Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / May 12, 1994, edition 1 / Page 9
Part of Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
An Unholy Alliance? from page ' want prohibition " he s;>i H -Thfv won't stand-up and say they want to ban cigarettes, so they'll "sneak up* on it by banning advertising." A ban. .however, may be unnecessary in newspapers, where J cigarettes advertising has already dropped sharply. / According to Advertising Age. cigarettes advertising in local news papers plummeted from S 1 2.8 mil lion in 1991 to -$6.6 million in 1992, the last year for which figures were available. Minority-owned newspapers, many of which relied heavily on tobacco advertising, have been hard hit by these cutbacks. In . 1993. only $1 million in tobacco advertising was placed through Amalgamated Publishers IncTa" New York-Based" advertising rep firm representing 153 black newspaper across the nation. That was down from $2.5 million in 1992 when tobacco com panies' expenditures with black newspapers peaked. . ? ^ f Budget cuts stem from more competition in the industry," said John Singleton, manager of corpo rate communications at Reynolds. ? Philip Morris reduced Marlboro's prices by 40 cents a pack last year." This set off industrywide belt tightening and led to layoffs at Reynolds. Robert Bogle, president of the National Newspaper Pub lisher Association, a trade group representing black-owned newspa pers said that "at no time" has the relationship between blacks' ciga rette consumption and advertising spending been commensurate. According to, Advertising Age, cigarette companies spent $369.8 million on advertising in 1992. Tobacco companies* acquisition of non-tobacco companies in the 1980s raised black publishers' hope that ad budgets wduM also expand." in most ci^esriroweverrthat tiid not happen. "Philip Morris has. demon strated that they want a relationship with the black press, not just for cig arettes. but for all their products." Bogle said. "RJR Nabisco did not expand anywhere in the depth and proportion that Philip Morris did." Philip Morris. Whose $2 billion ad budget makes it the nation's sec ond-biggest advertiser, spends about $4 million with bh^K newspapers; RJR Nabfsco began to advertise some non-tobacco products in black newspapers, cigarette advertising still represented significant, chunk of the paper's business. . . until recently. No cigarette ads now run in the Afro-American newspapers, a chain serving Baltimore. Washington and Richmond. "It started disappearing about ( three or tour years ago." said Pub lisher John Oliver. "Cigarette adver tisers had simply ceased advertising in any noticeable fashion in black newspapers." John Busta ? mante. chairman of* The Call & Post, which publishes edi tions in Cleveland. Columbus, Cincinnati in Ohio, recounts a similar story. "We haven't received any [ciga rette ads] in the last two years." he said. "It was a revenue steam we lost." " Although anti smoking lobbyists might say, "Good rid dance," some black | publishers sorely miss those profits generated by cigarette ads.. The relationship between black newspapers and the tobacco indus try has been an amiable and fruitful j .j 'j ' one. ? o According to Bogle, cigarette manufacturers were among the first consumer-product companies to patronize black newspapers. Tobacco advertising, he explain?. appeared in black newspapers. "long before tobacco ads were banned from TV, when cigarette smoking was fashionable. "They were with black newspa pers before black radio or magazine, before there w'as a question of whether smoking was injurious to health." he said. Dr. 'Leonard, E. Lawrence, president of the National Medical Association, which represents 17,000 minority physicians, said: "We've asked some of our brother and sister organizations to take a ? look at the financial support they received from tobacco corpora- - tions." L'napolageticrNNPA's Bogle -says; "Tobaeco companies were - [black newspapers'] friends before no one else was. Groups, have con demned us from taking those ads. For many of our newspapers, though, it's been>economie survival. "It's legal to grow it (tobacco), manufacture it. sell it. and use it to raise tax revenues." he said. - Tobacco is legal, but consider ing its toll orTtfie black community, there has been scant coverage in black newspaper of smokjnu-related health issues According thf American Medical Association, nearly 45.000 African Americans died of smoking-related diseases in ,1992. Each year, more African Americans die fr.om smoking related diseases than die from AIDS, drug abuse, car accidents and homicide combined. Black males not only smoke at higher rates, but are less successful at quiring than white males. A 1990 survey by the Califor nia Department of Health Service showed strong anti-smoking senti w inston ;w Board Gets 1-Year Rep^ ? ? -gs^X? fcSl | Black Alderm\^ West Rituhns to East Winston | Angered by N ote* - - .zz klj&L % L ?? ments among blacks in the state. Six out of 10 respondents favored a ban on tobacco advertising. In view of such findings, black newspapers seem oddly out of touch with popu lar opinion.. Although some black papers have historically postured them- ? selves as liberators, most have done little to free readers from slavery to nicotine, a stimulant now believed to be addictive. Lack of knowledge of smoking' s health dangeis may ? actually increase advertising's influ ence on first-risk groups from start ing" smoking. In that regard black newspapers have definitely failed their communities. "We do not need to encourage people to smoke if it is injurious to our health," BOgle said. Tobacco companies' recent advertising cutbacks may actually help resolve black publishers' seem ing moral dilemma. RJR's Singleton reports that more resources are" going to point-of-sale advertising. "From a pure business perspec tive, we get better impact where we have good point-of-purchase." he said. While tobacco companies have shifted advertising dollars to in store displays, black newspapers are also reassessing their position. "The relationship we have had with most but not all ^igarette_onn panies has deteriorated.." Bogle said. "If they can revisit their rela tionship and say they don't need us any more in view of who we're speaking to, we may need to revisit our relationship." Any shift in polic\. however. ? will require much deliberation by -NNPA members. V - * * "We've been discussing for the last year and a half what our posi tion should be." Bogle said. "Every ? day there's some new revelation of timok. .. inc." Bogle stresses, however, that anti-smoking forces should not only press tobacco companies but press the U.S. government, which subsi dizes tobacco farming and benefits from cigarette-tax revenues. Front row (I to r): Pamela Wagner, Barbara Bennett , Constance Carlton , Sorma Guthrie and Rosalind Redd. Back row: Stacey Murrill , Patsy Murrill and Elizabeth \ewton. Deltas Raise Money for Team Walk The Winston-Salem Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. participated in the March of Dimes Team Walk on April 30. The team, which was composed of Barbara' Bennett. Con stance Carlton, Norma Guthrie, Patsy Murrill. Stacey Murrill. Eliza beth Newton. Rosalind Redd and Pam Wagner, raised nearl\ SI, 500 for the flight against birth defects. Newton, chairperson of the Physical and Mental Health Com mittee. coordinated the team. The Physical and Mental Health Com mittee promotes activities which encourage health awareness and maintenance. The president of the alumnae chapter is Louise Smith. Harris Teeter MEANS LOW PRICES REDUCED PRICES BLACK LABEL HORMEL CANNED HAM FRESH iBOSTOflNEH [PORK ROAST, ? HT PREMIER SELECTION LOW PRICES GREAT VALUE KLEENEX FACIAL TISSUE I * An I Wriilt OR ASST. 280 CT. ? DIET COKE OR COCA COLA 6 PK. 12 OZ. CANS WEEKLY SPECIAL IN THE DELI-BAKERY HIGHLAND CREST ICECREAM PIT ROASTED HAM HALF GAL SUCED TO ORDER BUY ONE GET ONE FREE SALE BUY ONE 5.5-6 OZ. BAG EAGLE THINS CHIPS GET ONE BUY ONE 16 OZ. PKG. ME HORMEL LIGHT & LEAN FRANKS GET ONE Free BUY ONE 4 CT. BOX SELECTED VARISTIE MANHATTAN FRUIT BARS GET ONE BUY ONE 20 OZ. BOX KELLOGG'S RAISIN BRAN GET ONE BUY ONE 13 OZ PKG. OUNTANO CHEESE RAVIOLIget one BUY ONE 10 LB. BAG OLD1 [char LD TIME REAL COAL GET ONE Prices Effective Through May 17 , 1994 Prices In This Ad Effective Wednesday, May 1 1 Through Tuesday May 17, 1994 In Our .Winston-Salem tores Only.We Reserve Tne Right To Limit Quantities. None Sold To Dealers. We Gladly Accept vAXi Oluinps.
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
May 12, 1994, edition 1
9
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75