Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
By Jasmyne Cannick
To all of the Black journalists who were too dark, wore their hair too nappy or were too plus-size to get hired for television news — we see you.
To all the Black journalists who didn’t have the luxury of J-school — or college at all — who never got that big media break and have been dismissed by those who did — I see you. Your work is just as real, just as necessary, and just as powerful.
To my Black journalists out here doing the work without the backing of a major media machine — watching others get the paycheck, take the credit, collect the awards, and bask in the spotlight, all because you passed along a tip, knowing the story mattered more than your byline — thank you. You deserved better. You still do.
To all my Black journalists who had to pivot to PR or comms because news media wouldn’t hire you — and because, shocker, you actually needed to make a living — while still knowing how to string a sentence together without relying on ChatGPT? We see you. And we know who really has the range.
To the Black journalists who are made to feel like they’re not “real” journalists because they’re not working full-time in a newsroom — miss me with that nonsense. Journalism isn’t just about who signs your checks or what fancy title is on your LinkedIn. It’s about the work. The reporting. The storytelling. The impact.
Whether you’re freelancing, juggling gigs, running your own platform, or working in another industry while still doing the work, you are still a journalist. Your voice still matters. Your stories still shape narratives. And let’s be real — half of these so-called “real” journalists are just repackaging work that independent Black journalists broke first. So keep doing what you do. The industry may not always recognize you, but the people do.
To all the Black journalists who got tired of waiting for a seat at the table and decided to build their own — who launched platforms, built loyal followings, and proved that you don’t need a major outlet’s stamp of approval to tell the stories that matter — this is for you. You refused to be silenced, overlooked, or forced to play by rules that were never meant for you in the first place. You made your own lane, and whether they acknowledge it or not, the industry is watching — and taking notes.
To all the Black journalists who weren’t “corporate news” enough to get hired by a major outlet but somehow stay on speed dial for their reporters, editors, and producers — because they need your contacts, your story ideas, your relationships to make their jobs (and their careers) easier — yeah, I’d say we see you, but let’s be real, we don’t. You do the work, they take the credit. Just know this — I know exactly how that game goes. Personal experience is a hell of a teacher.
To all the Black journalists who put everything on the line to stand on truth, to tell the stories that make people uncomfortable, to challenge power even when it comes at a cost — you are the backbone of this industry, whether they acknowledge it or not.
You don’t just report the news — you expose what they’d rather keep hidden. You ask the questions they’re too afraid to ask. You amplify voices they’d rather silence. And in a world where truth is constantly under attack, your work isn’t just important — it’s essential.
They’ll call you biased, difficult, radical — anything to discredit you — because they know the power of your words, your reporting, your storytelling. But keep pushing. Keep writing. Keep telling the stories that matter. Because history won’t remember the ones who played it safe. It will remember the ones who told the truth, no matter the cost.
And finally, a thank you to the Black, non-corporate-owned media — the ones who know what it’s like to be dismissed, overlooked, and underestimated — who saw us, valued us, and gave us space when mainstream outlets wouldn’t. You’ve been holding it down, telling our stories our way, long before it was trendy. We see you. We appreciate you. And we owe you.
Among her many hats she proudly wears, Jasmyne Cannick is an award-winning journalist. Find her at iamjasmyne.com.
