The National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) announced that the organization elected Janis L. Ware to serve as its First Vice Chair for a second term.
Ware has been the publisher of The Atlanta Voice since 1991.
“I am so happy to be re-elected as First Vice Chair for my second term,” Ware said. “As a publisher of a historic newspaper and the daughter of a publisher, J. Lowell Ware, who founded The Atlanta Voice, it’s not just my pleasure to serve my fellow brothers and sisters in Black media, but it is my duty to support them in continuing to provide a voice to our communities across the country.”
Ware previously served as NNPA’s treasurer for four years, before being elected as the organization’s First Vice Chair in 2019.
As the largest Black media organization in the United States, NNPA members consist of Black media outlets from all over the country, approximately over 200.
Formerly known as the National Negro Publishers Association, the national trade organization has represented Black media in many communities in America for over 80 years.
“NNPA has done an amazing job at providing resources and opportunities for its members, allowing Black media, no matter how small, to continue to be the voice of the Black people in the community,” Ware said.
While Ware’s publication is the only Black media outlet that still prints a physical issue in Atlanta, she’s led a robust digital transformation campaign within the last few years, which consisted of optimizing her website, incorporating an email marketing strategy, increasing social media engagements, and developing strategic partnerships with local and national organizations to drive more revenue towards digital.
She continued, “And it’s been a joy of mine to see this organization not just grow, but thrive, even when trouble comes over the horizon. In times like a pandemic, an uprising, an insurrection, or the ever-pending upcoming election, we as members of the Black media are always there, which are the times that we’re needed the most.”
