Columbia Center for Oral History Portal > Oral history interview with L. J. Rhone, 1971.Biographical NoteL.J. Rhone was born in Albany, Georgia, in 1902. He was educated Albany State College and Paul Quinn College. He briefly served as dean of Campbell College in Jackson, Mississippi. For many years, he was affiliated with the Waco Messenger, first as a writer, and eventually as its production editor, manager, and publisher. He also was a staff member of the Waco News Tribune.
Scope and ContentsHenry G. La Brie's 1971 interview with L. J. Rhone begins with an overview of Rhone's life and experience working for the black press. La Brie asks Rhone about the defining traits of the black press and if it exists at all. Rhone discusses the black press's successes and how its role and nature have changed over the years. The conversation turns to the ownership of black newspapers. They discuss how to measure the success of the Waco Messenger. La Brie asks about white readership of black newspapers, the presence of advertising in black newspapers, and the need for a national black news service. Rhone describes the expectations of the Messenger's readers and the political role of black newspapers. The interview concludes with a discussion of the Messenger's relationship with the mainstream press.
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