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How To Pitch: Ebony.com

Contribute to the conversation about black culture at this historic brand

Background: Anyone following the life span of the Ebony franchise knows that the 67-year-old magazine underwent a major makeover last year under the tutelage of new editor-in-chief Amy DuBois Barnett. Johnson Publications could've left well enough alone with the pub's website, but instead made Ebony.com its next big investment and hired veteran magazine guru Kierna Mayo to oversee the redesign. The new, improved site went live in January 2012, wowing the Web with a unique layout that smacks of a traditional magazine spread and content that stands on its own as a hub for black lifestyle.

"Ebony has a unique position in black media. We are the only mainstream lifestyle brand for African-Americans that speaks not just to women, but to men, as well. So, we were very clear that the site needed to be an extension of the magazine," Mayo recalled. "That said, what you won't find on Ebony.com is a lot of repurposed magazine content. There is the occasional story that runs in the magazine that we'll run again on the site. What we try to do is extend the conversation. The same themes that are important to our magazine audience are also important to our online audience, but we get to cover those things in real time, obviously."...

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