"Social News," The Woman's Era, March 24, 1894
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Example of the regular column "Social News," edited by Irene DeMortie and Marion Ridley for The Woman's Era. "Published by Josephine St. Pierre Ruffin in Boston, Massachusetts and distributed nationally between 1894 and 1897" (Emory), The Woman's Era was the first national newspaper published by and for Black women.
The article is typical for the public reliance on the intimate knowledge of gossip, insofar as it frames some of its reporting with expressions like "we hear ...", "it is whispered," or "it is rumored," while other news are presented as personally known and therefore not in need of further clarification (e. g. "Miss Annie Hemmings is expected home from Vassar ...").
The authors mention, among others, society reporter Lillian A. Lewis, thus highlighting the interest of readers in the personal life of the people who provide public gossip. Towards the end, they turn to the annual convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, and cite Ida B Wells on the treatment of women of color at a past convention.
Scans and transcriptions of all extant issues of The Woman's Era can be accessed here. In their inaugural greeting, the editors describe their motivation for starting the publication by stating that "the need of such a journal has long been felt as a medium of intercourse and sympathy between the women of all races and conditions" (8).
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composed of Misses Georgine Glover, Annie Hare, Maud Cuney, Libbie Watson, Louisa Lewis and Lillian A. Lewis.
Thus far, they have been entertained by Msses Maud Cuney, Libbiue Watson and Georgine Glover.
Miss Lillian A. Lewis, of the Boston Herald, has moved from Westminister to Myrtle Street."
