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the men and women who worked here. The man who ran The Tribune at the time, Mr. E. Washington Rhodes [Epsi- lon], who was also a Kappa, having gone to Lincoln University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Temple's law school, he approached me and encouraged me to come to work here at The Tribune.” Bogle recalls his first job at The Tribune was in advertising sales, as a salesman. A year later he became the as- sistant to the advertising director. From there, he became the assistant advertis- ing director, and then ultimately, the advertising director for the company. “Two months after I came to work at The Tribune, Mr. Rhodes, the man who brought me here died. And two months after he died, my father died. But I con- tinued to stay here because I believed in this enterprise called The Philadel- phia Tribune and the Black Press – the importance of this newspaper, its impact on the Philadelphia community as well as the Philadelphia region. “After becoming the advertising director at The Tribune, I stayed on, and served several of our company's presi- dents,” he adds. “I served every presi- dent of The Tribune, with the exception of the founder, Christopher James Perry. And 1980, I became the Executive Vice President and treasurer of the company before becoming president in 1989. Be- ing publisher is what I would say is the most significant thing I have ever done in my life, aside from being married to a wonderful person and having raised two great children.” During his stint as publisher, Bogle served two terms as president of Na- tional Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) in 1991 and 1993, respectively. In 1994, he received the Samuel E. Cornish “Publisher of the Year” award from NNPA and The Tribune won the A. Philip Randolph Messenger Award for Outstanding Journalism in the area of civil rights. Since then, on an annual basis, The Tribune has been the recipi-
ent of numerous awards from NN PA each year.
“His business was employment, getting people jobs,” recalls daughter Mariskia. “My whole family had grown up with the strong sense of being committed to the community. In the beginning the paper wasn't operating at its best and did not have the top talent. He was dedicated to changing that and working to make the paper better. And he did.” *** The Tribune's role in covering the African-American community has been challenging, yet rewarding, for Bogle. Today, a growing number from America's right wing have targeted the journalism industry of producing “fake news” -- with many taking cues from President Donald Trump. “America isn't what it ought to be,” Bogle says. “What is clear is that we're not where we should be. This bastion of democracy, certainly, can be disputed by the action of our founders, who in ef- fect, who are in effect, serve themselves in many ways, while denying others, this thing that we have called equal access and opportunity – this thing of life, lib- erty, and the pursuit of happiness. If you go and look at the history of this great place called America, it has its flaws, I've been committed to meaningful and effective change, to make it right for all of us.” The journalism industry has taken a toll, with major layoffs announced almost monthly. Roughly a quarter of America's papers with an average Sun- day circulation of 50,000 or more have experienced layoffs in 2018, according to a Pew Research Center analysis. Bogle's advice to journalists is stay in the industry and try not to be distracted by accusations of fake news. “We're the real authors of what America looks like in an unblemished way, reaching out searching every day
for the truth, which is a determined commitment that the men and women here at The Tribune have played,” Bogle says. “What they've done has impacted on who we are as a people. And so don't abandon journalism. Consider it as a meaningful and effective profession. The future of journalism is not dead, it's alive and well. Be adaptive to the meaningful changes, but continue with the commitment.” For Bogle, being a publisher is a double edged-sword – a position that has brought him into many doors, hall- ways, and offices of influential people. Whether it be the mayor of Philadel- phia, the governor of Pennsylvania, or the president of the United States, Bogle has been privileged to meet and cover them all. “It also means that you have an enormous responsibility of telling the truth, articulating frequently, the things that might displease all those --- many of those with whom you have an interest and relationship with, but should you fail to do that, then you have failed.” The company's current staff has more than a half dozen distinguished writers who have penned books, ap- peared on television and radio shows. Former staffers have gone on to win Pulitzers – considered the highest honor in journalism. Motivating them can
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Publishing achievement for 105 years
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