South Florida Times
The South Florida Times is a weekly newspaper covering the Black community in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties in south Florida. It publishes on Thursdays, with a circulation of about 35,000.
History
Keith Clayborne founded the Broward Times in 1990. It was seen as the voice of younger, educated, "up-and-coming" voices in the local Black community, largely from the Caribbean, as opposed to the older veterans of the civil rights era. In 2000 the paper formed an editorial partnership with the Sun-Sentinel. Clayborne hired a new editor, Utrice Leid, in 2004, to take the paper "to the next level." At the time, the paper had a circulation of 24,000; hiring Leid reflected an effort to overcome a reputation for overusing unnamed sources. Clayborne, who did not have a background in journalism, had stepped away from his editing duties to run for political office. He was later sued for libel by his opponent, Alcee Hastings.In 2007, Robert G. Beatty acquired Broward Times; the name was changed several months later to the South Florida Times, along with plans to expand to neighboring counties. Beatty had a background as legal counsel to the Miami Herald, and has been a featured speaker at local business functions. Bradley Bennett, who served as executive editor, also had a background with the Herald. The paper's stated mission includes in-depth analysis of worldwide events relating to the African diaspora, and making connections to its local community. The paper has partnered with the Miami Herald. The Times' reporting has been picked up by the Herald, and has been referenced in the Herald's own reporting. As of 2010, a journalism professor at the Florida International University partnered with the Times, assigning his students to investigate and report stories for the paper.