The Tri-State Defender has won Honorable Mention in the 2008 Chrysler Financial/NNPA Foundation Entrepreneurial Award.

As Honorable Mention winner, the newspaper is awarded a $2,500 prize and plaque. The award will be presented during the National Newspaper Press Association’s Foundation’s Newsmaker of Year Banquet held March 13 in Washington during “Black Press Week.”

The Defender was selected for the campaign it built around this headline: “Tipping: What’s at stake?” At the center of the campaign is two stories generated specially for the newspaper by freelance writer Linda S. Wallace, “The Cultural Coach.”

Executive Editor Dr. Karanja A. Ajanaku said the newspaper series included an examination of the role of cultural filters and how they affect the business bottom line, including the impact on where restaurants are located.

“In multicultural cities such as Memphis, business conversations are sometimes difficult as communities have differing sets of values, beliefs and perspectives. The tipping dilemma is one such case. This cultural challenge is reducing employment opportunities for African-American youth. It’s also depriving African-American neighborhoods of the tax revenues earned from the restaurant industry, which is the nation's largest, outside of government,” said Dr. Ajanaku.

“Our newspaper seeks to engage business executives and community leaders in a dialogue that enables African Americans to get their fair share of jobs and economic opportunities, and assists the restaurant industry in developing a culturally appropriate business model that benefits all. In the end, everyone wins, including the African American media, which is able to underscore its continuing importance and value in today's diverse world.”

The national publishers’ award is designed to encourage NNPA-member publications to seek alternative and innovative ways to promote and build their publication’s business, while demonstrating an entrepreneurial and community-minded spirit.

William Porter, Chrysler Financial director of corporate communications, said the competition was intense. “However, the judges were impressed with your publication’s overall ability to create, develop and implement a campaign that was a direct benefit to the community, while addressing your publishing goals.”

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