Black cultural projection: An analysis of major daily news coverage of successful Black mayoral campaigns in large metropolitan cities

Newspapers often play a significant role in providing knowledge about political matters and may shape public opinion about political figures. However, a focus on newspaper coverage of some of the first Black mayors of major metropolitan US cities and relevant themes of such coverage is under-examined. The current investigation addresses this shortcoming by examining major daily newspaper coverage of the first Black mayoral campaigns in Los Angeles, Detroit, New Orleans, Newark, and Chicago. The study adopts an ethnographic content analysis and examines 30 days of news coverage before each mayoral election. Findings reveal that news coverage draws attention to overt racial narratives and emphasizes racial stereotypes. However, news coverage of the candidates’ policy proposals was present and often non-racialized. The outcomes further suggest that the inclusion of racial identity and policies, while not entirely favorable, may contribute to increasing awareness of each candidate in their respective cities.