Indianapolis Recorder facts for kids

The Indianapolis Recorder is a weekly newspaper from America. It started way back in 1895. This newspaper is super important because it's the longest-running African-American paper in Indiana. It's also the fourth oldest African-American newspaper still being published in the whole country! Most people who read the Recorder are African-American.

History of the Indianapolis Recorder

The Recorder newspaper was first created by George P. Stewart and William H. Porter. It began as a small, two-page church bulletin. Even though they started it together, William Porter sold his part of the newspaper to George Stewart in 1899.

By 1916, the small church bulletin had grown into a four-page newspaper. At this time, the Recorder encouraged African-Americans to be proud of their background. It also told them to fight against unfair ideas about their community. The paper often shared popular sermons and stories about people with good morals.

Fighting for Rights and Growth

In the 1920s and 1930s, the newspaper worked to help its readers grow financially. The weekly paper also pushed for an end to unfair treatment in jobs. It spoke out strongly against the Ku Klux Klan, a hate group. The Recorder even supported politicians who were against the Klan.

During World War II, the paper supported the war effort. Like many newspapers then, it celebrated the good things people in the community did. The Recorder also reported on the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's efforts. This group worked to allow African-Americans to join all parts of the armed forces. The paper proudly shared the successes of the brave Tuskegee Airmen. By the 1940s, about 40,000 copies of the paper were printed each week.

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Recorder pushed for action on civil rights and ending segregation. Segregation meant keeping people of different races separate. During this time, the paper reported on important leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. It also kept reporting on local church news and marriages. It was during this time that William Raspberry started working for the Recorder. He later became a famous journalist for The Washington Post and won a special award called the Pulitzer Prize.

New Leaders and Modern Changes

By 1987, George Stewart's time with the paper ended. Eunice M. Trotter, a journalist from The Indianapolis Star, bought the weekly paper. She brought in new ways of managing things. Trotter also started an internship program for young people, which still helps students today. She brought in computers and organized the paper into different color sections. She also improved the Recorder's charity program.

Trotter sold the paper to William G. Mays in 1991. He was a business leader from Indianapolis. Under his leadership, Mays hired more staff and updated the equipment. He wanted the paper to share more positive news.

In 1998, Mays's niece, Carolene Mays, became the general manager of the Recorder. Carolene worked as the general manager for 12 years. She then went back to working in public service.

In 2010, Shannon Williams took over from Carolene. Shannon had worked at the Recorder for a long time. Soon after becoming president and general manager, Williams created the Recorder Media Group. This group includes the Indianapolis Recorder newspaper and the Indiana Minority Business Magazine.

The Recorder Today

Today, William G. Mays is the publisher of the Indianapolis Recorder. Shannon Williams is the president and general manager.

The Recorder currently has many different sections. These include News, Opinion, Around Town, Health, Business, Religion, Sports, and Education. The paper is still printed and delivered every week.

Besides the newspaper, the Recorder also helps clients through the Recorder Media Group. This group offers special services to meet each client's needs. These services include marketing, public relations, graphic design, and photography.

Journalism and Writing Seminars (JAWS)

The Journalism and Writing Seminars (JAWS) program was created by Eunice Trotter. It is part of the Recorder's nonprofit group. This program gives minority high-school students real-world experience in journalism.

Students attend training sessions every year from September to May. During these sessions, they learn important professional communication skills. Experts from the journalism field help them learn.

JAWS students also write news stories and special articles. These stories are published in the newspaper and on the Recorder's official website.

The main goal of the JAWS program is to encourage students to study communications. It also hopes they will choose a career in journalism.

The Future of the Recorder

In the future, the Recorder plans to focus more on online content. This will help them reach younger people who might not read printed newspapers as much.

The Recorder will also keep helping the community through Indianapolis Recorder Charities. They will also work more with other news groups.

Awards and Recognition

The Recorder has won many awards for its great work. It received the Indiana Journalism Award in 2000.

The National Newspaper Publishers Association has given the Indianapolis Recorder many Merit Awards over the years.

Here are some of the awards the Recorder has received recently:

• Phillip Randolph Messenger Award - 1st place
• General Excellence Award - 1st place
• Best Original Advertising - 1st place
• Best Layout & Design - 1st place
• Best Layout/Design Other Than Page One - 1st place
• Best Editorial Cartoon - 1st place
• Best Church Page - 1st place
• Best Print Feature - 1st place
• Best Investigative Reporting - 1st place
• Best Column Writing - 2nd place
• Best Entertainment Section - 2nd place
• Best Church Page - 2nd place
• Best Circulation Promotion - 2nd place
• Best Sports Section - 2nd place
• Best Lifestyle Section - 2nd place
• Best News Pictures - 3rd place
• Best Special Edition - 3rd place
• Best Editorial Cartoon - 3rd place
• Best Use of Photography Award - 3rd place
• Community Service Award - 3rd place
• Best Circulation Promotion - 3rd place
• General Excellence - 3rd place
• Best Practices Award
• Champions of Diversity Award
• Indiana Minority AIDS Coalition Media Award
• Indianapolis Black Chamber of Commerce Pioneer Award
• Governor’s Award
• Mozel Sanders Foundation Humanitarian Award
• State of Indiana Business Award
• World AIDS Day Media Award