The arrest of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. sparked a media storm a few weeks ago, but one prominent Boston African American paper couldn’t cover the story — they were shut down that week due to a lack in funding, PRI reports.

With larger African American magazines like Jet and Ebony struggling to survive in the current economic climate, how will a diversity of opinions on news topics that affect minorities continue if minority-oriented publications go under?

PRI’s Here and Now discusses a group of minority broadcasters who are seeking a temporary bailout, and the risk of missing big stories that affect the community if they aren’t funded.

Are minority-oriented publications necessary for the larger conversation, or are they to face the same fate as so many other newspapers and magazines until they figure out a way to stay relevant in the new economy?