In 2008, LeBron James became the first Black man to appear on the cover of Vogue, according to The Daily Beast. As the first Black man on the cover, James’ role was clear — he was the giant ape carrying a petite white woman away. The NBA star is seen with an intense expression as he has his arm around model Gisele Bundchen. Critics suggested James was taking on the role of King Kong and embracing the negative stereotypes of Black men. “…Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James seems to be embodying ugly stereotypes about black men: The wild, savage, white-woman-obsessed beast,” Jezebel pointed out.
This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.
For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.
Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.
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