By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
Chris B. Bennett, Publisher and CEO of The Seattle Medium newspaper, began working in his family’s business at the age of 9, but never expected to pursue a career in the newspaper industry.
“I started doing bulk drops for distribution during a time when we would deliver papers door-to-door. I was in charge of keeping track of what was actually delivered to people,” said Bennett. “And then progressively, I kind of did a lot of different things over the years, but ultimately that is how I got started in the industry.”
Priscilla Hailey, a Governor with Tiloben Publishing Co., Inc., the parent company of The Seattle Medium, watched Bennett grow up in the newsroom, gradually taking on more and more responsibilities as he got older.
“As CEO, Chris objectively analyzes news content for accuracy and relevance to the community,” said Hailey. “He remains committed to the Medium’s mission: ‘A Message From the People to the People,’ a motto introduced by his father 56 years ago.”
According to Hailey, it was the influence of his mother, Betty Gladney Woods and father, Chris H. Bennett that provided him with the foundation to be successful, even at an early age.
“His mother established rules early in his life and emphasized goal-setting and hard work, and his father also assigned him significant responsibilities at the paper from a young age, expecting him to manage them effectively,” said Hailey. “He gained experience in various areas of the company, including printing, distribution, and editing.”
A product of Seattle Public Schools’ gifted student program, Hailey recalls Bennett putting together complex Lego sets with hundreds of pieces in a very short period of time.
“As a child, he really enjoyed assembling 500-piece Lego sets,” Hailey added. “Nobody helped him. Some of them were pretty advanced for his age, but he would figure out a way to put them together. So, I guess in a way, you can say he’s been a problem solver for as long as I can remember.”
What many people might not know is that Bennett holds a degree in accounting and business administration, not in communications or journalism.
“I look at things a little differently than people expect me to,” Bennett said. “Most people expect me to talk about journalism and journalistic integrity, but I like to focus more on the business side. I approach things from a business perspective while also drawing from a journalistic one, which I picked up by being around the newsroom, editors and writers for so many years. My intent was to be a CPA [Certified Public Accountant], which is why I went into accounting, but as you can see, I’ve made quite a pivot from that career path.”
While in school, Bennett came to realize something that had been instilled in him from an early age, growing up in the industry—A deep understanding of the role he could play in serving his community.
“I think it was brought out of me more when I was school, but it was the fact that it is not so much what you can do for yourself, but what are you doing for other people in your community,” said Bennett. “I really feel strongly about Seattle, because I was born and raised here, so I want to make sure that the next generation of Seattleites have the ability to grow and flourish just like I have been able to.”
For those aspiring to enter the media industry, Bennett advises doing it for the right reasons, because, at the end of the day, your name and reputation are what truly matters.
“You are not in this industry because you want to be famous; you are here to build a reputation for yourself and your community,” said Bennett. “Do you want that to be a superficial reputation or a reputation based upon the work that you have done, where people can point and be like that person made a difference here in the community because of the stories that you’ve told?”
“There aren’t any shortcuts. You can’t take shortcuts in life or in your professionalism. If you are telling a story, make sure you get the complete story because if not, you would be shorting the community, the people you are telling the story about, and yourself,” he added.
Bennett stressed that his top priority is making sure the Seattle Medium remains a voice for the people, a platform where the community can share its news, but also one that advocates for the issues that need attention. These values and principles, he says, were passed down to him and continue to guide his efforts to move the Medium forward.
Throughout his tenure as CEO, Bennett said that one of his greatest challenges has been balancing tradition with innovation, particularly when serving three different generations of readers, who all look at things from a different perspective.
“You have an older generation that is used to print; they just want to see the paper, it’s part of their lifestyle, it is part of their habit. The middle generation that can go either way, print or digital, and then the younger generation that really just wants everything digital,” said Bennett. “Understanding your audience and how you are going to reach them is difficult because a lot of publications like ours don’t have the resources or haven’t invested in the resources to be able to do that.”
“You really have to provide that balance so that you have something that people want and look forward to reading in a format that is comfortable for them on a consistent basis,” he added.
As news media continues to evolve with advancing technology, Hailey commended Bennett for his dedication not only to The Seattle Medium but also to the Black press—expanding the publication to engage and serve audiences across generations.
“During his tenure, Chris has introduced several apps to extend the paper’s reach through both print and digital platforms,” Hailey said. “The publication has expanded in various ways, receiving awards for its website, news stories, and advertising promotions.”
Reflecting on his time in the newsroom, Bennett acknowledged that he wouldn’t be where he is today without the foundation laid by those who came before him.
“Being able to pick up and continue to carry the mantle forward has been a blessing,” says Bennett. “But I can go down a whole list of people who were important to this organization before me. There was my dad, Connie Cameron, I mean, so many. And at the end of the day, my job is to make sure that we continue to have a publication that they all can be proud of.”
Hailey echoed the statement.
“Throughout his career, he has worked closely with other employees who shared his father’s vision and he has often spoken about learning from those who preceded him,” said Hailey.
Although Bennett says that it’s probably too early to talk about succession and who will carry on the legacy, he believes there will always be individuals committed to continuing the tradition because, to him, there will always be a need for a Black publication until true justice is achieved for our people.
“The goal is to have an ongoing media resource for our community as long as it is needed. There is a reason why the city of Seattle has the oldest NAACP branch on this side of the Mississippi, and that is because there has always been racism, bias, and things that happen to just us,” Bennett said. “I can’t say there is a particular person, but my hope is that there are people who will be able to pick up the mantle from where I have been able to carry it to and really flourish and shine.”
Bennett said, above all, it’s important for people to understand that the legacy of the publication is greater than any one individual, even himself.
“It didn’t start with me, and it’s not going to end with me, and I think that it is important for people to know that the publication is here to serve our community,” said Bennett. “One of goals of the publication is to help improve the quality of life of African American and other underserved communities here in the Pacific Northwest, and that is a goal that is important for us to maintain.”
