Jet is an American weekly marketed toward African-American readers, founded in 1951 by John H. Johnson of Johnson Publishing Company in Chicago, Illinois. Initially billed as "The Weekly Negro News Magazine", Jet is notable for its role in chronicling the American Civil Rights movement from its earliest years, including coverage of the Emmett Till murder, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Martin Luther King, Jr. Still published in small digest-sized format, Jet printed in all or mostly black-and-white until its 27 December 1999 issue. In 2009, Jet's publishing format was changed; it is now published every week with a double issue published once each month. In 2014, Johnson Publishing Company indicated that it would cease publishing Jet issues at the end of June, continuing solely as a digital magazine app.
History
Johnson called his magazine Jet because, as he said in the first issue, "In the world today everything is moving along at a faster clip. There is more news and far less time to read it." Redd Foxx called the magazine "the Negro bible." Jet became nationally famous in 1955 with its shocking and graphic coverage of the murder of Emmett Till. Its ubiquity was enhanced by its continuing coverage of the burgeoning civil rights movement.
Content
Jet contains fashion and beauty tips, entertainment news, dating advice, political coverage, health tips, and diet guides, in addition to covering events such as fashion shows. The cover photo usually corresponds to the focus of the main story. Some examples of cover stories might be a celebrity's wedding, Mother's Day, or a recognition of the achievements of a notable African American. Many issues are given coverage to show the African-American community that if they want to reach a goal, they have to be willing to work for it. Jet also claims to give young female adults confidence and strength because the women featured therein are strong and successful without the help of a man. Since 1952, Jet has had a full-page feature called "Beauty of the Week". This feature includes a photograph of an African-American woman in a swimsuit (either one-piece or two-piece, but never nude), along with her name, place of residence, profession, hobbies, and interests. Many of the women are not professional models and submit their photographs for the magazine's consideration. The purpose of the feature is to promote the beauty of African-American women.
Notable people
- Robert C. Farrell (born 1936), journalist and member of the Los Angeles City Council, 1974â€"91, Jet correspondent
References
External links
- JET official website
- Black History Seen Through Magazines
- John H. Johnson
