisher and editor-in-chief of New York Amsterdam (AmNews), personifies inspiration. Before we surprised her with the announcement she is our 2024 Publisher of the Year, Tatum took Gretchen Peck and me through the landmark in Harlem that has housed AmNews for nearly 100 years. Awe and reverence are the only words that come to my mind when describing the tour.

Tatum, the publisher of AmNews for more than 30 years, grew up in the publishing family who owned the paper since 1971, which also happens to be her birth year. She credits her father and mother, Wilbert “Bill” Tatum and Susan Kohn Tatum, with teaching her everything she knows. Bill Tatum passed in 2009, but Tatum still lives with her daughter and mother in the same East Village brownstone she grew up in.

The Amsterdam News staff mainly works remotely while the building is under renovation, but history lurks in every corner. Although many of the photos and archives have already been donated to Cornell University, the walls, file cabinets and shelves are still filled with books, bound AmNews editions, microfiche editions, awards and framed photos. Tatum’s dream for the historic building is a museum honoring the Black Press and a communal space “where plots are hatched to make change.”

Although Tatum is well aware of the place in history her family and her workplace have, she is not living in the past. Under her leadership and just in the last three years, AmNews has undergone a digital transformation, launched an award-winning investigative team, diversified revenue to include philanthropic funding and grown her newsroom — all while continuing to deliver much-needed and life-changing reporting to the AmNews community. For more on this extraordinary publisher, her life and her New York Amsterdam News team, read Gretchen Peck's profile — complete with photos of AmNews' historic archives.

Wherever you can find inspiration this Thanksgiving season, take it and be grateful. I know I am.

Robin Blinder is E&P's editor-in-chief. She has been with E&P for five years. She can be reached at robin@editorandpublisher.com.