by Jennifer Harriss
Bosede Adediran is a native of Nigeria.
Bosede Adediran is a native of Nigeria. After receiving degrees in English and journalism, she went to work for the National Nigerian Television Authority as a reporter and newscaster. She moved on to the Nigerian Tribune, a national newspaper, as a reporter, and later as women’s editor, overseeing a section devoted to women’s interests ranging from politics to fashion and beauty. She also edited Lady Love and Total Woman, magazines focusing on women’s issues.
In 1987 she came to the United States for a Rotary Group Study Exchange program, working for 6 weeks as a reporter at the Marion Star in Ohio. Back home she worked for the Monitor Newspaper, another national newspaper, first as women’s editor, then assistant editor and then editor of the Sunday edition.
Bosede and her family (she’s married with four children) moved to Baltimore in 1998. She participated in the Program on Advances in Communication, a Johns Hopkins University Population Communication Services program. In 1999 they moved the South Minneapolis to be nearer to her family here, and she took a position in the media department of Target Financial Services. She responded to an ad in the Alley for an editor and took over as of November 1.
As editor of the Alley she has big plans. The paper will continue to cover a variety of topics, but will include more news instead of magazine-type articles. She envisions a real community paper, with information on births, deaths, marriages of Phillips residents, as well as livability issues specific to this area. Bosede is the only paid staff member, although a large number of people contribute; in the last year 120 people contributed writing or photography or cartoons to the paper.
The Alley began 24 years ago as a project of University Without Walls, put together and delivered by 50 volunteers. After several incarnations, the paper was computerized and almost became a private for-profit paper. Finally a for-profit publisher offered to subsidize the Alley, enabling the board to afford special projects including some investigative reporting.
But about two years ago the board began questioning whether they were fulfilling their mission to “inform and engage” the people of the Phillips neighborhood. After much discussion they decided that they wanted to be independent again, and broke with their publisher. Unfortunately the break has not been as amicable as they would have liked, and they are still struggling to rebuild their advertiser lists. But they are now completely in charge of their product. They pay a printer, and the Southside Pride distributes the Alley with its Phillips edition. They feel they are at a major turning point, and Bosede is a big part of that. Keep an eye on the Alley; they are moving in the direction of the future of Phillips.