That’s the title of an article in Blackweb 2.0:
Internet and new media have changed newspapers and publications over the years. But how has this change translated into the Black press?
Some of the most talented African-American writers, editors, and publishers have contributed to the Black press for over one hundred years. Black papers became the way for black people to communicate and share news about the community. But as technology continues to influence the media, the Black press has been slow in making the digital transition.
“The integration of social media has been delayed in the Black press,” says the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s program activities coordinator, Kyle Yeldell. “Editors are focused on other aspects of the paper and are not putting the time and energy into converging into new media.”
According to the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, today, 71% of African-Americans use social networking sites, which is higher than their counterparts.
While social media seems like a necessity for news organizations, there are still numerous black newspapers that don’t even have Web sites to accompany its print edition, let alone social media accounts.
“There is a small percentage of black papers that have Web sites,” says Howard University journalism professor, Clint Wilson III, Ph.D. “This process has been slow due to money and resources.”
