Johnson Publishing announces sale of Jet, Ebony magazines

Without disclosing the sale price or details of the deal, on Tuesday, the Johnson Publishing Co. said that Clear View Group bought Ebony and digital-only Jet.

The new company, to be known as Ebony Media Operations, is expected to be chaired by Gibson and have former Chief Operating Officer Cheryl Mayberry McKissack as the new CEO.

“This is the next chapter in retaining the legacy that my father, John H. Johnson, built to ensure the celebration of African-Americans”, she said.

Gibson told Media Ink that current Editor-in-Chief Kierna Mayo will step down and will be replaced in the top spot by Kyra Kyles, who is now a senior vice president in charge of digital. She’ll be replaced by Kyra Kyles, who had been VP and head of digital editorial for both Ebony and Jet since her promotion from editorial director of Jet a year ago.

“He also added that Clear View intents to keep Ebony a print magazine, all the while “[growing its] digital platform more consistently”.

It will retain its archive of photographs, which was put up for sale in January for $40 million, and will invest more heavily in its affiliated business, Fashion Fair Cosmetics.

Desiree Rogers, the former social secretary for President Barack Obama, will remain CEO of Johnson Publishing, focusing on the cosmetics business, which represents almost half of the company’s total revenue.

According to the Pew Research Center’s State of the News Media 2016, African-American media outlets have stood the test of time and technology, continuing to maintain a presence in print, broadcast and Web.

Unlike the sale of BET to Viacom, the purchasing company is Black-owned.

Founded by publisher John H. Johnson, EBONY Magazine first began printing in 1945, chronicling African American culture, lifestyle and news around the world. Pew notes Williams is one of only four African-Americans to claim ownership of any television stations in the United States and now owns seven of the dozen.