The role of Black-owned media has continued to evolve in the nearly 200 years since Freedom’s Journal–the first Black owned and operated newspaper in the U.S.–went to print. Trustworthy voices must be available to inform about the current issues, successes and challenges of Black America. Black-owned media was recognized by advertisers and brands as an essential missing component in their attempts to reach Black communities.

SME research shows that Black people are demanding content that represents their identities on the screen. Black media owners play an essential role in providing diverse content for Black communities. Black-owned outlets are not always included in media plans that target Black audiences, even though they have a 27% reach with Black viewers.

Munson Steed, CEO of Steed Media Group, is one of today’s most trusted storytellers in the Black community. This multimedia conglomerate encompasses print and digital events as well as its multimedia news platform Rolling Out.

Steed joined SME’s VP of Diverse Insights and Partnerships, Charlene Polite Corley, to discuss the impact of diverse-owned media and how brands and advertisers can benefit from working with Black-owned media. You can watch the conversation for more information:

• Why it’s important to invest in Black-owned media as a way of investing in the health and wealth of the Black community (starting at 1:33)
• Working with Black media, and Black-targeted media can help brands (starting at 7:15)
• Utilizing social media and other digital platforms to engage the Black community better (starting at 11 :58).

Learn more in our Diverse-Owned Media Audience Reach and Profiles report.