The History of Jet Magazine

Jet magazine has undergone various permutations over the years. It remains the country's only weekly news-oriented magazine that focuses on African-Americans. It contains general interest in nature, with features on black history, news, contemporary African-American culture, celebrities, sports, business, religion and fashion.

History

Jet magazine was founded in 1951 by John H. Johnson, head of Chicago's Johnson Publishing Co. At its inception, Jet was billed by Johnson as the "weekly negro news magazine." Jet quickly gained readers who were hungry for news of burgeoning activism that led up to the activities of the civil rights movement.

Time Frame

When Johnson premiered Jet in 1951, he had already gained a long history of creating publications targeting the African-American market. He sensed that an African-American publication in the style of Reader's Digest would be a "black gold mine." His mother gave him her furniture as collateral for a $500 loan. He used this seed money to publish Negro Digest in 1942. By 1950, he had used his profits to release Tan Magazine, a gossip publication, and, a year later, he produced Jet. After releasing Jet, Johnson went on to publish African American Stars and Ebony Jr.

Function

Jet served a niche market. In its early years, the magazine had editors who devoted a lot of copy to current events. Information was topical but relevant, addressing how world and domestic events affected the lives of African-Americans. In addition, Jet contained nuts-and-bolts pieces on how to register to vote and how to apply for scholarships. Jet was and is similar to People magazine in that it typically features entertainers on the cover and plenty of celebrity gossip within.

Expert Insight

Historian David Halberstam described the lynching of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African-American, as one of the first standout media events of the civil rights movement. It was Jet magazine that published photographs of Till, at a time when mainstream media ignored them and the issues they represented. Moments such as these are what inspired Charles Diggs, a former member of Congress, to call Jet's coverage "one of the greatest media products in the last 40 or 50 years."

Effects

In 2009, a new page was written in the history of Jet magazine. Johnson Publishing Co. announced that Mira Lowe was named editor in chief, overseeing both Ebony and Jet magazines. Lowe's position represents dramatic restructuring at Johnson Publishing, which has undergone dramatic financial difficulties. Lowe announced intentions to make Jet more relevant to a diverse African-American audience and to keep Jet unique from Ebony.