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Desiree Rogers Named CEO of Johnson Publishing Company

By Ericka Blount Danois on Aug 10th 2010 5:15PM

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Desiree Rogers Named CEO of Johnson Publishing Company

Like all magazines in today's marketplace, two of the oldest institutions, Ebony and Jet, are struggling. With the largest warehouse of black photos and black content, and published under one of the few black-owned publishing companies, they were about to be sold this past June, and black ownership in publishing would have been almost completely lost.

But Linda Johnson Rice, daughter of Johnson Publishing founder John H. Johnson, has invigorated new life into the publications, hiring former Harper's Bazaar editor Amy DuBois Barnett as a new editor-in-chief and announcing on Tuesday that former White House Social Secretary Desiree Rogers, embroiled in scandal less than a year ago, would be the new CEO.

Rogers stepped down from her White House job following the 2009 state dinner gate-crasher incident involving the Salahis. Michaele and Tareq Salahi became infamous when they reportedly crashed the dinner honoring India's Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh.

Rogers was blamed for the breach of security and resigned from her post shortly after. The Salahis have since enjoyed more than their 15 minutes of fame by joining the cast of 'Housewives of D.C.,' while the talented Rogers disappeared from the public eye.

"Desirée has a proven track record of successful business leadership," Rice said in a statement. "She is a long-standing confidant and a savvy businesswoman who is committed to the strategic growth of Johnson Publishing Company. I look forward to working side-by-side with her as we embark upon this next phase for the company."
Rogers will oversee the day-to-day operations of the company and be "aligning core business strategies for all brands," according to a statement from Johnson Publishing.
"I am humbled to have such an incredible opportunity," Rogers said in a statement. "I consider it an honor to help continue the 68-year legacy of such a phenomenal company and its iconic brands."

Rogers is an Obama family friend and could possibly bring a brand-new level of exposure to the magazine that would bring it back from the doldrums. Ebony and Jet have been criticized over the years for remaining in the era where they were once welcomed -- showcasing the success of middle-class blacks and wealthy celebrities -- and missing hard-hitting issues and critical analysis of politics and issues affecting the community.

We'll see if having Rogers at the helm will bring a higher level of hard-hitting journalism to the publication -- something that's often missing in the black community.

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