JET Magazine Transitions to Digital Only Platform, Releases Final Print Issue

Deborah Bayliss | As of Wednesday, June 11, 2014

JET magazine transitions to digital only platform with a a final print issue released on Monday. Image courtesy of JET magazine.
JET magazine transitions to digital only platform with a a final print issue released on Monday. Image courtesy of JET magazine.

For many African American households, Johnson Publication’s JET magazine was very much a cultural component commonly found on coffee and dinner tables nationwide, however; as technology has made way for the new digital age, JET magazine, initially billed as “The Weekly Negro News Magazine,” released its final print issue on Monday as the 63-year-old publication transitions from print to a digital only platform as a way to provide readers quicker and easier access to its news and information coverage.

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(L-R) Desiree Rogers, Chief Executive Officer of Johnson Publishing Company and Linda Johnson Rice, Chairman of Johnson Publishing Company, publisher of EBONY and JET magazines.

“This issue serves as the final bow to everything JET has done over the years,” stated Mitzi Miller, former editor-in-chief of JET magazine and current editor-in-chief of EBONY.  “From politics to entertainment, JET magazine has had a tremendous impact on society and shaping conversations within the African-American community,” she added.  “I’m very proud of the work I’ve accomplished over the past three years, and excited to see JET now continue this tradition in a digital platform.”

The cover of the last issue pays tribute to JET magazine’s iconic history with images of previous covers throughout the past 63 years and a retrospective of news coverage from 1951 to the present that includes:

·         A letter from President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama

·         Tribute to the late, Dr. Maya Angelou

·         Celebrities such as Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Bill Cosby, Whitney Houston, Spike Lee, Diana Ross, Halle Berry, Beyoncé, Tyler Perry and more

·         A montage of JET beauties and the best of the “Week’s Best Photo”

·         Top music albums from the 1950s to the present

·         Fashion and style influences over the years

·         African-American history, from the Civil Rights Movement to a special investigative report on missing Black children 

“I am very proud of this last issue of JET magazine,” said Linda Johnson Rice, chairman of Johnson Publishing Company (JPC). “It epitomizes the historical influence this magazine has made in this country,” she continued. “For those who grew up with the magazine, they will find this issue a collection of treasured memories, and a younger audience will see it as the guide that reveals the cultural influences of today.” 

Third in the African-American market with a rate base of 700,000, the pocket-sized, publication started with a quick-read format to provide Black-Americans with weekly news on issues central to their community.

The new weekly digital magazine app will leverage a variety of storytelling tactics, including video interviews, enhanced digital maps, 3D charts and photography from the JPC archives. Breaking news will be updated daily. The app will be available on all tablet devices and mobile platforms. In addition, JET will publish an annual special print edition.

Scheduled to launch June 30, the news app will be available on all tablet devices and mobile platforms with breaking news and entertainment content, along with politics, pop culture and social issues that impact African-Americans, as well as a new EBONY/JET digital store. 

Kyra Kyles, former senior editor of JET magazine and digital managing editor of JETmag.com, was appointed digital editorial director for JET online.

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