There are millions of independent media posts being created every day by minorities around the nation. Podcasters, authors, journalist, bloggers, sound & music artist alike are using big platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok and Soundcloud to deliver their content.
For many, to promote their brand, products, and services they must rely on their immediate network of friends, family, and social media subscribers. To effectively communicate their services to a larger audience they seek the stewardship of bigger networks to market their brand and tap into more larger audiences. Minority media and business managers utilizing larger networks to promote themselves has both advantages and disadvantages.
Businesses utilize larger networks to promote themselves to the masses
The advantage of bigger networks or media groups is that they syndicate their content through several publications and platforms simultaneously to generate a larger influence on the market and the masses.
While larger networks are highly efficient in reaching the masses and delivering the promotions of their advertising clients, they tend to have a common issue for minorities. The vast majority of the larger media networks that service minority customers are not minority owned.
As a result, minorities often face intense racial discrimination at the hands of bigger companies who syndicate over 90% of the content produced for the mass to consume.
Must Read: The impact of Mainstream Media on Western Culture. – The Modern Time
Discrimination in today’s Mass Media
On February 20, 2015, Byron Allen, owner of the Weather Channel filed a lawsuit against Comcast and Time Warner Cable Inc., the NAACP, the National Urban League and Al Sharpton, alleging that Comcast gave large donations to Al Sharpton, the NAACP and other civil rights groups to give the impression that the cable company was promoting racial diversity, even while it was failing to follow through on a promise to do so.
The case was settled in the lower court after a having been slated by the Supreme Court on March 23, ruling that the case had to meet a higher threshold to be heard.
This isn’t the first bout with discrimination for the Comedian, turned Media Mogul Byron Allen. He also filed a lawsuit against McDonalds in 2021, alleging that the fast-food giant deliberately refused to advertise with Black owned media companies.
In addition to racial discrimination, minorities tend to face rigorous requirements and standards to qualify for advertising and program positions in mass media, many of which are looked at as degrading by the minority community. According to Kaitlin Jean-Noel in her Article Portrayal of Women of Color In Media, she writes:
“Women of color specifically are given unfair and inaccurate portrayals that follow them their entire lives. They are consistently compared to these characters/personas seen in print media or on the screens that do not accurately represent them. Some women spend their lives proving the stereotypes wrong or live in fear of acting out and making them true.”
Our Solution – A Minority Media Collective
For this and other reasons, The Modern Time in partnership with The Minority Eye Media Group is raising awareness and initiatives to create a Collective Independence for minority multimedia broadcasters. Whether you’re a podcaster, youtuber, blogger, newsletter, publisher, radio personality or other programs becoming a Broadcast Partner gives you a unique opportunity to network with independent media professionals in other states, create profitable collaborations, and gain knowledge of the latest marketing and promotions tools and strategies.
To learn more about becoming a Broadcast Partner, fill out the interested form and attend the Collective Independence Roundtable – this event is for anyone looking to expand their media platform’s reach or launch a new initiative.
