New paper, 'Sun,' focuses on blacks

Jerome Mondesire wanted to return to journalism after his boss, House Majority Whip William Gray, left Congress last year. But rather than return to mainstream journalism, Mondesire, a former city editor for the Philadelphia Inquirer, decided that he wanted to start his own publication, one oriented towards Philadelphia's large black community. His efforts culminated Sunday with the premiere of the Philadelphia Sunday Sun, a 36 page, full-color tabloid featuring international news, focusing on events occurring in Africa and the Carribean Islands, national and local news, an arts and entertainment section, and regular editorial columns. Mondesire said he thought a black-owned, black-run publication would allow for perspectives that "mainstream journalism" tends to ignore. "I think that putting out our own media enables us to have greater control over the images of [blacks]," Mondesire said. "In mainstream journalism, these images are often inaccurate, distorted and incomplete." "The Sun's goal is to provide an intelligent and sound platform for open and honest dialogue about our community, our problems and our successes, our heroes and our villains," Mondesire said. Bob Rosenthal, current City Editor for the Inquirer, encouraged the new paper, saying the Inquirer operates from a different perspective. "When you have that kind of specific agendas you get things that don't appear in the Inquirer everyday. I hope it does extremely well," Rosenthal said. Black student leaders said that while they hadn't yet seen the paper, they applauded the idea behind the publication. "So much negative news [about blacks] is shown in the media, that it sends a negative message," said Kaplan Mobray, Black Student League Vice-President and College junior. "[A black-owned paper] would give us some control over what is written about us." However, Black Student League President and Wharton senior Martin Dias said he would reserve judgment until he had the chance to read a copy of the paper. "My mind is open and I anxiously await the debut of the newspaper," Dias said. "But I'd have to read the newspaper before forming an opinion. Just because it's black doesn't necessarily mean it's good." According to Norman Walker, the weekend manager of the Bradd Allen bookstore in 30th Street Station, the Sun sold very well. "They were asking for it by name," Walker said. "Some even came from Jersey to get it," Walker said. According to Mondesire, the Sun will be sold at 320 outlets city-wide including Bradd Allen, and newsstands at 40th and Lancaster and 43rd and Lancaster.