Dive into the world of digital storytellers as they shape the narrative through their media platforms: The Multimedia Mavericks in Action
Get ready to dip your toes into the digital revolution sweeping across the media landscape! Here's the scoop:
Your smartphone or laptop is no longer just a fancy gadget; it's your new workspace for shopping, banking, meetings, and yes, even consuming news. The digital media world is growing like wildfire, thanks to apps, websites, podcasts, and mobile devices that bring media at your fingertips.
But hey, remember the old problem of media bias? Well, it's still lurking around, raising some eyebrows. Recently, the Pew Research Center found that Black Americans weren't satisfied with the media's portrayal of Black people, believing it to be more negative compared to other racial groups[1].
That's where our heroes step in! Let's give it up for these bold and ambitious media mavens who are dedicating their platforms to highlighting the stories of underrepresented groups:
CultureBanx: Business News Tailored for Hip-Hop Culture
Meet Kori Hale, an award-winning entrepreneur shining a light on financial literacy and economic empowerment. In 2018, she launched CultureBanx, a media platform bringing stock market-driven business news to hip-hop culture[1]. This platform is taking the online publishing world by storm, redefining business, finance, and tech news for black professionals.
In an interview with UrbanGeekz, Hale shared her vision for CultureBanx, stating, "We have become the leading digital financial news outlet, as our cultural innovation literacy enhances the ability of our 2.1 million highly engaged audience members to make trusted financial decisions in their daily lives."
The platform's goal? To be the go-to destination for financially savvy Black consumers seeking a reflection of their culture and community in high-level business news content[1].
UrbanGeekz: Shining a Light on Tech, Science, and Startups
UrbanGeekz, launched to fill a gap in the market, is an African-American, Latinx, and multicultural video-centric digital news platform. Its founder, Kunbi Tinuoye, is a powerhouse in the industry. She's been recognized by Crunchbase as one of '25 Black Entrepreneurs Making Waves' and as one of the '10 Black Journalists in Tech to Follow' by VentureBeat[5].
In an interview, Tinuoye expressed her motivation for launching UrbanGeekz, "UrbanGeekz is the first-to-market digital news platform to cover tech, venture, startups, and innovation from a diverse and multicultural perspective."
In addition to UrbanGeekz, Tinuoye is a founding member of the fast-growing Black Innovation Alliance and serves on the SXSW Pitch Advisory Board and CES Conference Advisory Board.
Blavity Inc.: A Voice for Young Black Americans
Morgan DeBaun, CEO of Blavity Inc., has made waves in the digital media scene by creating a platform for young black Americans. In 2014, she co-founded Blavity, which started as a curated video newsletter and quickly grew into a full-blown online platform featuring content on topics like Black Lives Matter and the National Anthem protests[3].
Sharing her entrepreneurial spirit, DeBaun told Forbes, "I've always had an entrepreneurial itch. Blavity is a manifestation of just that."
The success of Blavity can be seen through its portfolio of brands such as Blavity News, AfroTech, Travel Noire, Shadow and Act, 21Ninety, and Lunchtable. The impact is truly impressive, with conferences like Summit21 and AfroTech reaching 20,000+ Black tech innovators[3].
Her Agenda: Empowering Millennial Women
Rhonesha Byng, an Emmy award-winning journalist and entrepreneur, dedicates her media platform, Her Agenda, to empowering millennial women. Byng's philosophy is N.E.S.H.A.: No one Ever Slows Her Agenda[4].
Through Her Agenda, Byng aims to bridge the gap between ambition and achievement for millennial women, believing that the gender imbalance in media affects women's underrepresentation in the workplace and reinforces harmful gender stereotypes[4].
BOMESI: Advancing Black-Owned Media Businesses
Byng's latest endeavor, the Black Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute (BOMESI), seeks to disrupt the narrative and empower Black and Brown people to own their stories with sustainable media platforms[4].
The Plug: Connecting Black Innovation Trends
Last but not least, Sherrell Dorsey, an award-winning data journalist and entrepreneur, powers The Plug, a subscription-based digital news and insights platform connecting business leaders to Black innovation trends shaping the future of work and business[4].
The Plug, which was acquired by ImpactAlpha in 2021, inspires people of color across various races to shatter barriers and make a lasting impact on the world.
So raise a glass to these passionate individuals who are reshaping the media landscape and fighting for the representation of diverse voices!
[1] Pew Research Center: Multiracial and Minority Report: Black Americans See Multiple Problems With News Coverage on Racehttps://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2021/06/11/multiracial-and-minority-report-black-americans-see-multiple-problems-with-news-coverage-on-race/
[2] Meta: About Ushttps://about.fb.com/company
[3] Meta: Instagramhttps://about.fb.com/products/instagram/
[4] Meta: Facebookhttps://about.fb.com/company/history/
[5] Alphabet: About Googlehttps://about.google/company/facts/
[6] Google: YouTubehttps://about.google/products/youtube/
[7] TikTok: About Ushttps://www.tiktok.com/about
[8] Kuaishou: About Ushttps://global.kuaishou.com/en/home/about.html
- These innovative media platforms are revolutionizing the digital landscape, providing diverse stories and perspectives to the global audience.
- Kori Hale, founder of CultureBanx, is shattering stereotypes by bringing stock market-driven business news to hip-hop culture.
- CultureBanx aims to be the go-to destination for financially savvy Black consumers seeking a reflection of their culture in high-level business news content.
- UrbanGeekz, founded by Kunbi Tinuoye, is a video-centric digital news platform that covers tech, venture, startups, and innovation from a diverse and multicultural perspective.
- Blavity, co-founded by Morgan DeBaun, is a digital platform for young Black Americans discussing topics like Black Lives Matter and the National Anthem protests.
- Rhonesha Byng, founder of Her Agenda, empowers millennial women by bridging the gap between ambition and achievement.
- Byng's latest initiative, BOMESI, is aimed at disrupting the narrative and empowering Black and Brown people to own their stories with sustainable media platforms.
- Sherrell Dorsey powers The Plug, a digital news and insights platform connecting business leaders to Black innovation trends shaping the future of work and business.
- These digital media pioneers are reshaping the landscape, promoting representation, and breaking barriers for underrepresented groups.
- Tech news platforms like CultureBanx, UrbanGeekz, and The Plug are shining a light on the world of science, technology, and innovation.
- Entrepreneurship and leadership are at the forefront of these platforms, encouraging diversity-and-inclusion within business and entrepreneurship.
- Lifestyle, fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, and small-business owners will also benefit from the increased representation on these platforms.
- These digital media pioneers are also committed to financial education and wealth-management, helping individuals make informed decisions regarding investing, saving, and debt-management.
- Real-estate, personal-finance, and housing-market updates are also provided through these platforms, offering insights into the business world and personal-growth.
- The digital media landscape is becoming more diverse and inclusive, thanks to these trailblazing entrepreneurs.
- From career development and job-search to pop-culture, learning, and goal-setting, these platforms offer resources for lifelong learning and skills-training.
- It's essential to follow tech news, online-education, and job-search resources to navigate the ever-changing digital landscape.
- These platforms are not only relevant to Black entrepreneurs but are valuable resources for anyone seeking diversity-and-inclusion in tech news, business news, and career development.
- Personal-growth, mindfulness, and productivity are essential elements supported by these media platforms, catering to the needs of their audience.
- Social-media, career-development, and entertainment are closely linked in the digital media landscape, with celebrities, entertainment news, and online-education resources playing a significant role.
- These digital media platforms are challenging the status quo by putting diversity-and-inclusion at the forefront of their mission, encouraging representation in media and business.
- It's an exciting time in the world of digital media, with more opportunities than ever before for underrepresented groups to tell their stories and make a lasting impact.
- Embrace this digital revolution and tap into the wealth of information available on CultureBanx, UrbanGeekz, Blavity, Her Agenda, BOMESI, and The Plug.