Elinor R. Tatum is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of the New York Amsterdam News, America’s most influential continuously published Black newspaper, serving the nation’s largest Black and brown community.
When appointed as Editor in Chief in 1997, Ms. Tatum became one of the youngest publishers in the history of the Black press. She began at the newspaper as a journalist, covering local and national issues affecting Harlem and the Black community. Under her watch, the Amsterdam News has evolved from typewriters to total computerization and today to powerful social media and digital platforms including AmsterdamNews.com and its acclaimed weekday newsletter “Editorially Black” to better serve a wider African American community in New York, the nation and internationally.
Positioning the newspaper as a critical part of the national political discourse concerning racial equity and its Black and brown readers and supporters has been a defining quality to Ms. Tatum’s leadership at Amsterdam News. Powerful recent evidence of this includes her envisioning and leadership within what is now called “Word in Black”, the first-of-its-kind national collaboration of the nation’s leading Black publishers. Additionally, the creation of “Blacklight”, the first Investigative Journalism unit within a legacy Black publisher and its visionary initiative “Beyond the Barrel of the Gun”, addressing gun violence in Black and brown communities through journalistic solutions, both reflect Publisher Tatum’s and Amsterdam News deep dedication to impact and change-make.
In addition to publishing the Amsterdam News, Ms. Tatum’s political insight is also increasingly sought-after. She regularly moderates debates and hosts interviews on Manhattan Neighborhood Network. She has appeared on WNBC evening news, and on NY1. She has guest hosted on the international network ARISE. She has also appeared on 20/20, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Fox 5, and CUNY TV. In addition, for over 11 years, Ms. Tatum had produced and co-hosted a weekly segment of Al Sharpton’s daily radio show “Keepin’ It Real” – a nationally syndicated talk show that airs in over forty markets.
A prolific keynote speaker, and expert on topics of media, race, politics and culture, Ms. Tatum also served in 2004 on the Nielsen Independent Task Force on TV Measurement. After the Election of Andrew Cuomo in 2010 Ms. Tatum was named to his transition team on the Committee on Economic Development and Labor. She currently sits on the State’s Tourism Advisory Council. Governor Cuomo’s MWBE Advisory Council and the NY Forward Reopening Advisory Board and most recently was appointed by the Governor to the board of directors of the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA).
Ms. Tatum was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from St. Lawrence University with a B.S. in Government Studies in 1993. She continued her education at Stockholm University in Stockholm, Sweden, studying International relations and the Swedish model of government. Ms. Tatum holds a Master’s degree in Journalism in Mass Communications from New York University.
In addition to her career in journalism, Ms. Tatum is a philanthropist and holds many civic positions. She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of her college alma mater, St. Lawrence University. She serves on the board of New York City Center; The Board of Glasgow Caledonian New York City University. In addition she currently sits on the board of the Harriet and Esteban Vicente Foundation, The Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem, and the Creative Visions Foundation as well as the White Feather Farm and White Feather Forest Inc Boards. Ms. Tatum has received numerous business awards, honors and media recognition. In her spare time, she is also an alpine ski instructor at Belleayre Mountain Ski Center in Highmount, NY.