Rev. Shane Harris speaks at a press conference. (File photo from livestream)
Civil and human rights activist and community organizer Shane Harris announced he has purchased the San Diego Monitor Newspaper and Business Journal, a publication founded in 1986 by the late Willie Morrow, a widely-known San Diego civic leader, entrepreneur, owner of a barber shop, creator of the Afro pick and 1979 founder of radio station XHRM-FM, now known as Magic 92.5.
Harris said he will have the title of publisher. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
A statement said Harris purchased the newspaper from Cheryl Morrow, Monitor publisher and daughter of Willie Morrow. Cheryl Morrow assumed operations of the Monitor prior to her father’s passing in 2022.
A spokesperson told Times of San Diego there are no paid subscribers of the tabloid paper. About 700 copies are printed each week and digital readers total 6,073. A print edition of the paper can be mailed for $3.49 when a reader clicks “I want a print edition.” The paper’s first issue under Harris’ ownership is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 7.
The spokesperson also said plans include a weekly publishing schedule as well as a daily email newsletter published Monday through Friday for online subscribers featuring the day’s hottest topics, along with local weather, politics, sports and current events. The paper under Harris’s leadership will focus on expanding readership across the city, including increasing the paper’s physical presence at locations across the city, the spokesperson said.
The Monitor’s website says it has served as the voice of Black San Diego for nearly four decades. A statement announcing the acquisition said the Monitor “has served as a trusted source of information, inspiration and empowerment for underrepresented communities.”
“My father built the San Diego Monitor to be more than a newspaper, he built it to be a voice for our community when few others were listening,” said Cheryl Morrow. “I am deeply proud to see Shane Harris take up that mantle with integrity, vision and heart. His leadership represents a continuation of my father’s legacy, one rooted in truth, empowerment and service to the people. The Monitor’s future is in strong, capable hands.”
Harris is an ordained minister, liberal political analyst and the 2018 founder of a San Diego-based civil rights nonprofit organization called the People’s Association of Justice Advocates.
In October 2021, Harris opened S. Harris Communications, a for-profit, public strategy and communications firm that blends storytelling, strategy and social impact initiatives. The firm’s offices are currently located in La Mesa.
In 2023, Harris ran as a Democrat for San Diego City Council District 4 to replace Monica Montgomery Steppe, now a San Diego County Supervisor. But, he withdrew from the race to focus on policy and charity work.
A statement about the Monitor’s acquisition said Harris represents a new kind of publisher, “one who fuses business acumen, civil leadership and social consciousness into a media movement. His vision extends beyond publishing, it is about shaping a media culture that serves truth and elevates community perspectives.”
“I’m not just stepping into a publisher’s role, I’m stepping into a movement,” Harris said in the statement. “This movement calls for honest, fair and balanced journalism beholden to no special interests.
“This moment calls for honest, fair and balanced journalism, journalism that reflects the whole truth and empowers the people it serves. The Monitor will stand as a beacon for credible storytelling, accountability, and civic unity in a time when it’s needed most.”
The statement said Harris will lead a “strategic transformation” for the Monitor, “expanding its digital presence, enhancing investigative reporting and strengthening its role as a trusted voice for San Diego and beyond.”
Harris plans to expand the paper from being a “Black paper” to a publication with a citywide presence. “The publication will feature expanded coverage of business, civic affairs, education and social impact while embracing modern multimedia storytelling to engage a new generation of readers,” the statement said.
San Diego AMA to host ‘Art of Marketing’ conference, Oct. 24
The American Marketing Association San Diego chapter will present the “Art of Marketing,” a day-long conference from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 24, at the Knauss Center of Business Education at the University of San Diego. The event is open to the public.
AMA officials said the conference will offer a blend of creativity, strategic insight and forward-thinking innovation. Attendees will explore the future of marketing through immersive sessions, thought-provoking panels and hands-on networking opportunities.
From tourism and sports marketing to artificial intelligence and new media, the conference will cover the full spectrum of modern marketing. About 200 marketers and business owners are expected to attend, AMA said.
Speakers will include representatives from PlayStation, San Diego FC, Sports San Diego, Compass Real Estate, Q2 Insights, SeaWorld San Diego, KPBS, SDG&E and Gaylord Resorts.
Four program tracks offering the following:
- The Storyteller — Explore the power of authentic brand narratives and emotional engagement
- The Specialist — Delve into strategies for reaching niche audiences and enhancing customer experience
- The Strategist — Gain insights into staying competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape
- The Trend-setter — Examine the convergence of creativity and emerging technologies such as AI and Web3
The morning will include a session designed specifically for business leaders. In the afternoon, the theme is sports marketing. The conference will culminate in a fireside discussion led by renowned brand strategist Matt Prince, formerly with Taco Bell and The Walt Disney Company and currently head of earned media and brand social at KFC.
“The Art of Marketing Conference reminds us why marketing is not just a discipline, it’s a dynamic force for change, said Nick Hofer, chief strategy officer at SolarTech and AMA San Diego board of directors president. “We’re thrilled to convene the brightest minds and boldest ideas, empowering professionals to lead with creativity, strategy, and purpose. This event is more than a gathering, it’s a catalyst for the future of our industry in not only San Diego, but nationally.”
Admission tickets are priced at $140 for students, $259 for AMA members and $385 for nonmembers. For registration information, visit www.artofmarketingsd.org.
Most Americans use AI, but that doesn’t mean they trust it
More Americans are using artificial intelligence as part of their daily lives, but they don’t want it near their media and entertainment.
A new survey on consumer behavior from iHeartMedia found that 70% of respondents use AI, calling it “helpful” and “time saving,” but 75% distrust the technology when it comes to media and entertainment, preferring human-driven content.
As reported by the Hollywood Reporter, two-thirds of those surveyed feared job loss related to AI, with Gen Z and lower-income consumers among the most worried, while the same number feared AI could go to war with humans. Also, iHeartMedia found that more than half of consumers were not aware of AI as late as two or three years ago.
While usage and knowledge is now up, the survey also found distrust among even those who incorporate AI into daily living.
“A lot of people say that ‘I’m using AI,’ but there’s still this desire and this need for AI to be a tool for humans, rather than a replacement,” Lainie Fertick, president of Insights for iHeartMedia, told the Hollywood Reporter.
iHeartMedia’s survey, conducted by Critical Mass Media, included a sample of about 2,000 U.S. adults. The results were presented to marketers at the company’s AudioCon event in New York earlier this month.
Also, the survey found consumers are deeply divided on many hot-button issues, ranging from the government’s COVID-19 response to the #MeToo movement to the death of Charlie Kirk.
“What was interesting about this is that a consumer’s political affiliation or what party they identified with was not the greatest predictor of how they answered these questions. Instead, what media they were fed algorithmically is the best predictor,” Fertick said.
The survey also found the only major news story that most Americans agreed upon is believing the Epstein files are a cover-up, with 78% agreeing and 22% who believe no new revelations are in the files.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly on Mondays in Times of San Diego.
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