By REUBEN JAMES
After five years of publication, WhereItzAt has managed to build a legacy of community service. Unlike the majority of entertainment publications that target New York’s Caribbean community, WhereItzAt has presented exclusive in-depth interviews, and feature stories from the likes of Buju Banton, Sean Paul, Marcia Griffiths, Wyclef Jean, Sizzla, Shaggy, Luciano, Bunji Garlin, Morgan Heritage, Alison Hinds, Capleton, Lady Saw, Burning Spear and DJ Kool Herc.
With its finger ever on the pulse of the people, it has also given rising stars such as Mavado, Richie Spice, T.O.K, Baby Cham, Tami Chin, Alain, Jovi Rockwell, Deemi and countless others in the world of music, television and literature an opportunity to share their struggles and triumphs with their newfound fans. In addition to all of this, WhereItzAt has played an integral role in helping Black entrepreneurs in the Caribbean community understand the importance of doing business in the 21st century by stressing the proven benefits of advertising.
These accomplishments were made possible through the Promethean efforts of a devout father, husband, businessman, philosopher and media mastermind, Clive Williams. You know him as The Love Doctor from WNWK (105.9). You’ve probably read his column in this fine publication. In his first up-close and personal testimony, the WhereItzAt publisher speaks on his triumphs and challenges in bringing Fashion, Art Music and Entertainment (F.A.M.E) to a community to which it has been long overdue. With no further ado we present to you, Clive Williams.
Clive, it has been widely covered in the press over the last couple of years that dozens of media publications have struggled with advertising, and as a result, have gone under. Yet here you guys are five years removed from your first issue and you’re still alive and kicking. How have you managed to do it?
Well Reuben, one of the first things our printer told us was that once we got this rather unique publication off the ground—and I say unique because we’re the only paper in our community that specializes in being a platform for Caribbean entertainers—was that we could expect a plethora of Caribbean entertainment papers following our launch. We heard them, although we really didn’t believe it, but so said so done. Since WhereItzAt launched in 2003 about four or five other knockoffs have tried to follow our lead. We have managed to survive through a combination of commitment and an incredible team of people, that is largely a family team. They have all made incredible sacrifices in order for this happen. We’re in it for the long haul. Publications have come and gone over the last five years—and I’m not excluding large publications. Are we comparing ourselves to them? Certainly not, but what I am saying is that it’s the state of the market. Advertising revenues have been off across the board upwards of 30 percent. Readership is down on ALL printed materials.
Again this is why our niche is unique. We’ve managed to last because we’re somewhat of a cult phenomenon in that people look to WhereItzAt for full-length stories on artists that they wouldn’t get anywhere else. It’s witty, it’s sharp, it’s edgy. Those ingredients have made us last, but the most significant is the teamwork we have. There are individuals who have made financial sacrifice to make this happen.
There are some detractors who may pose the argument that you compromise your ability to really inform people about various social and political issues by focusing primarily on entertainment. Care to comment?
I guess people who pose that criticism to us may have some justification for it, but in our eyes, we feel we have the right to develop a very competitive business strategy. I would hope that my detractors understand what a business strategy is. You look at the market and determine the most efficient way to reach the community that you want to reach. You have to understand what we call your demographics. In order to communicate to them you have to do so in very specific ways, through specific channels. We have found that the most effective channel is through entertainment. Why? It gets people’s attention!
Many people have responded well to an article I wrote about businesses that encroach on our community and give us nothing. “Now what does that have to do with entertainment?” one might ask. The fact of the matter is that when people are drawn to WhereItzAt because of its visual appeal, they often end up reading a very serious psycho-social article. So what we are artfully doing is educating while entertaining our people. KRS One called it Edutainment. Readership is down in our community and it continues to go down, so we have to look at new and innovative ways to appeal to our readership.
I surround myself with some very talented people. My Grand Nephew, Adika Butler, is a young man who stimulates my mind to no end. He challenges me, he provokes me, he keeps me young intellectually, and once you stay young intellectually, you stay young spiritually. My wife Michelle reminds me of the numbers, the business plan and the big picture. Annette Gordon keeps me grounded and is there as a buffer, a sounding board. My son Chris I can call on whenever I need to troubleshoot. He has constantly been at my side through thick and thin. I consult with these people before I undertake any venture.
The fact that you guys are still here and still relevant says also lot about your professional experience which I’m sure has prepared you for this task. Tell me about your professional background, some of the things that lead you to this point.
Well to make a long story short, my background in Jamaica was as a marketing man. I studied marketing in England. I have advanced degrees in marketing. I worked for a multi-national company, Johnson & Johnson, as a sales and marketing manager for many years. I also had the pleasure of working in media part-time. I worked on television programs in Jamaica, namely, the Educational Broadcasting System and the Jamaica Information Service. It gave me an opportunity to express myself. I think that there’s a part of me that’s really very artistic.
Later on Don Topping, one of the most outstanding disc jocks at RJR and in Caribbean radio in general, heard my voice and asked me to go on air with him on FAME FM. Later on my son (Christopher Williams) and I started a radio show that sort of propelled us into the community called Love Talk. That was a show that I did to help people deal with the challenges of life. We dealt with every aspect of the immigrant’s life in America.. Although I never tired of radio, I did become disillusioned because the standards were beginning to fall. I believe that the whole part of radio is to inform educate and elevate the conversation. Radio wasn’t doing that, so I wanted to be no part of it. I left my son there who continued for a while.
Then about 10 years ago my son Chris and I were brainstorming about a way to get information out to the community and we developed an idea called WhereItzAt. We discussed it with Annette Gordon and the whole concept of a magazine began to form. My son , my wife Michelle and Annette, my partner got together to begin making this happen. While the idea was percolating in our heads I serendipitously discovered my Grand Nephew, Adika, who was working in the newspaper industry. Five years later here we are.
You mentioned the rise of other Caribbean entertainment publications earlier. How has that affected WhereItzAt?
I think that the strong relationships we have with core advertisers have distinguished us from the pack. They started with us and they have stuck with us. We have also distinguished ourselves by virtue of the fact that we’re consistent, colorful, feisty and edgy. We speak what’s on our minds. We write original pieces that are fresh and informative. We don’t use the same writers writing for every other paper because their message is the same. We appeal to a more sophisticated, more discerning reader. To that reader we remain a cut above the rest.
Our advertisers stick with us because we deliver. We don’t just put an ad in our paper. We take an interest in their business and act as a network referral service for every business that advertises with us. We personally support these businesses, and because of that support we have developed relationships with these businesses. So the main thing that distinguishes us from them is the fact that we’re not self-serving. We’re a platform for up and coming artists who are not known in New York, but need to be, if they are trying to really establish a following. In addition to the paper we have a beautiful website that helps to promote these artists.
How has the response been from the community that you’ve served so well?
You know that’s a good question, because when I hear other Blacks say that they mistrust other people who look like them and that we mistrust each other, I am hurt and disappointed. I am a Black man and my community has definitely supported me. I’ve had people encourage me, I’ve had people advertise with me, and they’re all people who look like me. That’s why we’re still in business! So my experience is that the community has given us a very positive response, an incredible response. Could it be better? Absolutely! You see, what we strive to do at WhereItzAt is inform and educate. Since we do that we will ultimately bring those people to the table who are not currently at the table. That’s our purpose. That’s our goal.
Some people ask me why an entertainment paper? Why not a newspaper? Well, we want to give the people a respite from the news which is often depressing, overwhelming and monotonous. People want to take a break and read something amusing, something funny. You’re getting positive stories about people who are living out their dreams and making a difference. Life can be very rough, so we want to remind our readers of the brighter side of life. My job is to inform people. I want them to know where its at.
The year is still young. What are your plans, what is your vision for 2008?
One of the things we’re thinking about is a way to synchronize the activities of our people. I am very concerned about Jamaicans, particularly second and third generation Jamaicans in the American context. I’m concerned about them because they have some unique challenges. I think that the tremendous contributions that they have made to Jamaican society and American society has not been properly catalogued. There are unique challenges we have to address. We have to begin to network our community so that we can really tap into the resources of the United States.
I don’t know if you’re aware, but studies have been done that show that Jamaicans are one of the most progressive people in the American context in terms of ownership—property ownership, business ownership—we have been singled out along with the Jews and Koreans, as a group that understands the importance of doing business with each other. I want to further this. I want work at that through the publication through my own personal efforts. I say the Jamaican community because it’s enough work for me. I cannot take on any other community. My focus is on the community that has nurtured me and brought me where I am. We need to bridge the gap with Jamaica which is suffering from a brain drain. When I look at some of the leaders who have been elected to power over the years, it is clear to me that there is still a dirth of intellect and wisdom there. Whether it being an exchange in ideas, students, we must seek to find those channels in 2008.
