Dozens of Black news publishers gathered last month for an annual convention where the 2024 presidential election and voter turnout were a top concern, but in other conversations, journalists raised issues about the state of the media landscape.

Black-owned newspapers like the Michigan Chronicle, The Afro and The St. Louis American were represented at the National Newspaper Publishers Associations (NNPA) national convention in Baltimore, Maryland. The organization, which serves as the trade association for over 200 Black-owned media companies in the United States, was founded in 1940 and has, for decades, covered stories and issues in the Black community that mainstream newsrooms would ignore.

The conferences theme centered on increasing voter engagement and turnout as the presidential election nears. However, their efforts have been complicated by online accounts creating and amplifying election disinformation that targets Black audiences, according to a new analysis .

With newsrooms shuttering nationwide at stunning rates and audiences turning to other, sometimes less reliable, sources for news, Black publishers are fighting for survival.

Larry Lee, president and publisher of the 62-year-old Sacramento Observer, said he has seen substantial growth in his papers audience, staff and revenue since a major website redesign and the adaptation of new media tactics. Still, he remains concerned for the future of Black journalism.

This moment that were in is a little perilous because theres been a stagnation of growth for everyone across the board the last year, said Lee, who traveled from Sacramento, California, to Baltimore for the convention. So, while theres been some growth over the last few years, the last year has been a bit of a warning shot across the bow about where we are and our abilities to continue to grow audiences.

Media reparations may be the key to solving some of the problems facing the Black press, according to the media advocacy organization Free Press. Media reparations examine how the American media industry has harmed Black people and seeks redress from those institutions by providing greater funding and directing resources into Black-led newsrooms and media companies.