By Nate Abraham Jr.
Publisher After 40 years, we have come to the painful conclusion that we can no longer publish the Carolina Panorama Newspaper on a weekly basis.
We didn’t come to this decision overnight. We have been putting off this decision for years.
How we got here
Since my father founded this newspaper in 1986, we have dedicated ourselves to providing positive news about the African-American community – news and information that was ignored by the mainstream media. Most major news outlets only considered the African-American community as being newsworthy if they were victims, perpetrators or protesters. But that left out at least 99 percent of the great things happening in our community.
Our mission has always been providing “Positive New For A Positive Community.” For four decades, we reported on the great things happening in our community – the kids winning scholarships and national awards, new businesses opening, organizations and churches providing resources to help people – recording Columbia’s Black history on our terms in real time.
Despite major upheavals in the newspaper industry, we have always managed to eke out a living. We survived the advent of the internet and online advertising, loss of newspaper inserts and classified ads, and the closing of thousands of newspapers across America. We even managed to stay afloat during the Covid pandemic – barely.
I first thought about throwing in the towel a few years ago. At the time, I was the vice president of the SC Press Association (SCPA) and was chosen to be the next president. In April 2024, I began my term as president, and I figured that it would be embarrassing to go out of business while making history as the first African-American to serve as the SCPA’s president.
Then I was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. I figured if the treatments didn’t work, at least I could die with my pride intact.
Cancer tends to be rather distracting. You get so focused on your health that you begin neglecting other areas of your life – especially your business. That is why we pulled back on many of the things that we prided ourselves on doing – such as the Community Business of the Week feature, our Black Author Spotlights, our annual Legacy of Black Business Awards Gala, and our Circle of Love Dinners.
Fortunately, the cancer was treatable. On December 31, 2024, I had my last cancer treatment. Apparently, it is a tradition to ring a bell when you have your last cancer treatment. Since I am not a regular dude, I didn’t want to do things the way everyone else does it. I planned to roll the biggest gong I could find into the treatment facility, blast the song “Bang A Gong” on my
Carolina Panorama Newspaper phone, and bang the heck out of it until they called the cops. I searched for months, but no one in the Midlands rents or lets you borrow a gong. So instead of celebrating, I vowed to get back to work.
But by this time, the damage was done. Advertising revenue continued to decline, and it was a struggle to get the newspaper out every week. We managed to stay in business through the end of my tenure as SCPA president, but I was working an average of 75 hours a week to keep things afloat.
When we hosted our very first Legacy of Black Business Awards Gala in 2013, we honored 17 local Black businesses that had operated for at least 40 years and had been passed down through two or more generations. The year 2025 was our 39th year, and I figured we should at least meet the same standards. The new goal was to get to our 40th year.
On January 14th, we published our second 2026 issue. As I was driving back from the printer, I encountered a disabled vehicle on the left side of I-20 without its hazard lights on. I learned a couple of things that night: First, when you hit a large, stationary pickup truck at 70 miles per hour, you can steer a vehicle with only three wheels. Second, the females in your life get very agitated when you tell them.
Even though I didn’t have a scratch on me, two generations of female relatives said that it was time to make some major changes and work less.
I took the situation as a blessing. Three days later, I received the Drum Major Award from the Brookland Brotherhood. I stood in front of 300 people and told them that surviving the accident and cancer treatments was a sign that my mission on this planet wasn’t finished. I vowed to keep publishing the Carolina Panorama Newspaper.
A moment of clarity
Last week, I read an article about the Richmond Free Press, a weekly newspaper serving the Black community in Richmond, Virginia. It felt like someone was writing about us. The Richmond Free Press also reported positive news for African-Americans living in the capitol city of a former Confederate state. The newspaper was also in its second generation. The publisher announced that they were shutting down after 34 years, citing rising print costs, declining advertising revenue, and the owner’s recent battle with cancer.
It was fascinating – and scary. I could see the handwriting on the wall.
Fifty years ago, newspapers accounted for nearly half of all advertising dollars. Today, it is less than 2 percent and falling. Tech companies like Google and Facebook take in more advertising dollars than EVERY newspaper on Earth combined.
We barely survived the internet era. In our present form, we cannot survive the introduction of Artificial Intelligence in advertising.
That is why we can no longer print a weekly newspaper. We cancelled our plans to launch the Upstate Panorama Newspaper in Spartanburg, and stopped printing the Lowcountry Panorama Newspaper in Charleston after four years.
Where do we go from here
As for Columbia, we are not going away completely. You will still be able to view the e-edition of the Carolina Panorama Newspaper on our website, www.CarolinaPanorama.com You will also be able to get our videos, future podcasts, newsletters and community announcement as well. We are also working out uploading our archives so you can search the news articles we have published over the decades. Visit the site to submit your news articles, calendar events, announcements, letters to the editor or obituaries. You can also purchase ads on our website or subscribe to our newsletters.
How you can help
As we transition to an online-first media outlet, we are not going to abandon print entirely. We are merely taking a hiatus. We will return to print after we restructure our
business model to continue serving the Midlands. We will announce the new schedule on our website.
For those of you who want to continue to support us, we ask that you purchase advertising on our website, classified advertisement section and newsletters. We will also have more advertising and promotional opportunities in the near future.
In addition to being affordable, we have some of the most innovate digital ads in the. News industry. Visit https://carolinapanorama.com/contact/advertiseto check out or new ad units.
And finally, please support us financially. Visit our crowdfunding page at https://www.indiegogo.com/creators/carolina-panorama or call us at (803) 256-4015 to make a donation.
40th Commemoration Issue
In April, we will celebrate what would have been the 92nd birthday of our founder, Nat Abraham Sr., We will print our 40th anniversary commemorative edition. We invite local businesses and organizations to be a part of this special edition, especially if you have been featured in the Carolina Panorama at any time over the past four decades. Call us at (803) 256-4015 or email News@CarolinaPanorama.com for additional information
We are not saying goodbye. We are simply restructuring our operations so we can come back bigger and stronger. Please be patient with us as we evolve and transition into the next generation to bring you “Positive News For A Positive Community.”
Thank you for your continued support.
Thanks for your service so far, and the changes in the future. Bless you.