Michigan Chronicle facts for kids
| Type | Weekly newspaper |
|---|---|
| Owner(s) | Real Times Inc. |
| Publisher | Hiram Jackson |
| Founded | 1936, as Detroit Chronicle |
| Headquarters | 1452 Randolph St #400, Detroit, Michigan, 48226 U.S. |
| Circulation | 27,000 weekly in 2015 |
| Readership | 120,000 weekly in 2015 |
The Michigan Chronicle is a weekly newspaper from Detroit, Michigan. It's a special newspaper because it focuses on news important to African Americans.
It was started in 1936 by John H. Sengstacke, who also edited another famous newspaper, the Chicago Defender. Today, the Chronicle and a few other African-American newspapers are owned by a company called Real Times Inc.. Its main office is in Midtown Detroit.
Contents
The Start of the Chronicle
The first editor of the Chronicle was Louis E. Martin. He was sent to Detroit by John Sengstacke. The very first newspaper had 5,000 copies printed.
Later, in 1944, Longworth Quinn joined as a publisher. Quinn was a respected leader in Detroit's African-American community. Many local businesses and church groups supported the Chronicle because of him.
Standing Up for What's Right
In its early years, the Chronicle became known for its strong political views. It supported worker unions and the Democratic Party. This was quite different from many other African-American newspapers at the time. They often avoided these topics because of unfair treatment towards Black people in some groups.
The Michigan Chronicle also played a role in important events. For example, in September 1971, a reporter named James Ingram helped negotiate during the Attica Prison Riots.
Fighting for Civil Rights
The Michigan Chronicle was very important in the fight for civil rights in Detroit. It helped support the election of Mayor Coleman A. Young.
The newspaper was especially brave in reporting on violence against African Americans. For instance, it covered the Detroit Police Department's special unit called STRESS. This unit was involved in many shootings of young Black men. The Michigan Chronicle was the only newspaper in the city that truly reported on these events. Many people believe its reporting should have won a Pulitzer Prize, which is a very important award for journalism.
The Michigan Chronicle was first located on St. Antoine Street. Now, its office is at 1452 Randolph St #400, Detroit, Michigan, 48226 U.S.
New Owners for the Newspaper
John Sengstacke owned the Chronicle and other newspapers like the New Pittsburgh Courier and the Tri-State Defender. When he passed away in 1997, the Chronicle was his most successful newspaper. It had a lot of advertisements and printed about 43,582 copies each week.
After Sengstacke's death, there was some uncertainty about who would own the newspapers. In 2003, the Chronicle and its sister papers were sold to Real Times Inc.. This company was made up of African-American business leaders from Chicago and Detroit.
Sam Logan, who had been a long-time publisher for the Chronicle, returned to lead the paper after the sale. After Logan passed away in 2011, Hiram Jackson, the president of Real Times Inc., became the new publisher.
