{{Short description|African-American weekly magazine}} {{Use American English|date=October 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2016}} {{Infobox magazine | title = Jet | image_file = Acquanetta Jet 252.jpg | image_caption = February 14, 1952, cover with Acquanetta | previous_editor = Aldore Collier, Mitzi Miller, Mira Lowe, Sylvia P. Flanagan, Robert E. Johnson | frequency = online, formerly a print weekly | total_circulation = (June 2012) 1.1 million <br /> 720,000<ref name=WaPo/> | circulation_year = June, 2014 | category = News magazine | publisher = Ebony Media Operations, LLC <br><small>(2016–present)</small><br />Johnson Publishing Company<br><small>(1951–2016)</small> | founder = John H. Johnson | firstdate = {{start date and age|1951|11|1}} | finaldate = {{End date|2014|06}} <small>(print)</small><br>continuing in digital <small>(2014)</small> | country = United States | based = Los Angeles, California, U.S.<ref>{{cite web | date = May 5, 2017 |author = Robert Channick | title = Ebony cuts a third of its staff, moving editorial operations to LA | url = https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-ebony-moving-editorial-la-0506-biz-20170505-story.html | website = Chicagotribune.com | access-date = June 8, 2019}}</ref> | language = English | issn = 0021-5996 | oclc = 1781708 | website = {{URL|jetmag.com}} }} '''''Jet''''' is an American weekly digital magazine focusing on news, culture, and entertainment related to the African-American community. Founded in print by John H. Johnson in November 1951 in Chicago, Illinois,<ref>{{cite news|title=From Negro Digest to Ebony, Jet and EM|work=Ebony |date=November 1992|pages=50–55|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=PNQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA50}}</ref><ref>Almanac. (2006, 12). ''American History, 41'', 11–13.</ref> the magazine was billed as "The Weekly Negro News Magazine". As publisher, the Johnson Publishing Company created ''Jet'' magazine to offer Black Americans proper representation, noting under-representation of African Americans in the general media.<ref name="Shepherd">{{Cite journal |last=Shepherd |first=Jazmyn |date=2019-01-01 |title=Jet Magazine: Celebrating Black Female Beauty |url=https://digitalcommons.xula.edu/xulanexus/vol16/iss2/1/ |journal=XULAneXUS |volume=16 |issue=2}}</ref> ''Jet'' chronicled the civil rights movement from its earliest years, including the murder of Emmett Till, the Montgomery bus boycott, and the activities of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
''Jet'' was printed from November 1, 1951, in digest-sized format in all or mostly black-and-white until its December 27, 1999, issue. In 2009, ''Jet'' expanded one of the weekly issues to a double issue published once each month. Johnson Publishing Company struggled with the same loss of circulation and advertising as other magazines and newspapers in the digital age, and the final print issue of ''Jet'' was published on June 23, 2014, continuing solely as a digital magazine app.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ebonyjetshop.com/index.php/product/jet-final-print-edition/|title=Jet Magazine – Final Print Edition|work=Ebony Jet Shop|date=June 23, 2014|access-date=November 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818145033/http://www.ebonyjetshop.com/index.php/product/jet-final-print-edition/|archive-date=August 18, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=WaPo>{{cite news|title=Jet to stop printing weekly, change to digital app|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/jet-to-stop-printing-weekly-change-to-digital-app/2014/05/07/7654438e-d5fd-11e3-8f7d-7786660fff7c_story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140516082319/http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/jet-to-stop-printing-weekly-change-to-digital-app/2014/05/07/7654438e-d5fd-11e3-8f7d-7786660fff7c_story.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 16, 2014|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=May 7, 2014|agency=AP}}</ref> In 2016, Johnson Publishing sold ''Jet'' and its sister publication ''Ebony'' to private equity firm Clear View Group. As of the date of sale, the publishing company is known as Ebony Media Corporation.<ref name="chicagodefender1">{{cite web|url=http://chicagodefender.com/2016/06/16/ebony-jet-sold/|title=Ebony Jet Sold!|work=The Chicago Defender|date=June 16, 2016|access-date=November 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160617122507/http://chicagodefender.com/2016/06/16/ebony-jet-sold/|archive-date=June 17, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==History== === Early history === The first issue of ''Jet'' was published on November 1, 1951, by John H. Johnson in Chicago, Illinois.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PNQDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA50|title=From Negro Digest to Ebony, Jet and EM|date=November 1992|work=Ebony|pages=50–55|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company}}</ref> Johnson called his magazine ''Jet'' because he wanted the name to symbolize "Black and speed". In ''Jet''{{'}}s first issue, Johnson wrote, "In the world today everything is moving along at a faster clip. There is more news and far less time to read it."<ref name=":0" /><ref name="Company19512">{{cite journal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JEMDAAAAMBAJ|title=Jet|journal=Jet|date=November 1, 1951|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|page=67|issn=0021-5996|access-date=January 7, 2013}}</ref> ''Jet''{{'}}s goal was to provide "news coverage on happenings among Negroes all over the U.S.—in entertainment, politics, sports, social events as well as features on unusual personalities, places and events."<ref name="Company19512" /> Redd Foxx called the magazine "the Negro bible".<ref name="Finkelman20092">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6gbQHxb_P0QC&pg=RA2-PA25|title=Encyclopedia of African American History|author=Paul Finkelman|date=2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-516779-5|page=25|access-date=January 7, 2013}}</ref>
=== 1952–2014 === ''Jet'' was published as a sister zine to the Ebony magazine which Johnson published 6 years earlier in 1945.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ebony & Jet magazines' archive will (hopefully) soon be widely accessible |url=https://www.digitalmeetsculture.net/article/ebony-jet-magazines-archive/?upm_export=print |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=www.digitalmeetsculture.net}}</ref> ''Jet'' became nationally known in 1955 for its shocking and graphic coverage of the murder of Emmett Till. Its popularity was enhanced by its continuing coverage of the burgeoning civil rights movement.<ref name="Finkelman20092" /> The publication of Till's brutalized corpse within the September 22, 1955<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tLEDAAAAMBAJ |title=Jet |date=1955-09-22 |publisher=Johnson Publishing Company |language=en}}</ref> issue inspired the black community to address racial violence, catalyzing the civil rights movement. Some of the popular models of ''Jet'' during this era included Vera Francis and Nancy Westbrook.<ref>Clemens, Samuel. "Pageantry", ''Lulu Press''. August 2022</ref> The Johnson Publishing Company's campaign for economic, political and social justice influenced its inclusion of progressive views.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Patton |first=June O. |title=Remembering John H. Johnson, 1918–2005 |journal=Journal of African American History |volume=90 |number=4 |date=22 September 2005 |pages=456–457 |doi=10.1086/JAAHv90n4p456 |s2cid=141214280 |via=Gale Academic OneFile |access-date=1 December 2019 |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/anonymous?id=GALE%7CA143225041|url-access=subscription }}</ref> From 1970 to 1975, ''Jet'' challenged conservative readers' anti-abortion stance by giving physicians who performed abortions a platform to discuss scientific facts about abortion procedures.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lumsden |first1=Linda |title="Women's Lib Has No Soul"?: Analysis of Women's Movement Coverage in Black Periodicals, 1968–73 |journal=Journalism History |date=October 2009 |volume=35 |issue=3 |pages=118–130 |doi=10.1080/00947679.2009.12062794|s2cid=197649396 }}</ref>
=== 2014–present === In May 2014, the publication announced the print edition would be discontinued and switch to a digital format in June.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/07/living/jet-magazine-ends-print-edition/index.html|title=Jet magazine ending print edition, moving to digital only|date=7 May 2014|website=CNN|access-date=2017-03-12}}</ref>
==== Changes in ownership ==== In June 2016, after 71 years, ''Jet'' and its sister publication ''Ebony'' were sold by Johnson Publishing to Clear View Group, an Austin, Texas-based private equity firm, for an undisclosed amount but the sale did not include the photo archives.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-ebony-sold-0615-biz-20160614-story.html|title=Johnson Publishing sells Ebony, Jet magazines to Texas firm|last=Channick|first=Robert|work=chicagotribune.com|access-date=2017-03-12|language=en-US}}</ref> In July 2019, three months after Johnson Publishing filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy liquidation, it sold its historic ''Jet'' and ''Ebony'' photo archives to a consortium of foundations to be made available to the public.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ebony-and-jet-magazine-photo-archive/|title=Rare look inside the Ebony and Jet magazine photo archive that just sold for $30M|date=July 26, 2019|website=CBS News|language=en|access-date=2019-07-27}}</ref><ref name="a&o2">{{cite web|url=https://www.artandobject.com/shorts/foundations-unite-save-ebony-magazine-archives?|title=Foundations Unite to Save Ebony Magazine Archives|last1=Noyes|first1=Chandra|date=29 July 2019|website=artandobject.com|publisher=Journalistic, Inc.|access-date=3 August 2019}}</ref>
In 2020, Ulysses "Junior" Bridgeman, a former NBA basketball player, became the new owner of Ebony Media's assets for $14 million in a bid out of a Houston bankruptcy court. Bridgeman placed a bid of $14 million to take ownership of the company. His sports and media group has hired Michele Ghee as ''Jet'' and ''Ebony magazine's'' new CEO.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-19 |title=Michele Ghee Named CEO of Ebony and Jet Magazine |url=https://www.blackenterprise.com/michele-ghee-becomes-ceo-of-ebony-jet-magazine/ |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=Black Enterprise |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Content== ''Jet'' coverage includes: 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. Cover stories might be a celebrity's wedding, Mother's Day, or a recognition of the achievements of a notable African American.
=== Photography === Jet's uncensored and vivid photography made it influential in politics and entertainment.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last1=Kuta |first1=Sarah |title='Ebony' and 'Jet' Magazines' Iconic Photos Captured Black Life in America |url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/ebony-jet-magazines-photos-black-life-america-180980515/ |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=Smithsonian Magazine |language=en}}</ref> ''Jet'' took photos of Martin Luther King Jr. speaking and greeting fans, as well as detailed pictures of the subjects of the Entertainment section, including of Jimi Hendrix. The most famous picture taken and published by ''Jet'' was the remains of Emmett Till's face after his death in 1955.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jet Magazine |url=https://www.emmetttillproject.com/jetmagazine |access-date=2024-11-13 |website=Emmett Till Project |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Civil Movements === Similar to ''Essence'', ''Jet'' routinely deplores racism in mainstream media, especially its negative depictions of black men and women. However, Hazell and Clarke report that between 2003 and 2004, ''Jet'' and ''Essence'' themselves ran advertising that was pervaded with racism and white supremacy.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hazell |first1=Vanessa |last2=Clarke |first2=Juanne |date=2008 |title=Race and Gender in the Media: A Content Analysis of Advertisements in Two Mainstream Black Magazines |journal=Journal of Black Studies |volume=39 |issue=1 |pages=5–21 |doi=10.1177/0021934706291402 |jstor=40282545 |s2cid=144876832}}</ref> ''Jet'' has published colorist advertisements in the past. An advertisement for Nadinola, a bleaching cream, appeared in an issue published in 1955. It depicts a light-skinned woman as the center of men's attention.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Shepard |first=Jazmyn |year=2019 |title=Jet Magazine: Celebrating Black Female Beauty |url=https://digitalcommons.xula.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1130&context=xulanexus |journal=XULAneXUS |volume=16 |issue=2}}</ref> Amongst the Civil Rights movement of the 1950s, the Black is Beautiful Movement was also heavily covered within the 1960s through the glamorization of African women within multiple issues.<ref name="Shepherd"/>
=== Beauty ===
==== Publication ==== ''Jet'' 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.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-02-14 |title=Reflections Of Black Beauty: How I Viewed Every Last One Of JET Magazine's Beauty Of The Week + Valentine's Day Jam Of The Day |url=https://lavishrebellion.com/2015/02/14/jet-magazine-beauty-of-the-week-exhibit/ |access-date=2024-10-29 |website=Lavish Rebellion [DOT COM] |language=en}}</ref> In 2024, ''The New Yorker'' wrote that ''Jet'''s "Beauties of the Week" column "democratized the thirst trap."<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Wilson |first1=Jennifer |title=The Unfiltered Charm of Jet's Beauties of the Week |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/the-unfiltered-charm-of-jets-beauties-of-the-week |access-date=June 25, 2024 |magazine=The New Yorker}}</ref>
==== Representation ==== During the time period when these issues were first being published, 'beauty' had a very Western-centric image. ''Jet'' however, provided African American women with a platform to boast their own image of self-confidence and illustrate better representation of African Americans in the media. An issue posted through Xavier University writes "The Eurocentric standard of beauty only tolerates straight hair, especially on Black women who have a natural kinky hair texture".<ref name="Shepherd"/> While within the course of the 50's there were societal confines of lighter skinned models with straight hair, there are notable early issues of ''Jet'' that spotlight African women with changeless hair, paving the way for ''Jet'' to have its reputation of rebellion and boldness that it does today.<ref name="Shepherd"/>
=== Census === In many issues of ''Jet'' there is a section of content titled census. This provides the reader with insight into the fluctuating number of people within the population that the magazine caters to. Congress representatives, artists, and other figures who pass away are all illustrated under this section, as well as their reputations and contributions to society.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8bUDAAAAMBAJ |title=Jet |date=2005-01-24 |publisher=Johnson Publishing Company |language=en}}</ref>
==Notable people== * Robert C. Farrell (born 1936), journalist and member of the Los Angeles City Council, 1974–91, ''Jet'' correspondent * Robert E. Johnson (born August 13, 1922, in Montgomery, Alabama; died January, 1996, in Chicago) was associate publisher and executive editor of ''Jet''. He joined the ''Jet'' staff in February 1953, two years after it was founded by publisher John H. Johnson. He was one of the longest serving editors of ''Jet''.
==Awards and recognition== * ''Jet'' was rated No. 1 as the acme in news digesting for the ''Baltimore Afro-American'' newspaper on November 17, 1951.<ref>{{Citation|chapter=Baltimore Afro-American|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of African American Society|publisher=SAGE Publications, Inc.|isbn=978-0-7619-2764-8|doi=10.4135/9781412952507.n57|year=2005 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Jet magazine}} * [https://books.google.com/books?id=Db4DAAAAMBAJ&hl=En&source=gbs_all_issues_r&cad=1&atm_aiy=1950#all_issues_anchor Jet, 1951–2008 issues] (Google Books) * [https://www.flickr.com/photos/vieilles_annonces/collections/72157602208090748/ Black History Seen Through Magazines] * [http://www.nathanielturner.com/johnhjohnson.htm ''John H. Johnson''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903213752/http://www.nathanielturner.com/johnhjohnson.htm |date=September 3, 2017 }}
{{African American press}}
Category:1951 establishments in the United States Category:2014 establishments in the United States Category:African-American magazines Category:Lifestyle magazines published in the United States Category:Online magazines published in the United States Category:Weekly magazines published in the United States Category:Defunct magazines published in the United States Category:Digests Category:Johnson Publishing Company Category:Magazines established in 1951 Category:Magazines disestablished in 2014 Category:Magazines published in Chicago Category:Online magazines with defunct print editions Category:2016 mergers and acquisitions Category:2020 mergers and acquisitions Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2019