Oral history interview with F. M. Johnson, 1971
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- Name
- Johnson, F. M (Interviewee)
- La Brie, Henry G (Interviewer)
- Title
- Oral history interview with F. M. Johnson, 1971
- Other Titles
- Reminiscences of F. M. Johnson : oral history, 1971; Oral history of F. M. Johnson, 1971
- Abstract
- In his 1971 interview with Henry La Brie III, Johnson discusses his experience with various black newspapers. Topics of discussion include: the use of propaganda by the black press; the impact of the Great Depression on the Messenger; the aftermath of the deadly 1953 tornado that struck Waco; how the black press in the American South differs in tone from that in the North; how the role of the black press has changed since its 1827 origins; and how the black press has aided race relations and assimilation over the years. Johnson gives his opinions on the increase in interest in minority news, the opinion that the black press is sensational, his personal reluctance to publish crime stories, and the goals of the black press.
- Collection Name
- Black Journalists oral history collection
- Subjects
- Journalists; African American press; African American journalists; Newspaper publishing--Economic aspects--United States; Journalism--Social aspects; African Americans--Civil rights; United States Race relations; Waco (Tex.); Johnson, F. M
- Format
- oral histories
- Genre
- Interviews
- Date
- 1971
- Physical Description
- sound files : digital preservation master, WAV files (96kHz, 24 bit); 53 pages
- Note (Biographical)
- F. M. Johnson was born in Hempstead, Texas, in 1892. Johnson began a career in printing while attending Paul Quinn College in Waco, Texas, and played a leading role in the establishment of the Waco Messenger, a weekly newspaper founded in the 1920s to serve the city's black community.
- Note
- Interviewed by Henry G. La Brie III on August 16, 1971.
- Note (Provenance)
- Henry G. La Brie III Gift, 1975
- Language
- English
- Library Location
- Columbia Center for Oral History, Columbia University
Browse Location’s Digital Content - Catalog Record
- 11563783
- Also In
- Oral History Archives at Columbia
- Time-Based Media
- Time-Based Media
- Persistent URL
- https://dx.doi.org/10.7916/d8-9v14-h544
- Related URLs
- Available digital content for this interview.