The Chicago Defender, one of the nation’s oldest African-American newspapers, has named Grambling State University alumnus Ronald E. Childs executive editor. In his new position Childs, 53, will oversee the editorial content of the newspaper and its digital platforms.
An award-winning journalist, editor and photographer, Childs’ work has appeared in publications worldwide, including Black Enterprise, Black Issues In Higher Education, The Black Collegian, Jet, UPSCALE, Dollars & Sense, Black Elegance, Minorities & Women In Business and Today’s Black Woman magazines.
Childs has returned to his alma mater many times to speak with students and has served as mentor to many.
Prior to joining the Chicago Defender, Childs was founder and principal of OMEN Communications, a media relations firm, and an adviser to Moguldom Media Group.
Childs served as vice president of media relations for Chicago-based Flowers Communications Group. During his 10 years at FCG, Childs worked with a number of blue-chip clients, ncluding American Honda, McDonald’s, MillerCoors, Kmart and Sears and the Chicago White Sox.
The GSU alumnus has held a number of high-level communications positions, including assistant director of publicity for Johnson Publishing Company and associate editor for EM – Ebony Man magazine. He was communications specialist and speechwriter to Chicago’s late Mayor Harold Washington, and media strategist and senior account executive with Burrell Communications Group.
Childs is former executive vice president of the Black Public Relations Society of Chicago, and a member of the National Black Public Relations Society, the National Association of Black Journalists’ national and Chicago chapters, and is founder of the Chicago’s GSU alumni chapter.
The 108-year-old Defender is the flagship publication of Detroit-based Real Times Media roster which also includes The New Pittsburgh Courier, The Memphis Tri-State Defender, The Michigan Chronicle, The Michigan FrontPage, and The Atlanta Daily World newspapers, their companion digital titles and websites and Who’s Who Publishing.