Maynard Institute archives

Madame Noire Tops Black-Oriented Websites

by richard0879

Women’s Site Leads The Root and BET in Unique Visitors

Detroit Photog Captures Flint Tragedy for Time Cover

#OscarsSoWhite Morphs Into #JournalismSoWhite

Writers Focus on Trump, Sanders and Obama

Groups Pledge to Use Phones to Record Injustice

Univision Examines Latinos’ Educational Challenges

Huffington Post Shuts Down Spanish-Language “Voces”

Native Outlet Tests Tribe’s New Press Freedom Act

Optimism About Print Publications “Doesn’t Feel Right”

Short Takes

Women’s Site Leads The Root and BET in Unique Visitors

The most popular African American website for 2015 wasn’t known for its discussions of Black Lives Matter, Donald Trump or killer snowstorms, according to a compilation from the ComScore, Inc., research company.

That distinction goes to Madame Noire, which calls itself “a sophisticated lifestyle publication that gives African-American women the latest in fashion trends, black entertainment news, parenting tips and beauty secrets that are specifically for black women.”

At Journal-isms’ request, ComScore provided the number of unique visitors logged by black-oriented sites that included such crowd-pleasers as BET.com, MediaTakeOut.com, WorldStarHipHop.com, The Root and Bossip.com.

Madame Noire had an average of 7,116,000 unique visitors monthly for 2015, followed by 5,928,000 for The Root; 5,720,000 for BET Networks; 4,762,000 for WorldStarHipHop.com; and 4,271,000 for Bossip.com.

“We’re very in tune with the type of content Black women want to see and discuss and the issues that matter most to the Black community as a whole,” Brande Victorian, the site’s managing editor, told Journal-isms by email on Friday.

Top headlines on the site Friday were “How to Turn Down a Bridesmaid Proposal Without Losing a Friend,” “Could You Have Undiagnosed Adult ADHD? It’s More Common Than You Think” and “Honestly, Janet Hubert Has a Good Reason to be Bitter . . . And It’s Bigger Than the Smiths.”

The most popular stories included “Regina Belle Talks New Album, Life After a Brain Tumor and Going Back to College After 30 Years,” “John Singleton’s Son Launches Go Fund Me to Pay for College . . . Are Parents Obligated to Pay Their Child’s Tuition?” and “Women Prefer Nice Guys Over Attractive Jerks, Says Study.”

Madame Noire’s publisher, Moguldom Brands, also produces Bossip.com, StyleBlazer.com and HipHopWired.com.

“People who visit our site and follow our social media pages are often very passionate, vocal individuals,” Victorian continued, “so in addition to tracking analytics, we also pay attention to anecdotal evidence that supports our content direction and attracts new visitors.”

On Aug. 31, the site announced that it was incorporating MommyNoire.com, a standalone parenting site targeting black mothers, and named Kweli Wright, its associate editor as Madame Noire’s parenting editor.

Victorian provided this demographic information for the site: Age 18-34: 53 percent; age 21-plus: 94 percent; female, 60 percent; male, 40 percent; household income of $100,000, 32 percent; children, 42 percent; African American, 63 percent.

Madame Noire ranked second to BET Networks in the previous year’s rankings.

The 2015 rankings, with the 2014 figure in parentheses:

1. Madame Noire, 7,116,000 average monthly unique visitors. (2)

2. TheRoot.com, 5,928,000 (4)

3. BET Networks, 5,720,000 (1)

4. World Star Hip-Hop, 4,762,000 (3)

5. Bossip.com, 4,271,000 (5)

6. HelloBeautiful.com, 3,249,000 (4)

7. Essence.com, 2,989,000 (10)

8. HuffPost BlackVoices, 2,680,000 (8)

9. MediaTakeOut.com, 2,188,000 (6)

10. NewsOne.com, 1,773,000 (9)

11. TheGrio.com, 1,645,000 (12)

12. BlackAmericaWeb.com, 1,644,000 (11)

13. AtlantaBlackStar.com, 822,000 (14)

14. TheYBF.com, 720,000 (13)

15. Ebony.com, 482,000 (16)

16. EURWeb.com, 430,000 (17)

17. BlackEnterprise.com, 393,000 (18)

18. Clutch.com, 311,000 (19)

19. BlackPlanet.com, 305,000 (15)

The list does not include all African American-oriented websites.

The Root, which carries Journal-isms, began as a venture of the Washington Post Co. It was bought last year by Univision Communications. The company announced last week, “In 2016, The Root will begin producing television programming in conjunction with FUSION,” Univision’s joint venture with Walt Disney Co.

The Wall Street Journal reported in December that Disney and Univision were in talks for Disney to exit Fusion.

Detroit Photog Captures Flint Tragedy for Time Cover

“Detroit Free Press photographer Regina H. Boone didn’t recognize the number ringing her cell phone, but she answered the call anyway,” the Free Press reported on Thursday. “The unfamiliar number was Time magazine, letting her know that her photo of a 2-year-old child from Flint had been chosen as the image for this week’s cover.

“In Flint, where lead-poisoned water has sparked international outcry, the image of Sincere Smith, his skin covered by severe rashes his mother believes are the result of bathing in the contaminated water, has become a symbol of the city’s suffering.

“Here, Boone shares her experience meeting Sincere and photographing the residents of Flint. . . .”

From the interview:

“. . . I felt [Reporter Elisha Anderson] and I were given a huge responsibility and maybe a [one-time] chance to really use our instincts as journalists to talk to people and show the various faces from black families to white families, to pets and even the plants being impacted by this contamination issue.

“It just all felt so incredibly heavy as the day went on and we heard more real stories. I felt like we were doing something intensely historical and important for the community of Flint, and that we were exposing the ugliness of America when it comes to poor, poverty-stricken communities.

“Anyone that knows me knows I am an intense people connector. I love meeting new people and hearing their stories. Documentary-style photography is where I am best. I can immerse myself with someone, and they forget I am there with my camera, and I can make a photograph that just captures their true essence. We don’t get to do this style of photography of immersing ourselves as much as we used to in this business. I think I was able to do this in a short period of time by becoming entranced by Sincere’s eyes. … That made me feel his pain and that made me truly feel the pain of the entire city through him. . . .”

Boone, a staff photographer at the Free Press since 2003, is the daughter of Raymond H. Boone Sr., the iconic black press publisher who died in 2014 at age 76.

#OscarsSoWhite Morphs Into #JournalismSoWhite

As the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences was responding to the #OscarsSoWhite outcry, activist iournalist Jose Antonio Vargas tweeted Friday, “If news media is examining diversity of Hollywood, Silicon Valley, etc, then we must also examine our own industry. #JournalismSoWhite”

A hashtag was born, and tweeting journalists elaborated on the theme.

In Los Angeles, meanwhile, “In a unanimous vote Thursday night, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 51-member board of governors approved a sweeping series of changes designed to diversify its membership, the academy said in a statement Friday,” Rebecca Keegan reported for the Los Angeles Times.

“The board committed to doubling the number of women and minority members in the academy by 2020.

“It also approved a series of changes limiting members’ lifetime voting rights. ‘Beginning later this year, each new member’s voting status will last 10 years, and will be renewed if that new member has been active in motion pictures during that decade,’ the academy statement said.

” ‘In addition, members will receive lifetime voting rights after three 10-year terms; or if they have won or been nominated for an Academy Award. We will apply these same standards retroactively to current members. In other words, if a current member has not been active in the last 10 years they can still qualify by meeting the other criteria. Those who do not qualify for active status will be moved to emeritus status. Emeritus members do not pay dues but enjoy all the privileges of membership, except voting. This will not affect voting for this year’s Oscars.’ . . . “

Groups Pledge to Use Phones to Record Injustice

“As of today, ten national organizations have committed to ensure that their over 200,000 members will become proficient in the use of a mobile device in order to non-intrusively, respectfully, accurately and lawfully document encounters with law enforcement officers or government officials who appear to be breaking the law, and with election-day trolls who are trying to frighten citizens from exercising their right to vote,” Kim L. Keenan, president and CEO of the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council, announced on Thursday.

“Those organizations — alphabetically — are:

  • “Black College Communication Association
  • “International Black Broadcasters Association
  • “League of United Latin American Citizens
  • “Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council
  • “National Association of Multicultural Digital Entrepreneurs
  • “National Black Chamber of Commerce
  • “National Congress of Black Women
  • “National Newspaper Publishers Association
  • “National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women
  • “Rainbow PUSH Coalition

“These organizations’ over 200,000 committed, well-informed, and well-prepared smartphone-carrying members will stand ready to hit the ‘record’ button when they witness injustice. Then they will hit the ‘send’ button to preserve the video for safekeeping.

“Our partner, the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), will serve as a safe repository of the videos and will ensure that over 200 black newspapers have immediate access to them.

“In this way we will create an overwhelming deterrent to wrongdoing. . . .”

Ebony Senior Editor Jamilah Lemieux interviews Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., for the March issue of Ebony. (video)

Writers Focus on Trump, Sanders and Obama

The National Review, the prominent conservative newsmagazine, unveiled a special issue Friday denouncing Donald Trump’s Republican presidential candidacy.

Meanwhile, African Americans began speaking more publicly about Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., Hillary Clinton’s chief rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, while others continued to assess President Obama’s legacy as he began his final year in office.

Some of the Sanders commentary focused on his opposition to “reparations for slavery” as impractical and divisive.

“For those of us interested in how the left prioritizes its various radicalisms, Sanders’s answer is illuminating,” Ta-Nehisi Coates wrote Tuesday in the Atlantic. “The spectacle of a socialist candidate opposing reparations as ‘divisive’ (there are few political labels more divisive in the minds of Americans than socialist) is only rivaled by the implausibility of Sanders posing as a pragmatist. . . .”

In the National Review, “More than 20 notable conservative thinkers, including William Kristol, Erick Erickson, and Glenn Beck contributed to Friday’s issue of National Review, whose cover loudly displays the words ‘Against Trump’ . . ., ” Mark Abadi reported for Business Insider.

The Republican National Committee withdrew its invitation for the National Review to co-sponsor its Feb. 25 presidential debate because the publication had now taken sides.

Univision Examines Latinos’ Educational Challenges

“Univision News says it will air a special program on the Common Core education standards on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. ET,” Jon Lafayette reported Friday for Broadcasting & Cable.

“The special, entitled, Puente al Futuro (Bridge to the Future)[,] is being produced with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

“The program will explore the educational challenges faced by many Hispanic students and highlight how the Common Core standards adopted in 42 states are affecting their ability to succeed.

“After its on-air broadcast, Puente al Futuro will be available online, along with an extensive report on the topic, in both Spanish and English, at ‘La Huella Digital’ (The Digital Footprint).

“Viewers will be able to join the conversation around Puente al Futuro across social media using the hashtag #EducaciónHispanos.

“Univision says the special will have five stories highlighting specific issues:

“Children of migrant workers . . .

“English-language learners . . .

“Access to technology . . .

“College completion . . .

“Math proficiency . . .”

Native Outlet Tests Tribe’s New Press Freedom Act

“Freedom of the press is something most journalists in the United States fiercely protect and demand” (audio), Allison Herrera reported Friday for KOSU-FM in Tulsa, Okla. “It’s seen as crucial to keeping those with power in check. But in Indian Country, it gets more complicated.

“There are more than 200 tribal newspapers in the country and only a handful [of tribes] have passed freedom of the press acts. Editors have had stories cut, websites shut down and staff threatened or fired for publishing stories tribal officials don’t approve of.

“Invisible Nations producer Allison Herrera tells us about one Oklahoma media outlet that only recently signed a freedom of the press act, and how that might affect the lives of both Native and non-native Oklahomans.

“Mvskoke Media’s offices are located in a warehouse building behind the One Fire Casino in Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Their newspaper, radio and television show are all produced in-house with a small crew. When I visited, I found Mvskoke Nation News editor Sterling Cosper doing dishes — maybe not part of his official job duties but with so few people, he wears many hats.

“Last fall, while covering a tribal council meeting, Cosper heard rumblings about a tribal council member allegedly getting bumped up the federally mandated housing waitlist. If true, it would be highly illegal — a hot story for any editor to jump on.

“But, Cosper took a pause. He and his staff weren’t sure if they should pursue the story. The ink was still drying on a bill granting them free press protections, and they were nervous they could lose their jobs if tribal officials didn’t like what they read or saw. . . .”

Optimism About Print Publications “Doesn’t Feel Right”

“Last October, a McKinsey report declared, ‘We believe that many of the people likely to abandon print newspapers and print consumer magazines have already done so …. We believe most of this core audience —households that have retained their print subscriptions despite having access to broadband — will continue to do so for now, effectively putting a floor on the print markets,’ ” Richard Tofel, president of ProPublica, wrote Wednesday for medium.com.

“Wow. Just because of inertia? Is the only medium-term threat to print the fact that most of its current audience will gradually die over the next 30 years? That would be great news, especially because nearly all newspapers still get most of their revenue from print advertising.

“But it doesn’t feel right in a world in which even mature adults’ media consumption habits seem to be quickly evolving. . . .”

Tofel compared circulation figures for major newspapers from 2013 and 2015 and wrote, “There remain only two print newspapers in the entire country (the Wall Street Journal and New York Times) that sell more than a half million copies per average weekday, only six that sell a quarter of a million copies and probably [correction: not many more than] 22 that sell more than 100,000. . . .”

He also wrote, “Finally, and to return to the McKinsey report with which we began, if print circulation is much lower than generally believed, what basis is there for confidence the declines are ending and a plateau lies ahead?”

Short Takes

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