Black Newspaper In Boston Suspends Publication

The Bay State Banner, Boston's 44-year-old African-American newspaper, has suspended publication and laid off its 12 employees.

Publisher and editor Melvin Miller tells The Boston Globe in a story published Tuesday that the suspension is for "financial reasons" but declined to say how long the paper will remain closed.

Miller also told "Richard Prince's Journal-isms," an online column that focuses on diversity in media, that the newspaper was hurt by low advertising revenues. Miller said he is still looking for investors to keep the paper going.

The Boston native founded the Banner in 1965. The paper most recently had a weekly circulation of 34,000.

Miller did not immediately return phone calls for comment to The Associated Press on Tuesday.