What Michigan Chronicle does

Michigan Chronicle is a heritage African-American news, information, and events company serving metropolitan Detroit. Founded in 1943 and now in its 89th volume year, the publication covers local, national, breaking, political, business, entertainment, sports, education, and community news for Black readers in southeastern Michigan, with reporting led by Executive Editor Jeremy Allen and Editor at Large Aaron Foley and distributed both in print through approximately 300+ retail locations across the metro area and digitally via its website, email newsletters, YouTube, and major social platforms.

The company's product portfolio extends well beyond a traditional newspaper into a diversified media platform. Core offerings include the print and digital Michigan Chronicle, the digital-only catalyst vertical focused on Detroit redevelopment and policy, and signature content franchises such as Pancakes & Politics (now in its 21st season), the Women of Excellence Awards (19th year), 40 Under 40 (14th year), S.W.A.G. Scholarship Awards (10th year, with nearly $2M invested via the Huntington Bank partnership), Power 50, Applause, and the Back to Paradise docuseries produced with the Smithsonian Institution. A 2026 launch — Chronicle Conversations, a video series produced with Wayne County Community College District — extends the franchise into long-form civic dialogue. The underlying technology stack is a standard digital-first CMS-driven news website with email, video, and social distribution; no proprietary technology platform, AI/ML capability, or native app is disclosed.

Michigan Chronicle generates revenue across four primary streams: local advertising sales (print and digital, with a listed (313) 963-5522 sales line), annual home delivery subscriptions sold through the Real Times Media shop, ticket and sponsorship revenue from signature events and awards programs, and classified advertising for jobs and public notices. Sponsored-content sections (Huntington Bank Homefront, The Vibe by Delta Dental) layer enterprise sponsorship onto editorial output. The company operates as a subsidiary of Real Times Media, a network of Black publications that also includes the Chicago Defender, New Pittsburgh Courier, Atlanta Daily World, Atlanta Tribune, Pitch Black, and Who's Who In Black, under the leadership of publisher and Real Times Media CEO Hiram E. Jackson. Headcount is in the 11-50 range, with the headquarters at 1452 Randolph Street, Suite 400, Detroit.

Name

Michigan Chronicle

Legal name

Michigan Chronicle

Website

https://michiganchronicle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1943

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Michigan Chronicle is a heritage African-American news and events company in metropolitan Detroit, now in its 89th volume year, publishing print and digital journalism and operating signature annual events including Pancakes & Politics, Women of Excellence, 40 Under 40, S.W.A.G. Awards, and Power 50, as a subsidiary of Real Times Media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Community Newspaper (African American Media)

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711)

akta.pro primary industry

Community, Ethnic & Multilingual News Publishers (MPAJADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

Keywords

• Community newspaper publishing
• African American media
• Local news coverage
• Signature events programming
• Digital news platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Advertising: Local advertising sales to businesses targeting the African American community in metropolitan Detroit. The company offers advertising through its print publication and digital platforms, with contact number (313) 963-5522 for inquiries.
2. Subscriptions: Home delivery subscription service for the newspaper, available through the Real Times Media shop platform.
3. Events: Ticket sales and sponsorship revenue from signature events including Women of Excellence Awards, 40 Under 40, S.W.A.G. Awards, and Pancakes & Politics forums.
4. Classifieds: Classified advertising section featuring job postings, public notices, and community announcements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Michigan Chronicle is a news, information, and events company that publishes a weekly African American community newspaper in print and digital formats covering politics, business, entertainment, sports, education, and community issues in metropolitan Detroit. It also operates signature live event platforms (Pancakes & Politics), award programs (Women of Excellence, 40 Under 40, S.W.A.G., Power 50), sponsored content series, classified advertising, and home delivery subscriptions.

Product overview

The Michigan Chronicle is a news, information, and events company covering the interests of the African American community in metropolitan Detroit. The company operates as a multi-platform media organization offering a core news publication (print and digital), various award programs (40 Under 40, Women of Excellence, S.W.A.G. Awards, Power 50, Applause), event platforms (Pancakes & Politics forum series), digital publications (catalyst, digital-only), documentary/content series (Chronicle Conversations, Back to Paradise), and sponsored content sections (Huntington Bank Homefront, The Vibe by Delta Dental), along with voter education services and classifieds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pancakes & Politics: Signature forum series launched in 2006, serving as Detroit's premier platform for addressing critical business, politics, and community leadership issues. Now in its 21st season.
• Women of Excellence Awards
• 40 Under 40 Awards
• S.W.A.G. Awards
• Power 50
• Huntington Bank Homefront
• Chronicle Conversations
• Back to Paradise
• Applause!
• The Vibe
• catalyst

Products and services

• The Michigan Chronicle (print and digital newspaper) The core weekly news publication covering local, national, breaking news, business, entertainment, community, education, viewpoints, politics, sports, and lifestyle content for the African American community in metropolitan Detroit, available in print and digital formats.
• Home Delivery Subscription Annual subscription offering home delivery of the Michigan Chronicle print edition plus digital access, purchased through the Real Times Media shop.
• Pancakes & Politics Signature live forum series convening regional business, political, and community leaders for panel discussions on critical Detroit and Michigan issues, now in its 21st season with PNC Bank as presenting sponsor.
• Women of Excellence Awards Annual awards ceremony celebrating 50 extraordinary Black women whose leadership, vision, and service shape Metro Detroit and beyond, with sponsors including Amazon, Knight Foundation, SEEL, and ViaRae.
• 40 Under 40 Awards Annual awards honoring outstanding African American professionals under 40 who inspire others through vision, leadership, achievements, and commitment to community service, now in its 14th year.
• S.W.A.G. Awards (Students Wired for Achievement and Greatness) Annual scholarship awards program for Detroit students, marking 10 years with nearly $2M invested in Detroit's future through scholarship awards, in partnership with Huntington Bank.
• Power 50 Annual recognition list identifying the Detroit Area's 50 most powerful Black leaders across government, business, faith, education, and additional sectors.
• Classifieds Classified advertising service offering job postings, public notices, and community announcements.
• catalyst (digital-only publication) Digital-only publication dedicated to those redesigning, developing, and revitalizing Detroit, covering development opportunities, workforce development, and legislative policy.
• Back to Paradise 7-part docuseries exploring the history and ongoing revitalization of Detroit's Paradise Valley district, produced in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly $2M invested in Detroit's future through S.W.A.G. Scholarship Awards over 10 years in partnership with Huntington Bank

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Huntington BankflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerHuntington Bank is the title sponsor for the 'Huntington Bank Homefront' section and has partnered with Michigan Chronicle for 10 years on the S.W.A.G. (Students Wired for Achievement and Greatness) Scholarship Awards, with nearly $2M invested in Detroit's future through this program. The partnership represents the publication's flagship corporate sponsorship relationship.
• Wayne County Community College DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichigan Chronicle partnered with Wayne County Community College District to produce 'Chronicle Conversations,' a series convening voices from across Detroit to discuss lived experiences, economic realities, and cultural tensions shaping the region.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon is a sponsor for the Women of Excellence 2026 awards ceremony.
• Knight FoundationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKnight Foundation is a sponsor for the Women of Excellence 2026 awards ceremony.
• SEELminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSEEL is a sponsor for the Women of Excellence 2026 awards ceremony.
• ViaRaeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerViaRae is a sponsor for the Women of Excellence 2026 awards ceremony.
• Real Times MediacoreOthersMichigan Chronicle is part of the Real Times Media network, which includes other Black publications such as the Chicago Defender, New Pittsburgh Courier, Atlanta Daily World, Atlanta Tribune, and Who's Who In Black. This parent company relationship provides cross-promotion and shared audience reach across multiple markets.
• PNC BankcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPNC Bank is a presenting sponsor for the Pancakes & Politics forum series, one of Michigan Chronicle's signature events that brings together regional leaders for discussions on business, politics, and community issues.
• Delta DentalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDelta Dental sponsors the 'The Vibe' lifestyle section of the Michigan Chronicle website, covering oral health and wellness content.
• Smithsonian InstitutioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Smithsonian Institution partnered with Michigan Chronicle's 'Back to Paradise' docuseries exploring Detroit's Paradise Valley, with the series featured as part of Black History Month programming.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• The Root: Long-running national digital media platform focused on African American news, politics, and culture. Comparable in audience demographic and editorial mission to Michigan Chronicle, but operates at significantly larger national scale and digital-only.
• Essence Communications (Essence): Major African American women's media brand spanning print magazine, digital, and the Essence Festival. Overlaps with Michigan Chronicle's community-aligned African American editorial mission and event-driven revenue model, but at national scale and with a women's-lifestyle focus.
• Ebony Media (EBONY/JET): Iconic African American media brand covering culture, news, and lifestyle across digital and print. Comparable audience and editorial scope to Michigan Chronicle, but operating at national scale and with a broader cultural rather than strictly news focus.

Direct peers

• AFRO-American Newspapers: One of the oldest African American newspaper chains in the U.S., with print and digital editions across multiple East Coast markets. Direct peer in heritage print newspaper format, community journalism mission, and reliance on advertising and subscriptions.
• New Pittsburgh Courier: Real Times Media sister publication serving the African American community in Pittsburgh with local news, sports, classifieds, and events. Direct peer in audience, ownership structure, and product mix to Michigan Chronicle.
• Chicago Defender: Sister publication under Real Times Media serving the African American community in Chicago with local news, opinion, events, and lifestyle content. Closest comparable in format, ownership, audience, and business model to Michigan Chronicle, operating in an adjacent metro market within the same network.
• Atlanta Tribune: Real Times Media sister title providing African American-focused news and lifestyle coverage in Atlanta. Directly comparable content, audience, and ownership to Michigan Chronicle.
• Atlanta Daily World: Real Times Media heritage African American newspaper covering Atlanta. Operates the same community-newspaper-plus-events model as Michigan Chronicle and is directly comparable in audience targeting, content verticals, and monetization mix.
• St. Louis American: Independently owned African American newspaper serving the St. Louis metro with news, opinion, and events. Directly comparable in editorial scope, event-driven GTM, and audience focus to Michigan Chronicle, but in a different regional market.

Regional players

• Black Voice News: Inland Empire-based African American news outlet producing local journalism with national relevance. Comparable community-newspaper editorial mission, but focused on a different regional market with a primarily digital distribution model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/michronicle
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@michiganchronicle
• Facebookfacebook.com/MichiganChronicle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/michigan-chronicle
• Instagraminstagram.com/michiganchronicle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Michigan Chronicle