N'Digo marks 20th anniversary as one of the nation's leading African-American weeklies

(June 11, 2009) This year marks the 20th Anniversary of N'Digo Magapaper, one of the country's leading African American alternative weekly newspapers. Publisher Hermene Hartman started N'DIGO in Chicago in 1989 and over the course of two decades she has distinguished herself as a media pioneer and one of few African American women in publishing.

Hartman's career began during the civil rights movement while working for Operation Breadbasket with the Reverend Jesse Jackson. She coordinated the organization's Black Expo. She later produced public service programming for WBBM-TV Chicago and taught behavioral sciences at the college level from 1973 to 1984.

Her move into the publishing industry came after her tenure as vice chancellor of the City Colleges of Chicago, the nation's second-largest community college system. She was the first woman to serve in this capacity, overseeing media and community relations, as well as marketing and publications. During this time, Hartman recognized the need for honest representations, rather than stereotypical images, of African American culture in mainstream media.

In 1989, she launched N'DIGO, and soon became well known for her publisher's page, which offers insightful social commentary about important issues in the African American community. The paper also features news profiles, business information and other contemporary topics that reflect the interests of Chicago's black middle class.

N'Digo represents the affluent African-American market which is usually unnoticed and underserved.  N'Digo has featured hundreds of Chicago's most prominent political, corporate, religious and civic leaders including being the first publication to have President Barack Obama on the cover.

"The publishing industry is changing and is challenged, however at the same time there are spectacular opportunities," says Hartman.  "The challenge for media is to shift into new media and to re-engineer itself and monetize itself differently."

"We are living in an instant information age and we all have to adjust to it.  Niche publications are doing better than mass publications because you cannot be everything to everybody you have to be something to somebody," continues Hartman.   "The media playing field has been equalized and the winners have to be innovative and creative."

N'Digo will celebrate their 20th Anniversary at their Annual Black Tie Gala June 20th at the UIC Forum.  For more information visit http://ndigo.com/


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