ELINOR TATUM is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of the New York Amsterdam  News, the oldest and largest black newspaper in the City of New York, and one of the  oldest ethnic papers in the United States. Ms. Tatum was appointed to Editor in Chief  in 1997, becoming one of the youngest publishers in the history of the black press. She  began at the newspaper as a journalist, covering local and national issues affecting  Harlem and the Black community. Under her watch, the Amsterdam News has evolved  from typewriters to total computerization and undergone several new layouts with  refocused content relevant to a wider African American community in New York and  across the nation and the creation of Amsterdamnews.com, the paper’s online edition.  Ms. Tatum has positioned the newspaper as a critical part of the national political  discourse concerning African Americans.

In addition to publishing the Amsterdam News, Ms. Tatum’s political insight is also increasingly sought-after –She  regularly moderates debates and hosts interviews on Manhattan Neighborhood Network. She has appeared on WNBC evening  news, and on NY1. She has guest hosted on the international network ARISE. She has also appeared on 20/20, The Today  Show, NBC Nightly News, Fox 5, and CUNY TV. In addition, for over 11 years, Ms. Tatum had produced and co-hosted a weekly  segment of Al Sharpton’s daily radio show “Keepin’ It Real” – a nationally syndicated talk show that airs in over forty markets.  Ms. Tatum is also a prolific keynote speaker, and expert on topics of media, race, politics and culture. In 2004 she served on  the Nielsen Independent Task Force on TV Measurement. After the Election of Andrew Cuomo in 2010 Ms. Tatum was named  to his transition team on the Committee on Economic Development and Labor. She currently sits on the State’s Tourism  Advisory Council. Governor Cuomo’s MWBE Advisory Council and the NY Forward Reopening Advisory Board and most  recently was appointed by the Governor to the board of directors of the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA).  Ms. Tatum was born and raised in New York City. She graduated from St. Lawrence University with a B.S. in Government  Studies in 1993. She continued her education at Stockholm University in Stockholm, Sweden, studying International relations  and the Swedish model of government. Ms. Tatum holds a Master’s degree in Journalism in Mass Communications from New  York University.